The fighting against the powerful Japanese invasion force, was perhaps the most significant battle fought by the young Australians in World War II.The Japanese landed near Gona on the northern coast of Papua in the year 1942, 21st july. In the next two months they took their Australians and their Papuan allies right back over the large mountains towards Port Moresby, the Japeneses objective. Port Moresby was a vital key to the defence of the aussies. If they would have took Port Moresby the Japanese would of planned to begin a mass bombing offensive against north Queensland and had they decided to invade Australia, the invasion would have been launched from Port Moresby. None of this came to pass. The Japanese approached to within 40 kilometres of their objective but things turned things changed and the tide turned in septemeber.
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