TheSecondWar.pl
Timeline
Battles
People
Places
Series
Glossary
pl
Timeline
Battles
People
Places
Series
Glossary
← Timeline
Australia
Tag
(80)
1919
February
13
The Japanese racial equality proposal
On 13 February 1919 Nobuaki Makino proposed adding racial equality to the League of Nations Covenant. Australian and American opposition buried it.
1939
September
03
India, Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland at war
On 3 September 1939 the Viceroy declared India at war without consulting Indians. Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland also entered the war that day.
1940
June
28
A convoy clash off Crete
On 28 June 1940 British cruisers caught three Italian destroyers carrying supplies for Tobruk. Espero was sunk covering the escape of the other two.
July
19
The Battle of Cape Spada
On 19 July 1940 the Australian cruiser Sydney and five British destroyers beat two Italian cruisers off Crete. The Bartolomeo Colleoni was sunk.
December
16
The British enter Libya
On 16 December 1940 the Italians gave up Sollum, Fort Capuzzo and Sidi Omar and shut themselves in Bardia. The British entered Libya and began to encircle it.
1941
January
05
The capture of Bardia
On 5 January 1941 General Mackay’s Australians broke the last resistance at Bardia. Some 36,000–40,000 Italians were captured, but Bergonzoli escaped to Tobruk.
21
Key event
The capture of Tobruk
On 21 January 1941 the 6th Australian Division attacked Tobruk. Next day the fortress capitulated and some 25,000 Italians were taken prisoner.
30
The British take Derna
On 30 January 1941 Australians entered Derna unopposed. After a week of stubborn defence on the Wadi Derna, the Italians withdrew to avoid encirclement.
February
20
The first clash with the Afrika Korps
On 20 February 1941 a British patrol near El Agheila exchanged fire with German armoured cars. Four days later the Germans laid their first ambush.
March
07
The British land in Greece
On 7 March 1941 the first troops of General Wilson's corps landed at Piraeus. For the Greek expedition Wavell gave up his best units in Cyrenaica.
April
10
The siege of Tobruk begins
On 10–11 April 1941 Rommel’s forces encircled Tobruk. Morshead’s Australians repelled assaults on 14, 16–17 and 30 April, and a long siege began.
12
The Battle of Vevi
On 12 April 1941 men of the SS Leibstandarte took the Klidi Pass near Vevi, held by Mackay Force. Three days earlier the Germans had entered Thessaloniki.
25
The Battle of Thermopylae (1941)
On 24 April 1941 New Zealanders at Molos and Australians on the Brallos Pass held the Germans all day, then withdrew at night to the evacuation ports.
June
08
The invasion of Syria and Lebanon
On 8 June 1941 British, Australian, Indian and Free French troops entered Vichy Syria and Lebanon. On 9 June the Australians forced the Litani.
14
The Battle of Jezzine
In mid-June 1941 Australians took Jezzine in Lebanon after a night march through the mountains and occupied Sidon; the Vichy French struck back.
November
19
HMAS Sydney and Kormoran
On 19 November 1941, off Western Australia, the cruiser Sydney and the raider Kormoran destroyed each other. Not one of the 645 Australians survived.
1942
January
19
The Battle of Muar
In Johor on 14–22 January 1942 the Japanese destroyed the 45th Indian Brigade and two Australian battalions, and murdered some 150 wounded POWs at Parit Sulong.
23
The Japanese take Rabaul
On 23 January 1942 the Japanese landed at Rabaul on New Britain and at Kavieng on New Ireland. Australia's Lark Force fell apart within a few hours.
24
Americans in Samoa
In January 1942 the 2nd Marine Brigade arrived at Pago Pago in American Samoa. The islands were to guard the sea route from the United States to Australia.
31
The retreat to Singapore
On 31 January 1942 the last Commonwealth units crossed from Johor to Singapore Island and sappers blew up the Causeway. The Battle of Malaya was over.
February
03
Air raids on Java and Port Moresby
On 3 February 1942 Japanese aircraft first struck Surabaya, Malang and Madiun on Java, and flying boats from Rabaul bombed Port Moresby.
09
The Japanese land on Singapore
On the night of 8–9 February 1942 two divisions of the 25th Army crossed the Johor Strait to the north-west shore of Singapore, held by the Australians.
15
Key event
The fall of Singapore
On 15 February 1942 Percival surrendered Singapore to Yamashita at the Ford factory at Bukit Timah, the largest capitulation in British military history.
16
The Bangka Island massacre
On 16 February 1942 on Radji Beach, Bangka Island, the Japanese murdered survivors of the Vyner Brooke, including 21 Australian nurses. One survived.
19
The bombing of Darwin
On 19 February 1942 aircraft from Nagumo's carriers and from bases on Celebes and Ambon bombed Darwin, the largest attack ever made on Australia.
20
The Japanese on Bali and Timor
On 19–20 February 1942 Japan took Bali and landed on Timor. Doorman lost a night battle in the Badung Strait, and on 23 February Sparrow Force surrendered.
28
The Japanese invasion of Java
On the night of 28 February–1 March 1942 Imamura's Sixteenth Army landed at three points on Java. Houston and Perth were sunk in the Sunda Strait.
March
03
The attack on Broome
On 3 March 1942 nine Japanese fighters from Timor strafed Broome. Flying boats full of refugees from Java burned; at least 88 people were killed.
05
The fall of Java
On 5 March 1942 the Japanese entered Batavia, declared an open city, without a fight. On 8 March at Kalidjati the Dutch accepted the demand to surrender Java.
08
The Japanese at Lae and Salamaua
On 8 March 1942 the Japanese took Lae and Salamaua on the Huon Gulf unopposed. On 10 March aircraft from Lexington and Yorktown sank three transports offshore.
12
Americans in New Caledonia
On 12 March 1942 a convoy carrying General Patch's American task force reached Nouméa. The Free French colony became a base on the route to Australia.
14
The Japanese in the Solomon Islands
In March 1942 the Japanese reached for the northern Solomons. At the end of the month they took Buka and the Shortlands, Kieta in April and Tulagi in May.
17
MacArthur in Australia
On 17 March 1942 MacArthur landed near Darwin. Hailed as a saviour, he found no army to relieve the Philippines. At Terowie he vowed: “I shall return”.
April
01
The Pacific War Council
On 1 April 1942 the Pacific War Council met at the White House. Roosevelt heard out the allies fighting Japan there, but decisions were taken elsewhere.
02
The Japanese on the north coast of New Guinea
From 1 April 1942 the Japanese took the ports of Dutch New Guinea unopposed, from Fakfak and Babo to Hollandia. On 8 April they landed on Manus.
09
The attack on Trincomalee
On 9 April 1942 Nagumo's aircraft bombed the base at Trincomalee, then sank the carrier Hermes and the destroyer HMAS Vampire off the coast of Ceylon.
May
03
The Japanese on Tulagi
On 3 May 1942 the Japanese took Tulagi, abandoned by the Australians, without a fight. Next day aircraft from Yorktown attacked the ships in the harbour.
07
The sinking of Shōhō
On 7 May 1942 the Japanese sank the destroyer Sims and wrecked the oiler Neosho, mistaking them for a carrier. The Americans sank the carrier Shōhō.
31
The attack on Sydney Harbour
On the night of 31 May/1 June 1942 three Japanese midget submarines broke into Sydney Harbour. They sank the depot ship Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors.
June
08
The shelling of Sydney and Newcastle
On the night of 8 June 1942 the Japanese submarines I-24 and I-21 shelled Sydney and Newcastle. Damage was slight and no one died, but the fear was immense.
July
11
The fighting for Tel el Eisa and Ruweisat Ridge
10–16 July 1942: Auchinleck seized the initiative at El Alamein. Australians routed the Italians at Tel el Eisa; New Zealanders bled on Ruweisat Ridge.
20
The Japanese land at Buna and Gona
On 20 July 1942 a convoy carrying Colonel Yokoyama's force sailed from Rabaul. On the evening of 21 July it landed near Gona to march overland on Port Moresby.
26
The end of the First Battle of El Alamein
On 26–27 July 1942 Auchinleck's last attack at Miteiriya collapsed. On 31 July the Eighth Army went over to the defensive – Rommel was stopped, but not beaten.
29
The Japanese take Kokoda
On 28/29 July 1942 the Japanese drove a handful of Australians from Kokoda. Lt Col William Owen was killed and the last airstrip before the mountains fell.
August
08
The Battle of Savo Island
On the night of 8/9 August 1942 Mikawa's cruisers surprised the Allied screen of the Guadalcanal landing off Savo and sank four heavy cruisers.
26
The Battle of Milne Bay
On the night of 25–26 August 1942 Japanese naval infantry landed at Milne Bay. The Australians held the airfields, and after 12 days the Japanese withdrew.
September
05
The end of the Battle of Milne Bay
On 5 September 1942 the Japanese ordered their shattered landing force evacuated from Milne Bay – the first such complete defeat of Japanese land forces.
14
The Japanese at Ioribaiwa
On 14 September 1942 the Japanese attacked at Ioribaiwa, in the mountains above Port Moresby. The Australians fell back to Imita, but the enemy got no further.
15
Americans in Port Moresby
On 15 September 1942 the first company of the US 32nd Division flew into Port Moresby. Two regiments followed – one by air, the other by sea.
28
The Japanese retreat along the Kokoda Track
On 28 September 1942 the Australians attacked Ioribaiwa and found the trenches empty. Horii’s starving, cut-off force was already falling back towards Kokoda.
October
23
Key event
The Second Battle of El Alamein begins
At 9.40 p.m. on 23 October 1942 almost 900 Eighth Army guns opened fire at El Alamein. The infantry of four divisions advanced into the Axis minefields.
24
The crisis at El Alamein
On 24 and 25 October 1942 British tanks stuck in the minefield corridors at El Alamein. Montgomery ordered them to keep attacking despite the losses.
31
The fighting for Thompson's Post at El Alamein
On the night of 30/31 October 1942 the Australians reached the coast road at El Alamein. Beating off counter-attacks, they drew Rommel's reserves north.
November
17
The fighting for Buna and Gona begins
In mid-November 1942 the Japanese reinforced their beachheads at Buna, Gona and Sanananda in New Guinea. The first American and Australian attacks stalled.
26
The Battle of Brisbane
On 26 and 27 November 1942 Australian soldiers and civilians clashed with American military police in Brisbane. One Australian was killed and dozens were hurt.
December
15
The fall of Gona and Buna
On 9 December 1942 the Australians took Gona, and on 14 December the Americans took Buna village. The Japanese fought on at Buna Station and Sanananda.
1943
January
02
The capture of Buna
On 2 January 1943 Americans and Australians took Buna Government Station – the last Japanese stronghold on the eastern flank of the beachheads in Papua.
07
Japanese reinforcements at Lae
On 7 January 1943 a convoy from Rabaul landed some 4,000 men of the Okabe Detachment at Lae. Losing Papua, Japan resolved to defend northern New Guinea.
22
The end of the fighting at Sanananda
On 22 January 1943 organised Japanese resistance at Sanananda ceased, ending the six-month Papuan campaign – a costly Allied victory.
March
02
Key event
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea
On 2–4 March 1943 Allied aircraft destroyed a convoy from Rabaul to Lae. Eight transports and four destroyers were sunk and nearly 3,000 Japanese killed.
May
02
The Japanese raid on Darwin in May 1943
On 2 May 1943 Japanese bombers escorted by Zeros attacked Darwin. Chasing them out to sea, the defenders lost 13–14 Spitfires, largely for lack of fuel.
June
23
The landings on Woodlark and Kiriwina
On 23 June 1943 US advance parties landed on undefended Woodlark, and that night on Kiriwina. The main landings of 30 June gave airfields against Rabaul.
September
04
The landing at Lae and the drop on Nadzab
On 4 September 1943 the Australian 9th Division landed east of Lae, and on 5 September American paratroopers seized Nadzab. Lae fell on 16 September.
22
The landing at Finschhafen
On 22 September 1943 the Australian 20th Brigade landed near Finschhafen on the Huon Peninsula. The town fell on 2 October, but fighting went on until December.
October
12
Air raids on Rabaul
On 12 October 1943 nearly 350 of General Kenney's aircraft struck Rabaul, opening the air offensive meant to neutralise the Japanese fortress.
December
26
The landing at Cape Gloucester
On 26 December 1943 the US 1st Marine Division landed at Cape Gloucester on New Britain. On 30 December the Marines took the Japanese airfield.
1944
February
29
Key event
The landing on Los Negros
On 29 February 1944 a thousand US cavalrymen landed on Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands. MacArthur came ashore and ordered the airstrip held at any cost.
March
06
The alarm in Western Australia
On 6 March 1944 the submarine USS Haddo reported Japanese warships near the Lombok Strait. The Allies put Perth and Fremantle on alert – in vain.
15
The capture of Manus
On 15 March 1944 US cavalry landed on Manus. Lorengau fell on 18 March, and Seeadler Harbour became one of the largest fleet bases in the Pacific.
April
22
Key event
The landings at Hollandia and Aitape
On 22 April 1944 US troops landed at Hollandia and Aitape in New Guinea, hundreds of kilometres behind the front, cutting off the Japanese 18th Army at Wewak.
May
18
The end of the fighting in the Admiralty Islands
On 18 May 1944 General Krueger declared the Admiralty Islands operation over. Japanese stragglers still hid in the jungle; Seeadler Harbour became a fleet base.
July
10
The Battle of the Driniumor River
On the night of 10–11 July 1944 the starving Japanese 18th Army struck across the Driniumor at the Americans near Aitape, New Guinea, and broke their line.
August
05
The Cowra breakout
On 5 August 1944 some 1,100 Japanese prisoners rushed the wire of the camp at Cowra in Australia. 231 Japanese and four Australians were killed.
1945
January
02
Kamikaze on the road to Luzon
From early January 1945 kamikaze struck the fleet bound for Lingayen Gulf. Ommaney Bay was sunk; New Mexico, California and HMAS Australia were hit.
May
01
The landing on Tarakan
On 1 May 1945 the Australian 26th Brigade, with US and Dutch units, landed on Tarakan off Borneo. The fight for the oil island lasted until June.
11
The capture of Wewak
On 11 May 1945 the Australian 6th Division took Wewak, the Japanese 18th Army's last major base on New Guinea. Its remnants fought on in the hills until August.
June
10
The landing in Brunei Bay
On 10 June 1945 the Australian 9th Division landed on Labuan and the coast of Brunei, and on 13 June it took the town of Brunei.
27
Oil from Tarakan
On 27 June 1945 the first rebuilt oil wells on Tarakan were ceremonially restarted. The airfield, the landing's main objective, opened a day later.
July
01
The landing at Balikpapan
On 1 July 1945 the Australian 7th Division landed at Balikpapan on Borneo – the last great landing of the Western Allies. The fighting lasted until 21 July.
August
15
Victory over Japan Day
On 14–15 August 1945 news of Japan's surrender brought joy to New York, London, Sydney and Chongqing. For Poles it was the end of a war that brought no freedom.