Comments on: CDG 29 Aussies at Buna, 1942 – Outcome and Analysis http://www.armchairgeneral.com/cdg-29-aussies-at-buna-1942-outcome-and-analysis.htm All things military history! Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:45:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: peter_ga http://www.armchairgeneral.com/cdg-29-aussies-at-buna-1942-outcome-and-analysis.htm/comment-page-1#comment-8285 peter_ga Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:50:36 +0000 http://www.armchairgeneral.com/?p=5211#comment-8285 After the Papuan campaign, both sides were pretty stuffed for months. Virtually all the allied infantry units were a fraction of their nominal strength. Macarthur's leadership was extremely poor during this campaign, urging both Americans directly and Australians by proxy to attack at all costs, without doing proper reconnaissance. The allied leadership do appear to have learned the appropriate lessons, leading to the extremely successful Huon peninsula campaign, which, by essentially outflanking Rabaul where Japanese capital ships dare not go, led to the island hopping campaign. This didn't really get going until 15 months after Buna, with the Atiape landings in April 1944. The casualties suffered by the 2/9 battalion were excessive and unforgivable. In the lead-up, Macarthur had strongly criticized Australian performances at Kokoda trail and Milne bay. When the Americans became bogged down at Buna, the Australians sent this battalion in an over-hasty attack to demonstrate to the Americans that they were a capable army, suffering excessive casualties as a result. After the Papuan campaign, both sides were pretty stuffed for months. Virtually all the allied infantry units were a fraction of their nominal strength. Macarthur’s leadership was extremely poor during this campaign, urging both Americans directly and Australians by proxy to attack at all costs, without doing proper reconnaissance. The allied leadership do appear to have learned the appropriate lessons, leading to the extremely successful Huon peninsula campaign, which, by essentially outflanking Rabaul where Japanese capital ships dare not go, led to the island hopping campaign. This didn’t really get going until 15 months after Buna, with the Atiape landings in April 1944.

The casualties suffered by the 2/9 battalion were excessive and unforgivable. In the lead-up, Macarthur had strongly criticized Australian performances at Kokoda trail and Milne bay. When the Americans became bogged down at Buna, the Australians sent this battalion in an over-hasty attack to demonstrate to the Americans that they were a capable army, suffering excessive casualties as a result.

]]> By: CDG Command Center » Armchair General http://www.armchairgeneral.com/cdg-29-aussies-at-buna-1942-outcome-and-analysis.htm/comment-page-1#comment-6835 CDG Command Center » Armchair General Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:20:26 +0000 http://www.armchairgeneral.com/?p=5211#comment-6835 [...] 2008 SOLUTION Aussies at Buna, 1942 Historical Outcome and Analysis now online! [...] [...] 2008 SOLUTION Aussies at Buna, 1942 Historical Outcome and Analysis now online! [...]

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