4.+The+experiences+of+Australians+serving+in+Kokoda

=The experiences of Australians serving in Kokoda= Kokoda Resource This map above shows you just how close Papua New Guinea is to Australia. Can you imagine how much Australia would have been threatened if the Japanese had captured Port Moresby? This was the Japanese intention. They first tried to capture Papua New Guinea's capital by sea. The Japanese had control of the Solomon Islands and were on their way with their naval ships to Port Moresby but were stopped by the US and Australian naval forces in which is known today as the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first defeat for the Japanese as they were forced to turn back to the Solomon Islands. As their plan to capture Port Moresby by sea failed they then tried by land.

In July of 1942, the Japanese landed at Gona on the North side of Papua New Guinea. Their plan was to track down through the jungle towards Port Moresby.

Below is a PDF file that depicts various conditions that Australian soldiers would have had to endure. Open the file and complete the sheet. You make email the worksheet back or print it and hand it up.

media type="youtube" key="oScT3WhCk8w" width="328" height="228" 1. What affect did Japan's unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbour have on Australia? 2. For what reasons was Australia unprepared for a Japanese military conquest of the Asia Pacific? 3. Who of the Australian military side were sent to Port Moresby? 4. It what ways wasn't New Guinea defended well? 5. Why was the average age of the 39th Battlion? 6. What disadvantage did the Australian militiamen have against the Japanese?

media type="youtube" key="vhL22eXdgFQ" width="334" height="272" 7. By the time the Japanese regiments had landed in New Guinea, where had they already fought? 8. What assumption did the Japanese make about New guinea? 9. What was the two pronged assault that the Japanese had planned as their attack? 10. How is the Kokda track described in this video? 11. What was unbeknown to the Australian army when they set out by foot to walk the track from Port Moresby to Buna? 12. Once the Japanese would meet the Australians along the track what would be the ratio of Japanese to Australian soldiers? 13. When the Japanese arrived at Buna what was the native Papua New Guineans reaction? 14. Once the Australians were defending Kokoda how many Australians were there in comparison to the advancing Japanese?

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 * __Kokoda Sources__**

The Link above will open a poem about the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. (Bert Beros served in both WW1 and WW2. He wrote this poem at 4 am one morning on the Kokoda Track after having been on stand-to. It may never have been printed but for the fact that an officer sent a copy home to his mother and she was so impressed that she had it published in the Brisbane Courier-Mail).