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Turning Point

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Turning Point

The Battle for Milne Bay 1942 - Japan's first land defeat in World War II
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"A vivid account of a largely forgotten battle and one that's his"
5 stars"

Michael Veitch has done it again and somehow managed to write another brilliantly well-written and captivating book – that's long overdue (especially in such a readable form) – about a little known battle which took place to Australia's north in WWII, all of which was also the case with his previous book on an earlier aspect of the (air) war in New Guinea: 44 Days!

He describes everything in such a compelling way that I feel anything I write here is going to fall well short of the wordsmanship which his latest book ‘Turning Point’ has to offer. Anyhow, I'll do my best. The experience of having to fight at Milne Bay was clearly an utterly horrific one. Everything about it was hellishly dreadful for the Australians, and for the Japanese… Mud, rain, malarial swamps & jungles, rugged terrain, etc. The heavy rain was accompanied by an even worse rain of ammunition slamming into the mud all around as mortars exploded loudly, Japanese tanks with their blinding headlights tried to smash through the Australian line of defence at night in attempting again and again and again to sieze the No.3 Strip (Turnbull Field). Cannons would fire until they were red hot. Australians fearlessly forged into areas thick with tree-top snipers, firing upon them like sitting ducks. RAAF Kittyhawk pilots strafed and obliterated the invading barges and supplies unrelentingly, along with Japanese ground troops. Retreat, especially for the Japanese, was completely unthinkable. However, they were finally left with no choice except to engage in a sort of ‘fighting retreat’.

I knew a little bit already, through hearing a certain amount from relatives of mine who'd fought in Papua during WWII. So therefore, I myself had a vague insight into these things but mainly just what the flying and living conditions (and so on) were like. However, the very thorough research by Veitch (in evidence here) has extended my own knowledge and insights hugely. Milne Bay was a case of an ‘unheard of’ level of close air-to-ground support, like never before or since, between any Army and any Air Force/ ever/ anywhere – and likewise, such was the incredible cooperation between all other personnel, including with American's who built the airfields.

Where the poorly trained Australians, who in many cases were not professional soldiers before they suddenly found themselves fighting desperately for their country and for their families, were ‘anything but’ highly trained: the Japanese (by contrast) were and very much so! Though neither side ‘gave quarter’… The enemy – in this case – was particularly fearsome and brutal, even to the extent of showing no mercy whatsoever to the local indigenous people.

While Field Martial (of the British Army) William Slim praised the Australians for giving heart to all of the fighting forces – not only in Burma but throughout SE Asia – and also for breaking the spell of Japanese invincibility, MacArthur was far less generous. A Milne Bay veteran whom I once met was of the strong opinion that because his US Navy counterpart Admiral Nimitz had by then notched up one extra victory at that stage, ahead of MacArthur (by whatever measure) the latter was eager to declare an extra victory for himself (and for the Americans he led) at the earliest possible juncture there at Milne Bay, while things were still dragging on in a somewhat uncertain way (under Nimitz's command) at nearby Guadalcanal. The two men neither liked or respected each other, I've also heard., which would go some way towards helping to explain his attitude. Nevertheless IT WAS a famously disappointing bias, which he so publicly adopted.

All in all, a highly engaging and informative book that is (at the same time) surprisingly easy to read!

Description

The Battle for Milne Bay - Japan's first defeat on land in the Second World War - was a defining moment in the evolution of the indomitable Australian fighting spirit. For the men of the AIF, the militia and the RAAF, it was the turning point in the Pacific, and their finest - though now largely forgotten - hour. Forgotten, until now. In August 1942, Japan's forces were unstoppable. Having conquered vast swathes of south-east Asia - Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies - and now invading New Guinea, many feared the Empire of the Rising Sun stood poised to knock down Australia's northern door. But first they needed Port Moresby. In the still of an August night, Japanese marines sailed quietly into Milne Bay, a long, malaria-ridden dead end at the far eastern tip of Papua, to unleash an audacious pincer movement. Unbeknown to them, however, a secret airstrip had been carved out of a coconut plantation by US Engineers, and a garrison of Australian troops had been established, supported by two locally based squadrons of RAAF Kittyhawks, including the men of the famed 75 Squadron. The scene was set for one of the most decisive and vicious battles of the war. For ten days and nights Australia's soldiers and airmen fought the elite of Japan's forces along a sodden jungle track, and forced them back step by muddy, bloody step. In Turning Point, bestselling author Michael Veitch brings to life the incredible exploits and tragic sacrifices of these Australian heroes.

Author Biography:

Michael Veitch is well known as an author, actor and former ABC television and radio presenter. His books include the critically acclaimed accounts of Australian airmen in World War II, 44 Days, Heroes of the Skies, Fly, Flak, Barney Greatrex, Turning Point and The Battle of the Bismarck Sea. He lives in the Yarra Valley, outside Melbourne.
Release date NZ
July 23rd, 2019
Audiences
  • General (US: Trade)
  • Professional & Vocational
  • Tertiary Education (US: College)
Pages
352
Dimensions
155x235x25
ISBN-13
9780733640551
Product ID
28974517

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