Thread: The first defeat of the japanese on land in WW2

The first real defeat of the Germans also, the 9th Div. at the battle of El Alamain,
the Germans never won a battle after that and the Allies never lost a battle, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Tank

The first real defeat of the Germans also, the 9th Div. at the battle of El Alamain, the Germans never won a battle after that and the Allies never lost a battle, Regards Frank.

Take it Kasserine in North Africa and Market Garden in Europe were only failure to advance.

Milne bay was though a very important turning point which is overshadowed by the need of the USA to find somewhere their troops were winning the war. Home front needed some winners. Hence if you read press reports of the time you have USA troops and Allied troops. The Australian troops are not named as such. Reality is that once the New Guinea campaign reached its climax the Japanese positions in Guadicanal were no longer sustainable.

A friends father claimed to be the one without a shirt on in the photo. Said that he only had one shirt and had just managed to wash it and put it out to dry when a rumour when round that some food had fallen off a truck and they rushed off to see if they could find it. Photographer happened to be there on the road and took the picture of them.

[QUOTE=3toes;2111254]Take it Kasserine in North Africa and Market Garden in Europe were only failure to advance.

QUOTE]

mate you need to plot a time line

One of the greatest exploits of Australian troops, which sadly seems forgotten in our military history, and another first, was Klidi Pass in Greece on 11 and 12 April, 1941 where battalions of the 6th Division, in sub zero temperature and blizzard conditions, met and stopped the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, the first time the Nazi premier military division was stopped and failed to reach their objective. The Australians abandoned the position only by an ordered retreat as part of a general withdrawal.

If you ask some one what is the defining point of Australia's Military history, they will probably say Gallipoli. A disaster. How ever, I believe , out of all the campaigns our Army has taken part, two stand out. The Western Front, 1918, when the Australian Divisions, under Monash, defeated the Germans, and Kokoda. Both deserve greater recognition, especially Kokoda. One Anzac Day, here in Brisbane, I marched with my Father, and the 2/14th Battalion men.


Afterwards they had a bbq & beer on a small green space near Roma Street. I had the absolute privilege of meeting Stan Bissett, ex Wallaby, leader of those men, and a gentle man in every respect. I had read all I could on the Kokoda campaign, and stood in awe of those old warriors, but you would never had known that they were the young men, who, all those years ago, fought so valiantly on Australias doorstep. Quiet & humble, good blokes all. And they loved Stan Bissett . Bob
edit- click on the animated battle maps on the left side of the second link. good value.

Kokoda: Overview


The Kokoda Track | Australians in World War II | The Pacific War

Bit further to Klidi Pass, I only found out about it whilst reading a book by a German historian on the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. He made reference that it had a profound psychological affect on the German troops who had to face the fact, for the first time, that they were not invincible. Why did I have to find out about this from a German source?

Here is all you want to know about the Greek campaign. Scroll down, chapter by chapter, Bob


'A Great Risk'

And the Coast Watchers " they watched and warned and died so we might live" , Bob


Coastwatcher Frontline