by Matthew Adams

Created on: August 30, 2011   Last Updated: September 05, 2011

Australia was a part of the British Empire and in 1941, was already at war with Germany. However, not until the Japanese air-strike at Pearl Harbor did the Americans, and then the British, declare war on Japan. As such, as a part of the Commonwealth Australia joined Britain and the Americans in the Pacific War. As the Japanese army overran much of the Pacific the Australian mainland would emerge as a potential target for the Japanese army.

In the earlier stages of the war the Australians provided what they could to re-enforce the British armies in Malaya and Singapore. Much of the Australian army in the Pacific War was based at Malaya to defend the British stronghold of Singapore. As the Japanese advanced into Singapore the Australians were the first line of defense at the Battle of Sarimbun Beach. During this battle, Australian machine gunners did what they could as the waves of Japanese troops that crossed into Singapore. However, the superior numbers of Japanese soldiers eventually broke through as the Australians withdrew. The British later surrendered as Singapore was lost to the Japanese.

The Java Campaign was also another of the early campaigns that the Australians provided military resources for. The Australians provided thousands of troops for the campaign, as well as aircraft and warships from the Royal Australian Navy. The Australians were a part of the ABDA (American, British, Dutch and Australia) force that was deployed to defend Java from the Japanese. However, like other early campaigns of the Pacific War it was a defeat for the Allies, and ABDA was defeated at the Battle of Java Sea.

Such set-backs for the Australians and the Allies ensured the Japanese advanced southwards closer to Australia. Now it seemed that there was genuine chance of Japanese troops landing on the Australian mainland as part of an invasion of Australia. Undoubtedly, Australia was a key supply base for the Americans and their allies in the Pacific War, and during the war the Americans would establish a number of bases in northern Australia.

Certainly, it is the case that some within the Japanese military hierarchy had proposed that the army invade northern Australia at the beginning of the Pacific War. However, the navy rejected such proposals in favor of blockading Australia. While the Japanese did not invade Australia the Australians still brought back some re-enforcements to boost their defenses.

The Battle of Australia that did emerge took place at sea and in the air. At the Battle of Coral Sea the Japanese had targeted Port Moresby so that they could further cut America’s supply line with Australia, and also put more of their bombers within range of Northern Australia. However, they could not take Port Moresby during the battle.

However, despite Japanese naval defeats Australia was still bombed during the Pacific War. The bombing of Darwin in 1942 marked the beginning of the Japanese air-raids over Australia, and continued into 1943. Broome and north Queensland were also bombed by the Japanese as Australia ports were targeted.

As the Japanese began to surrender their territory in the Pacific, the Australians gradually cut-back their involvement. However, Australian troops were still involved in later campaigns in Borneo in 1945, and the Australians also provided additional naval resources for the Battle of Okinawa to further re-enforce the British fleet.

Overall, hundreds of thousands of Australian soldiers were involved in the Pacific War. Although they were largely defeated by the Japanese in 1942, Australia’s army had a key role in the South West Pacific as they provided a majority of the Allies’ troops in the south west of the Pacific.

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