South Pacific Air War Volume 1: The Fall of Rabaul, December 1941 - March 1942

This is an extremely detailed book on an insignificant aspect (my opinion) of WW II in the Pacific. It’s interesting to read about the 1941 / 1942 Japanese attacks because of what they eventually led to concerning the US Navy assaults in the Southwest Pacific in 1942 / 1943. I think this is an overall excellent book on the subject, but let’s face it - in late 1941 / early 1942, Rabaul on New Britain and its associated Simpson Harbor, the island of New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands were of no economic or military strategic significance. One can see this with regard to the sizes of the towns or cities and the low levels of military forces committed by all sides to the area. The Australians deployed army units in just company or at most battalion strength to places like Rabaul, Lae, Salamaua, and Port Moresby. Airplanes were deployed by at most a couple of dozen or fewer. The Japanese didn’t deploy much stronger forces except for four aircraft carriers initially, which were later withdrawn when they realized the weak opposition. Airplane losses also reveal the weak forces deployed: the Australians and Americans lost 34 airplanes and the Japanese lost 31 airplanes over a period of three months. That was just a good day’s combat in western Europe. Appendix 1 gives the details of the losses of both the Allies and the Japanese.One can also get a good understanding of the economic significance (or lack of it) from the sizes of the towns and cities in 1941. Back then, Rabaul had a population of around 8 000. Lae, Salamaua, and Port Moresby on New Guinea had populations of maybe 2 000 to 5 000. If the criteria applied to indicating European towns on maps at the time had been applied to the New Guinea and Solomons area, there would have been NO towns or cities indicated on any maps. The area also had no desirable or important natural resources such as oil, rubber, bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, or anything else.New Britain / Rabaul had been a German colony prior to 1914; it was acquired by Australia as a result of the Versailles Treaty of 1919. Rabaul and its associated Simpson Harbor had never been developed as a naval port by the Germans, the Royal Navy, or the Australian Navy. Clearly, no one considered the area to be of military importance until the Japanese seized it.The text is accompanied by several very good maps on pages 10, 11, 12, and 98. My only criticism is that the maps do not call out some of the significant items or features mentioned in the text. For example, the Huon Peninsula on New Guinea and the Gazelle Peninsula on New Britain are not indicated on any map. I know where they are, but I always feel that items mentioned in the text should be shown in an accompanying map.I suppose that at the time the Australians felt threatened by the attacking Japanese, but we now know that the Japanese had neither the military strength nor the inclination to invade Australia. The book only slightly hints at it, but at the time there was a definite racist attitude by the British and the Australians toward the Japanese and Asians in general. The Australian government and society of the time had a definite “White Australia” belief. I think part of the reason why the Australians (and the British) didn’t exert much effort in defending Rabaul, New Guinea, and the Solomons was because they simply didn’t believe that the Japanese were capable of invading the area.Some other useful books on related aspects of the Rabaul / New Guinea campaigns are:• “Islands of Destiny” by Prados (2012);• “Fortress Rabaul: The Battle for the Southwest Pacific, January 1942 – April 1943” by Gamble (2010);• “Rabaul 1943 - 44: Reducing Japan’s Great Island Fortress” by Lardas (2018);• “Darwin 1942: The Japanese Attack on Australia” by Laurier (2017);• “Malaya and Singapore 1941 – 1942: The Fall of Britain’s Empire in the East” by Stille (2016).

This book covers the Air War in the South Pacific from just prior to the outbreak of the War through March 9, 1942 leading directly to a second volume, and ultimately a third volume which will encompass everything that happened in the South Pacific up to the Battle of Coral Sea.Quite simply put this book does everything it sets out to do. Lays out the aircraft available to both sides, the missions, the number of planes on those missions, their tail numbers, and even the pilots flying those missions. But it is more than just a tidal wave of numbers and names. The Authors provide strategic, operational, and tactical objectives of those missions. And where diaries are available it provides the participants first hand observations as well.But don’t think this is just about “planes” as the major components of the land forces are covered such as the Aussie Lark Force on Rabaul, garrisons on other islands (New Ireland, Tulagi, etc.) and the various Japanese SNLF’s involved. Also, the movement of individual ships are discussed. Although the Armies and Navies take the rear seat to the Air Units, they are covered in sufficient depth that this book is really a discussion of the South Pacific Theater in general.The book has a nice set of maps which cover both the strategic & theater levels. There are also quite a few pictures interspersed in the narrative for “flavor”.The narrative is balanced between the Japanese and Allies. You'll find yourself rooting the the crews of Betty bombers struggling to make it home on one engine just as much as you do for the hopelessly outclassed pilots of the Wirraways.The Authors keep the narrative moving along at sufficient pace that the overall narrative is captivating reading. So much so that when I finished I immediately ordered volume 2 to find out what happens next.Pros: A clear narrative of why the operations are happening - always with an eye to the “big picture”. Additionally, there are great maps, and a very good appendix of the planes involved.Cons: Nothing comes immediately to mind

Honestly I am only a short ways into this, but have learned a lot, and I have been reading up on this campaign for Years, including Lundstrom's THE FIRST SOUTH PACIFIC CAMPAIGN and information on the Australian War Memorial site. I am looking forward to reading the whole set, as it has made things so much clearer. This is NOT just an Air War book, it may mostly be about that, but it also adds some naval and ground forces information that I just wasn't able to find elsewhere; it is likely there, but not easily accessible. If this era and campaign interests you, buy these books, I will bet you'll get a great deal out of them.

Good to hear about what the Austrailian aircrews were up to.

This is the first volume in a trilogy of books by Claringbould & Ingman on this little covered area of the allied and Japanese air war in the south Pacific. The book covers aerial operations from the initial encounters between theRAAF and the IJN to the later reinforcement of US forces to the area. The book is an easy read, with numerous maps,pictures and illustrations for the reader to follow the action. The aerial operations are put in context within the biggerpicture of the theater operations and the impact they had on these events. All the major aircraft types used by theRAAF, USAAC, and IJN are profiled as well as chronological tables with Allied and Japanese losses. For researchers ofthis period in the war, as well as the casual reader, this book is highly recommended.

Instant classic. Expensive if you end up buying the series (and you will on reading volume 1). However it is a magnificent history, well written, engaging and driven by the reality of the conflict described.Couldn’t fault it. If only other “professionals” could do this then we would be on our way to having a truly great historiography of WW2.

This is a work of passion. Something that the authors have given their all to. Great thorough, enlightening history. A thorough understanding of the South Pacific air war.

A good coverage and interesting read

WHAT WE WERE NOT TOLD OF IN 1942 PLUS. M. 1ST COUSIN WAS WITH AIF I NO1 COMMANDO COY.. CAME HOME IN 1945 passed away SEPT 2019. One day in SCHOOL MY CLASS MATE AT BOARDING SCHOO John Adams WAS TAKEN TO THE HEAD MASTER TO BE TOLD HIS FATHER {A PLANTER IN NEW BRITTEN} went down with the Montevideo Maru This BOOK BRINGS BACK THE truth about the New Britten Disasters in 1941-1944 in our Australian TerritoriesI wish we were able to know then?? DOB 3/12/1927 three months late for the WW@ callup!