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The Hard Slog: Australians in the Bougainville Campaign, 1944-45 (Australian Army History Series)
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Review
"...excellent new book..." -Richard Tada, ArmchairGeneral.com
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Book Description
This book is the first major study since 1963 of the historic Australian military campaign of 1944-1945 on the island of Bougainville in the South Pacific. Drawing on archival resources, Karl James argues that this often-overlooked part of military history played an important part in Australia's Second World War victory.
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Product details
Series: Australian Army History Series
Hardcover: 334 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (April 30, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781107017320
ISBN-13: 978-1107017320
ASIN: 1107017327
Product Dimensions:
6.3 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.0 out of 5 stars
2 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#3,603,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
This is the first in depth look at this WW2 campaign since the official history was published in 1963. Even though that was an extensive account, it was grouped together with the other Australian campaigns of the end of the war. A 1983 book by Peter Charlton argued that these were unnecessary and it is this position, particularly in relation to the Bougainville campaign, that James is chiefly challenging.The controversial nature of this and the other later Australian campaigns in the islands stems from the complicated situation Australia found itself in in 1944. The biggest factor was that manpower resources were not sufficient to both maintain a large army and meet industry requirements. Even so, the Australian government fully intended to continue its full role in the war against Japan and as such, was quite perplexed when MacArthur decided to use Australian forces principally for garrison roles (in order to release US divisions for his looming Philippines return). While this seemingly let Australia `off the hook' it was not a palatable role for a country that prided itself on its military achievements. There was also the assumption that the war would continue into 1946 and that Australia would participate in the invasion of Japan. Clearing the Japanese out of Bougainville for instance, would free up the 28,000 men to be based there. All of these factors contributed to a compromise of sorts, where Australian forces, though deployed in generally secondary zones, would still engage in aggressive actions against the Japanese. The resulting operations were criticized by some, including soldiers involved, as unnecessary and wasteful `mopping-up'.The Bougainville campaign began for the Australians in late 1944, when II Corps, commanded by Lt-Gen Savige, replaced US forces. The Americans had established themselves strongly following their own arrival a year earlier but at this time, they and the Japanese, essentially kept to their own side of the island. The Australian force consisted of the 3rd Division (7th, 15th & 29th Bde's), as well as the 11th & 23rd Bdes. Savige was very mindful of limiting casualties, so all actions were to be conducted carefully. Unfortunately the Australians estimated Japanese strength at only half its actual number and opposition was quite significant. Largely this was offset by absolute superiority in the air and at sea and a functioning supply system, while Japanese numbers were cruelled by disease and starvation (evidence of cannibalism was found). The bulk of actions were typical of jungle fighting; patrols, ambushes and seizing dominating ground. There were though a number of significant battles, with the 25th Battalion's defense of Slater's Knoll and the reverse at Porten being the most notable. James does a good job in revealing the nature and stress of the fighting. There are additional sources, including interviews with veterans, that give some fresh perspectives. This included the hushed up news that men in some battalions refused orders to undertake operations.Aside from addressing the controversy, James also looks at Australia's awkward two-army structure and the records and performances of the leaders. There were egos and conflicts. Some were seeking to enhance or repair their war records. Others shared the view that the campaign was unnecessary and resented being involved. These men have my sympathy. It was the case that this campaign did nothing to hasten the Japanese defeat and that the 516 men who died (and their families) paid the highest of prices. However it was clearly untenable for Australian units to have sat safely idle while the Americans continued the fighting. While the Australian command had expected to be involved in the Philippines, it is pertinent to note that American divisions fighting there generally suffered two - three times the casualties suffered by 3rd Australian. Some US divisions on Okinawa suffered four - five times more. It seems to me a matter of being careful what you wish for. Australia's situation in 1944 was not perfect. War imposes many difficulties. However, undertaking operations like that on Bougainville were in my opinion the least worst of the options open. It is easy with hindsight to say such a thing but James makes a decent case for it.Highly recommended if the history of the Australian army is your thing.
Overall, this is a very good book. James has drawn on a wide range of sources, including interviews with veterans, official files, letters and diaries and the few secondary works on this topic, to provide a detailed and authoritative account of the campaign and the experiences of the Australian and Japanese personnel who fought in it. His narrative is clear and well written, and is illustrated with excellent maps and well-chosen photographs.In addition to his highly competent narrative of the campaign, James' also does a good job of describing the unusual difficulties the senior officers faced on Bougainville - many of them believed that the campaign was wasteful and unnecessary, and even those who supported it were constrained by directives to avoid casualties wherever possible. Not surprisingly, this led to tensions between the officers, severe mental strains on battalion and brigade commanders who were called upon to execute a difficult offensive they didn't believe in and low morale among the soldiers in some units. James' fairly assesses the performance of the commanders and units involved in the campaign, and in doing so illustrates what led some units to almost collapse during the last months of the war. He also notes, convincingly, that it was just as well that the war ended when it did given that the under-resourced Australian force was poised to attack the main Japanese defensive positions.Of course, the book has some limitations. I wasn't convinced by James' argument that the campaign was justified - while he writes that it was worthwhile to attempt to destroy the Japanese forces on Bougainville in order to free up Australian units for other campaigns, I don't see why the entire island couldn't have been abandoned given that it was of no strategic importance by 1945. If it was considered politically desirable to maintain the relatively small allied beachhead, this could have been done by a small garrison given that the Japanese forces were unable to mount any offensive operations. Other limitations to the book are that the coverage of the Japanese forces is often limited (though this probably reflects the shortage of material on this topic given that the Japanese destroyed their records before surrendering) and that the organisational structure of the Australian forces is often unclear - an appendix with orders of battle would have been invaluable. The book's relatively high price is also difficult to justify, even when its excellent production standards are taken into account.
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