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Aussie Manual Fighting for Oz Manual for New Troops in the Pacific Theater of Operations © John Comiskey & Dredgeboat Publications, 2003 The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) When World War II began, Australia answered the call. Many of the men volunteering to fight had fathers that fought in World War I with the five divisions of the First AIF in the Australia-New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs). As a recognition of the achievements of the ANZACs in World War I, the Second AIF divisions began with the 6th Division and brigades started with the 16th Brigade. At the beginning of the war, only the 6th Division was formed. Two brigades of the 6th went to England, arriving in January 1940. The third brigade of the 6th was sent to the Middle East. The disaster in France that year drove more Australians to volunteer, with the 7th, 8th and 9th Divisions formed in short order. The 9th Division was unique in this process The Hat Badge of the AIF. The sunburst in th th the background was originally a hedge of because it was formed with elements of the 6 & 7 Divisions in bayonets. Palestine. The 2/13th Battalion The 2/13th Battalion was originally assigned to the 7th Division, but was transferred to the new 9th Division while in the Mediterranean. The 9th Division fought hard in the Siege of Tobruk (April-December 1941), earning the sobriquet “The Desert Rats.” The 2/13th Battalion was unique in that they were in Tobruk for the eight months of the siege, the other battalions of the 9th being replaced with other Commonwealth troops. The 2/13th led the breakout from the Tobruk encirclement and linked up with the th The badge of the 2/13th British 8 Army. The men of the Battalion had done their duty and were sent to Syria Battalion. The colored for reconstitution. In July 1942 the 2/13th was redeployed along with the rest of the 9th bars indicate the Battal- Division to North Africa to fight in the Second Battle of El Alamein (October 1942). ion, while the gray back- Spearheading the assault with XXX Corps, the 9th Division played an integral role in ground represents the 9th th Division. the destruction of the Afrika Korps. The 9 Division was the last of the AIF to leave North Africa, returning to Australia in February 1943 to fight the Japanese incursions in Australian New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The 2/13th Battalion had won its first Battle Honor with the 9th Division in the Pacific in September 1943 at Lae-Nadzab. The 9th Division had been placed under the command of American General Douglas MacArthur. The troops were not adequately prepared to fight the Japanese in the steamy jungles of New Guinea so soon after slugging it out with the Germans in the deserts of North Africa. What made the situation more difficult for the Diggers of the 9th were the military decisions made by the high command that were based on inadequate intelligence information. The Allied command had significantly underestimated the Japanese strength on the island of New Guinea and deployed their troops based on this perception. The result was a hard road Tactical Sign of the 9th Division AIF for the Australians when the fighting began. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that MacArthur’s command post for the Allied effort in New Guinea was based far away in Australia. Despite these numerous obstacles, the Australians performed brilliantly, the men of the 2/13th Battalion quickly mastered the Jungle Craft and distinguished itself with more Battle Honors at the following battles: Finschafen (Sep 22-Dec 8 1943), Scarlet Beach (Sep 22 1943), Bumi River (Sep 23-24 1943), Jivenaneng-Kumawa (Oct 3-Nov 8 1943), Defense of Scarlet Beach (Oct 16-28 1943), Sio (Dec 21-Jan 15 1944), Miri (Jun 10-23 1945), Brunei (June 10-Aug 8 1945). A World View: The position of Papua-New Guinea relative to Australia is clear in this illus- tration. In early 1942, the Japanese had invaded the Australian mainland on the coast of the Northern Territory. Though only a reconnais- sance mission, the Japanese were thrown back by the locals who were armed with rifles. It became apparent at that point to the Australians that their priorities were in the Pacific, not Africa. The United States Marine Corps made their leg- endary stand at Guadalcanal, in the Solomons (east of Papua-New Guinea). This action bought time for the the Allies to rally in the Pacific and marked the limit of the Japanese advance in World War II. The Australians fought in Papua- New Guinea in 1942 over the Kokoda Track, which would become known as the Australian Thermopylae. In 1943, however, the Japanese would begin their long retreat. The Battleground The Island of Papua-New Guinea is rich in natural resources; primarily petroleum, natural gas, gold and copper. The Japanese were motivated to control this region because of them, seeing it as an integral part of the envisioned Pan-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. The island is volcanic and mountainous, as well as overgrown with a lush jungle/rainforest. There were no battlefields in the conventional sense, as the terrain prohibited extended ranges. The island is subjected to monsoons ten months out of the year, rendering mechanization all but useless. This is an infantryman’s environment. Because of the tropical atmosphere, the troops on both sides were subjected to diseases like malaria and parasites like leeches. Heat and humidity were oppressive. This region was challenging to both sides, with the mutual enemy being the local environment. Uniforms for the Australian Infantry in the Pacific The appearance of the Digger for jungle fighting was markedly different from the one seen in the Western Desert of North Africa. Because of the relatively quick turnaround of troops from one distinct theater of operations to another, the Digger had to improvise. The following were commonalties with the two sets of kit: • P37 Webbing • Slouch Hat or Mk. II Steel Helmet • Ammo Boots (brown or black) • No.1 Mk. III Rifle and Sword Bayonet • Khaki Drill Shirt (dyed green for the Pacific) Some differences: • American Herringbone Twill Trousers, full length or cut to shorts • American Leggings • Machete or Kukhri • Rain Cape or Gas Cape • Chain for ID disks Naturally, each soldier would acquire and arrange his kit to suit his tastes. Personals were at the discretion of the individual. The troops generally favored the Slouch Hat over the Steel Helmet due to comfort and practicality. Some samples are below: The Jungle Craft General: The term jungle craft implies the ability of a soldier to live and fight in the jungle; to be able to move from point-to-point and arrive at his objective fit to fight; to use ground and vegetation to the best advantage; and be able to “melt” into the jungle either by freezing or intelligent use of camouflage; to recognize and be able to use native foods; and possess the ability to erect rapidly temporary shelters to ward off tropical downpours. Movement: There is a technique for moving in the jungle. Go slow and watch you step. The aim should be to move silently without causing any commotion of the animals. Part the jungle, don’t try to push through it. Use game trails wherever possible; take care to go where you want to go, not where the game wants you to go. Halts and Meals: Wake at dawn, drink tea and walk a couple of hours before having a morning meal; thereafter walk until an hour before sundown, halt and cook the evening meal. Put out the fire and then move off a mile or so and rest for the night. Do not sleep near a track, game trail, stream, or on a ridge. These are jungle highways at night and you may be disturbed. Shooting: The rifle is the infantryman’s primary weapon. It is with this that he will achieve victory. Quick decisions and timing are as important as accuracy of aim. To exert self-control, to know when to hold one’s fire, to shoot calmly and accurately at the right moment, are matters of great importance under conditions where a second shot is most unlikely to be obtained after a miss. In the jungle 50-75 yards is a long shot. For automatic weapons the general principles for employment are normally use single shot fire, save ammunition and don’t disclose the location of your automatic weapons; NEVER use automatic fire, unless you have a really worth while target or in the final stages of the assault; once you have disclosed your position by the use of automatic fire, take the first opportunity of moving to an alternative position to the flank or forward. Jungle Infantry: It goes without saying that the men who fight in jungles must be well-trained and well-led and must be jungle-minded. They must move in single file but must be ready at all times to deploy and drop noiselessly out of sight. Every man must be capable, if the need arises, of acting as an individual and being able to support himself. Jungle warfare should be regarded as a game, healthful, interesting and thrilling; the men should feel at home in the jungle and regard it as a friend. They must realize the absolute necessity for jungle training as a means to defeat the Japanese who come from one of the most highly industrialized countries in the world and have no natural advantages as Jungle Infantry.
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