The Australian Push. 

With the fall of Finshhafen, the 20th Brigade of the 9th Division was keen to push on to their next major objective in the Huon Peninsula campaign; Sattelberg. It appeared that the Japanese who had retreated were all heading in that direction, so all haste was needed in order to prevent them from settling in. Unfortunately, the areas which the Brigade had already seized were only thinly held and far from secure. Support was coming in the form of one battalion from the 24th Brigade, but until they arrived no proper offensive action could be undertaken. Meanwhile the Japanese were hatching plans to retake all that they had lost. The question of supply would decide the fate of the whole campaign. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/ patreon.com/user?u=46029761

Between Finschhafen and Sattelberg Part 1

The White Mouse

Born in New Zealand, Nancy Wake grew up in Australia. At her first opportunity she took off overseas and, after training as a journalist, found herself with a front row seat to the rise of Nazi Germany. When war broke out and Germany captured Paris and Northern France, Nancy and her husband went to work helping Allied soldiers flee occupied France to England. In the process Nancy became the Gestapo's most wanted operative. Forced to flee, leaving behind her husband, Nancy arrived in England and joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE). There she began to really make trouble for the Germans, including an epic bicycle ride that would go down in history as one of the most audacious acts of the French resistance during the war. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/ patreon.com/user?u=46029761

Nancy Wake

The Nightmare

With the 15th Brigade all be annihilated, the 14th and 8th Brigades tried desperately to hold onto their gains. But with their right flank open and the left under intense counter attack, the scattered parties were in a desperate situation. Spirited defensive counter attacks held the Germans at bay for a while, but diminishing supplies and the strength of German attacks snuffed out the pockets one by one. And then, when the Germans reoccupied their own trenches behind the Australians, cutting them off from their own front lines, things started to fall apart. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/ patreon.com/user?u=46029761

The Battle of Fromelles Part 4

The Disaster

With the&nbsp;initial&nbsp;attack halted, the men of the 5th Australian Division set about holding onto what they had managed to take. But confusion and lack of communication meant that the commanders back from the&nbsp;fighting didn't fully understand the situation. In&nbsp;ignorance of the&nbsp;true situation further attacks were ordered, then cancelled. But the battered 15th Brigade didn't get notified of the cancellation until it was too late.&nbsp; https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/ patreon.com/user?u=46029761

The Battle of Fromelles Part 3

Deciphering the Indecipherable. 

As promised, something to break up the Fromelles episodes a bit. I present unto Thee an attempt to explain the structure of the Australian Army throughout the years. I shall unravel the mysteries that surround battalions, platoons and Brigades, what's the difference between Non Commissioned and Commissioned ranks and just how it all combines to make the whole thing work.

Military Structure

The Advance

With all the planning done and dusted, there was nothing left to do except get going. The British 183rd and 184th Divisions, forming the right flank of the attack went forward and were almost immediately stopped in their tracks. The next in line was the Australian 15th Brigade, whose task was to attack the underside of the Sugarloaf. The preparatory bombardment had inflicted no serious damage on the Sugarloaf and the 15th would bear the brunt of the fire coming from that position. The 14th and then the 8th Brigades, further along to the left had some limited success, but time and manpower were wasted searching for the German second line trench. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/ patreon.com/user?u=46029761

The Battle of Fromelles Part 2

The Plan

On 1st July 1916, General Haig launched his now infamous Somme Offensive. The opening days had been disastrous and something needed to be done to assist the British troops currently struggling against the strong German defence. To the north of the Somme, a salient jutting into the British lines, just near the little village of Fromelles. It was decided that a strong demonstration here would prevent the Germans from moving troops to the south to reinforce on the Somme. And so a demonstration was planned, and then cancelled, and then reinstated but with a different objective, then back to the original plan, but not yet, to then suddenly be urgent. Such was the back and forth and changing of plans that became the Battle of Fromelles. Website - https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/ Patreon - patreon.com/user?u=46029761

The Battle of Fromelles Part 1

Fame and Tragedy

Taken on strength with the Royal Australian Navy between the wars and named for her sister ship who had sunk the German raider Emden during WW1, HMAS Sydney (II) gained fame as lucky ship during operations in the Mediterranean Theatre in World War 2. Involved in a number of actions in that theatre, including the sinking of the Bartolmeo Colleoni, while barely sustaining any damage herself, she came to be considered invincible. This reputation followed her into the waters off Western Australia and in action against a German raider, the Kormoran. The result would be the opposite of her sister ship's meeting with the Emden.

HMAS Sydney (II)

Interview with FSB Coral Veterans

In this episode I am talking with Mal Murray, Peter Harrower and Jim Smith, veterans of the fighting at Fire Support Base Coral. No more needs to be said. Enjoy. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/ patreon.com/user?u=46029761

Battle of FSB Coral In Their Own Words

A walk through

Focusing on specific events, people and groups throughout the history of Australia at arms. <a href="https://acast-d25653fd59cf.intercom-clicks.com/via/e?ob=kTLFFlWmSKCbdHELuDoICg0K7gVdfSIPNr3Uxij%2FuwQiyxq0m6K64rnh3H6N5mk6&amp;h=7044049b1400afa24d2a6fb476a2707ef8275aa9-ayi0335i_53379403693992" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/australianmilitaryhistory-survey</a> amhp.media@gmail.com patreon.com/user?u=46029761

Australian Military History

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