Australian Military History

In 1916, the British launched the now infamous Battle of the Somme. Three weeks after the opening of the battle, the high ground around a small village in French Picardy remained in German hands. In the AIF's first major assault on the Western Front, the task of seizing Pozieres fell on the 1st Australian Division. The 23rd July would mark the beginning of the battle which would incur the greatest loss of life in Australian military history.https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/patreon.com/u46029761

I recently interviewed Roland Perry about his new book Oliphant, the biography of arguably Australia's greatest mind and a man who played an instrumental role in the defeat of both Nazi Germany and Japan.https://www.patreon.com/c/u46029761?view_as=patronhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToyQ3ufqmB0

Start Digging You Bastards is the new book from Tom Gilling, following the deeds of the Australian 9th Division during the Battle of El Alamein. This month I interview Tom about El Alamein and the Australian's role in the "Turning Point of the War."australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.comhttps://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=patron

Something different this month as this is a topic I knew absolutely nothing about. Fortunately, someone who does know all about it is Edmund Goldrick, whose dulcet tones you will get to enjoy instead of my usual droning. Enjoyaustralianmilitaryhistorypodcast.comhttps://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=patron

At the outbreak of the Korean War, the 77th Squadron were just packing up to leave Japan after five years with the occupation forces. Within a week they were flying their first combat mission of the war and would go on to forge a reputation as an effective fighting force, which the Commanding Officer of the US 5th Airforce said "set the pace".https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=patronhttps://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/

The Japanese thrust had managed to drive a wedge between the 24th Brigade and the 20th Brigade of the 9th Division. But the fighting had left the Japanese battered and unable to launch a coordinated follow up attack. Over the following days, the Australians would regroup and reinforce with the intention re-establishing their defensive line and pushing the Japanese back in preparation for the attack on Sattelberg. But the Japanese have never been known for giving up without a fight. It would take hard fighting to shift them from their hard earned positions.https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=patron

Having been forced out of Finschhafen and Jivevaneng, the Japanese forces on the Huon Peninsula launched a counter-attack, aimed at recapturing the Australian-held Scarlett Beach. This is where stores and reinforcements were being landed by the Australian and American forces. Lose Scarlett Beach and the entire area would become precarious. Fortunately, a plan of the coming offensive had been discovered on a dead Japanese officer and so General Wootten knew roughly where and when things were going to happen. But knowing this, and being able to do something about it, were two completely different things. His already stretched 9 Division would be severely tested. https://www.australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com/https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=patron

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