| Scenario in dates: |
| January 3, 1931: |
Japan - British writer Lily Adams Beck (one of her many pseudonyms), author of novels and biographies such as The Thunderer, dies in Kyoto. Her real name is Elizabeth Louisa Moresby and she is the daughter of British naval officer John Moresby. He became famous for exploring the coast of New Guinea and discovering the excellent site on which the harbour bearing his name later grew. Port Moresby would become strategically important during the Pacific War when the Japanese attempted to capture it, first by naval landing and later by land attack, both unsuccessfully. |
| February 3, 1942: |
In the New Guiea - Port Moresby is bombarded by Japanese aircrafts. |
| March 5, 1942: |
In the South Pacific - Japanese invasion forces leave Rabaul for New Guinea. |
| March 7, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese invasion forces land in the Salamaua area. |
| March 8, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese invasion forces land at Lae and Salamaua. |
| March 10, 1942: |
In New Guinea - American aircraft launched from the American carriers USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Yorktown (CV-5) attack Japanese invasion vessels near Lae and Salamua. Several transport ships are destroyed, two destroyers and the light cruiser Yubari are damaged. This is the first successful large-scale Allied counterattack in the Pacific War. |
| April 1, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese invasion of New Guinea continues with landings at Sorong and Hollandia. They go almost unopposed. |
| June 9, 1942: |
In New Guinea - B-26 Marauder Bombers of 22nd Bomb Group from Seven Mile Drome at Port Moresby is conducting a raid on Lae and Salamaua. Onboard one of the bombers, Lieutenant commander Lyndon Johnson, 33-year-old congressman, volunteers to fly as an observer, who is sent to the battlefield by President Roosevelt himself. His plane is attacked by a Zero aircraft piloted by the Japanese ace Saburo Sakai, but despite severe damage, aicraft eventually escapes. Upon return, he informs the highest places about unfavorable conditions, poor state of equipment, supply and morals. Lyndon Johnson later becomes the US president in the 1960s. |
| June 28, 1942: |
New Guinea - Australian troops mount the first major Allied offensive land operation of the Pacific war, conducting a night raid from inland on the Japanese coastal base at Salamaua and Heath´s Plantation at Lae. The action against Salamaua is particularly successful, with over 120 Japanese killed without loss, extensive damage to the base facilities and airfield, and the capture of a number of intelligence-valuable documents with which the Australians withdraw back to the jungle. |
| July 21, 1942: |
In New Guinea - General Horii´s 18th Army lands at Gona, forestalling planned Allied landings. |
| July 22, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese forces under General Horii advance along the Kokoda Trail from Buna. The small Australian garrison at Kokoda prepares its defense. |
| July 23, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Advancing up the Kokado Trail, the Japanese 17th Army engaged the Australian defenders near Wosida. |
| July 29, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Kokoda falls to the reinforced Japanese troops. Aid which might have helped the Australians stave off the Japanese advance turns back when the planes carrying supplies are told incorrectly that the airfield is in already Japanese hands. At sea, near Gona, American A-24 Banshee dive bombers (ground variant of the SBD Dauntless aircraft) attack a Japanese supply convoy from Lae to Buna. They manage to damage the cargo ship Kotoku Maru and turn the convoy back, however, six of the seven bombers are shot down by Japanese Zeros and anti-aircraft fire, including the leading aircraft of Major Floyd "Buck" Rogers. |
| July 30, 1942: |
In the East Indies - The Japanese occupy small islands between Timor and New Guinea, to provide support for their planned attack against Port Moresby. |
| August 7, 1942: |
New Guiena - in the Gulf of Papua, a Japanese submarine Ro-33 attacks a 300-ton Australian motor vessel MV Mamutu evacuating civilians from endangered Port Moresby. The submarine carries out the attack with an onboard 3-inch gun, and survivors of the sinking vessel, including women and children, are killed by machine-gun fire. The victim is 114, surviving 28. Next sub is called in by Admiral Mikawa´s urgent radiogram to face the American landing at Guadalcanal. |
| August 11, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese forces take Deniki on the Kokoda Trail from the Australians. The Australian troops are forced to retreat for five miles towards Templeton´s Crossing near the top of the trail. |
| August 12, 1942: |
In New Guinea - A strong Japanese force lands at Buna. Australian troops advance toward Buna, in response. |
| August 16, 1942: |
In New Guinea - More Japanese reinforcements arrive for the fighting against the Australians on the Kokoda Trail near Buna. |
| August 24, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese forces from Buna, land on Goodenough Island in preparation for the taking of Milne Bay. |
| August 25, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese attack on Milne Bay begins. Their landings are fiercely resisted by the Australian and American garrison. In other fighting near the Kokoda Trail, the Japanese gain some ground near Isurava. |
| August 29, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese naval forces enter Milne Bay. |
| August 31, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Stiff resistance has cost the Japanese 1,000 casualties, the first halt in the Japanese expansion in the Pacific. Japanese General Hyakutake leading 17th Army redirects the troops from Milne Bay to concentrate on Guadalcanal. |
| September 2, 1942: |
In New Guinea - At Buna, 1000 more Japanese reinforcements land from Rabaul land. |
| September 5, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australians force the Japanese to evacuate Milne Bay. |
| September 7, 1942: |
New Guinea - two Japanese warships - a cruiser and a destroyer - bombarded Australian positions causing a number of casualties for 15 minutes before leaving the bay. It would be their final act in the battle. During the mopping up operations that followed, patrols by Australian troops tracked down and killed a number of Japanese troops who were attempting to trek overland to Buna. |
| September 8, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese advances force the Australians back over the Owen Stanley Range. Their position near Efogi is abandoned. |
| September 11, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese are halted in Owen Stanley Range at Ioribaiwa. |
| September 14, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese take the Kokoda Trail. The Australians have been forced back to Imita Ridge. The fighting is now only 30 miles outside Port Moresby. |
| September 16, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Allied prospects are brighter as they establish local air superiority over Ioribaiwa. This halts the Japanese advance. American reinforcements brought into Port Moresby to join the Australians mean that an effective offense can now be planned. |
| September 18, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese General Horii, in response to orders and supply difficulties begins to pull back some of his forces around Buna and Gona. |
| September 23, 1942: |
In New Guinea The Australians go on the offensive as more American reinforcements arrive at Port Moresby. The Australian Commander in Chief, General Blamey, takes personal charge. His orders from General Douglas MacArthur are to intensify and invigorate the campaign. |
| September 26, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Australian troops counterattack on Imita Ridge. |
| September 27, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australian offensives forces the withdrawal of Japanese troops back down the Kokoda Trail. |
| October 1, 1942: |
From Australia, New Guinea - General MacArthur issues orders for the coordinated allied advances in New Guinea. US forces are to take the Kapa Kapa Trail running parallel to the Kokada Trail in an effort to entrap the Japanese troops between the two allied forces, closing their retreat at the Kumusi River. Landings are also to be made on the northern coast between Milne Bay and Cape Nelson. Wanigela is a focus for a portion of the landings. Australian troops begin to move forward on the Kokada Trail. |
| October 4, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australians continue advancing along the Kokado Trail. They take Efogi and continue advancing to Aola and Moyola. |
| October 6, 1942: |
In New Guinea - American troops begin implementation of General MacArthur´s offensive to cut off the retreat of the Japanese forces withdrawing in the face of Australian attacks. Elements of the US 32nd Division begin to move down the Kapa Kapa Trail. They are 25 miles southwest of the Kokoda Trail which the Japanese are using as an escape route. The terrain is very difficult. |
| October 14, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australians and Japanese engage heavily on the Kokado Trail at Templeton´s Crossing. |
| October 17, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australian 16th Brigade has relieved the 25th Brigade at the head of the advance along the Kokoda Trail. Fierce Japanese resistance holds up the continuing advance at Eora Creek. A regiment of the US 32nd Division is airlifted from Port Moresby to Wanigela on the north coast. |
| October 18, 1942: |
From Washington - Admiral Halsey is appointed chief of the Pacific Command Area, replacing Admiral Ghormley. |
| October 18, 1942: |
In New Guinea - American forces sent on a parallel trail to help the Australians cut off Japanese retreats down the Kokoda Trail, finally begin to reach Pongani. The trip has proved to be so difficult that the soldiers are in no condition to fight. In addition, the transport of troops by air from Port Moresby to the northern coast has made the land trip unnecessary. |
| October 19, 1942: |
New Guinea - In the Musa River Valley, an airport is opened at Fasari. According to missionary Cecil Abel, who selected the place and cut vegetation with the help of the natives, it will soon be named Abel´s Field. The landing of the first C-47 Dakota is witnessed from the jungle of the upper Musa River by American soldiers. It´s a sad sight for them, as they had to walk here on a challenging march along the Kapa Kapa Trail through the Owen Stanley Mountains. |
| October 21, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australian troops fighting on Kokoda Trail advance to the main Japanese positions in Eora. General MacArthur orders them to speed up their advance. |
| October 22, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Australian troops land on Goodenough Island. The Japanese have mostly left the island after the battle at after Milne Bay. |
| October 29, 1942: |
From Australia - General Vasey is appointed to the command of the Australian 7th Division, replacing General Allen who has been judged as insufficiently forceful. |
| October 29, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australian forces make a final attack against the Japanese positions at Eora, forcing them to retire before they had completely withdrawn their troops. |
| October 30, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australian advance reaches Alola, about 10 miles south of Kokoda. One of the brigades is sent directly toward Kokoda, while the second is sent on a more easterly route. |
| November 2, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Kokoda is recaptured by the Australian 25th Brigade. The reacquisition of the airfield here is especially important as it means supplies can be ferried in by air rather than lugged over the poor terrain of the Kokada Trail. |
| November 5, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australians attack Oivi. The Japanese decided to fight a rear guard action here to enable the rest of their forces to retire across the Kumusi River. |
| November 9, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australian 25th Brigade takes Gorari after heavy fighting. This action isolates the Japanese forces at Oviv, Japanese General Horii is with them. |
| November 11, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australians face heavy fighting around Gorari. |
| November 12, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Heavy fighting continues as the Australians attempt to prevent the Japanese from withdrawing across the Kumusi River. |
| November 13, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese force at Gorari manages to retreat across the Kumusi River. General Horii drowns during the retreat. When the Australian forces secure the area, they find 600 dead. This retreat marks the end of organized Japanese resistance outside their beachheads at Gona and Buna. |
| November 15, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The construction of rudimentary bridges on the Kusumi River allows an Australian advance to take Wairopi and Ilimow. At Port Moresby, the 30-Mile Drome Airport is being renamed Rogers Airfield to honor the memory of Major Floyd "Buck" Rogers, who died in a bomber on July 29 during an attack on a convoy near Gona. |
| November 17, 1942: |
In New Guinea - A Japanese convoy successfully lands 1000 troops at Buna. The Japanese strongholds at Gona, Buna and Sanananda are well fortified and now well garrisoned. |
| November 19, 1942: |
In New Guinea - US troops from Pongani begin their attack on the well fortified Japanese positions at Buna, believing that it is lightly held. The Australians are closing on Gona and a mixed Allied force is moving toward the Japanese positions at Sanananda. |
| November 20, 1942: |
In New Guinea - An Australian advance breakthrough the Japanese defences at Gona, but is later driven out. |
| November 26, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Despite the lose of a destroyer Hayashio to air attack on 24 November, the Japanese provide reinforcement of their troops at Buna. |
| November 29, 1942: |
United States - Lieutenant Colonel Boyd "Buzz" Wagner, the first American fighter ace in the Pacific War to fight in the Philippines and over New Guinea, dies in the wreckage of a P-40K fighter during a training flight in Florida. |
| November 30, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The American forces attacking Japanese positions at Buna make their first real headway. |
| December 2, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Australians capture a portion of the Japanese defenses at Gona. A Japanese convoy carrying reinforcements is diverted by air attacks, but manages to land its troops along the coast to the west. General Eichelberger, sent by General MacArthur to investigate the lack of progress at Buna, decides to relieve General Harding of command of the US forces there. |
| November 5, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese forces repel a strong US attack on their defensive positions at Buna. |
| December 6, 1942: |
In New Guinea - US forces managed to reach the beach on the east side of Buna after heavy fighting. The Australian attack at Gona has little success. Japanese reinforcement fighting along the coast from the west make some headway. |
| December 7, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese counterattacks threaten the American positions by Buna. The Americans ultimately hold. During the raid on the Japanese air base Buna by American Aircobra fighters, George Welch shot down two Aichi D3A dive bombers and one A6M2 Zero fighter. He thus becomes one of only two American pilots of inefficient Airacobras, who achieved three victories in one flight. He succeeds in the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, during which Welch distinguished himself as one of the few fighters that took off and shot down Japanese planes that day. |
| December 8, 1942: |
In New Guinea - In yet another bloody engagement, the Japanese positions at Gona are attacked by the Australian 21st Brigade. |
| December 14, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Japanese reinforcement land about 30 miles west of Gona and begin marching toward the Australian flank. In Buna, the American´s take the village, but the Japanese still hold the well fortified Government Station. |
| December 18, 1942: |
In New Guinea - Cape Endiadere is taken by the Allies. Australian troops have newly arrived M3 Stuart tank support against the Japanese positions. Allied air raids on Salamaua, Gasmatu, Rabaul and Munda. |
| December 24, 1942: |
In New Guinea - The Allied forces break the new defensive position of the Japanese near Buna with heavy casualties. |
| December 31, 1942: |
New Guinea - George Strock, a Correspondent for Life magazine, photographs the bodies of dead soldiers after the battle. There are so many bodies that the place becomes called "Maggot Beach". One of the images will be, authorized by the personal permission of President Roosevelt, the first photograph published in the United States during World War II to show American soldiers dead on the battlefield. |
| January 1, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Attacks on the Japanese positions at Buna continue. Some of the Japanese garrison withdraws. |
| January 2 1943: |
In New Guinea - Japanese positions at Buna are stormed by troops from Eichelberger´s US I Corps. Fighting continues around Sanananda. |
| January 9, 1943: |
In New Guinea - The Australian 17th Brigade is airlifted to Wau to establish a forward base for the next phase of the Allied offensive. Buna and Sanananda are still to be captured. The Americans capture the village of Tarakena but their attempts to advance further toward Sanananda are held by the Japanese defenders. |
| January 10, 1943: |
In New Guinea - American forces achieve limited gains toward Sanananda and near Tarakena. |
| January 12, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Australian infantry and tanks attack Japanese positions north and west of Gona. |
| January 13, 1943: |
In New Guinea - General Eichelberger, an American, is given overall command of the fighting Allied troops. |
| January 16, 1943: |
In New Guinea - In converging attacks near Sanananda, the US 163rd Infantry Regiment and the Australian 18th Brigade are making progress. |
| January 17, 1943: |
In New Guinea - The Australians penetrate Japanese positions at Sanananda. Japanese resistance continues here and against the converging Americans attacking at Giruwa. |
| January 19, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Japanese General Yamagata orders his troops to pull out of Sanananda. Heavy fighting continues. |
| January 21, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Japanese resistance at Sanananda and Giruwa wanes. There are only isolated pockets of Japanese remaining. |
| January 22, 1943: |
In New Guinea - The last Japanese troops are eliminated from Papua. The Japanese have suffered about 7000 killed during the campaign, the Allies about 3500. |
| January 28, 1943: |
In New Guinea - The Japanese unsuccessfully attack a detachment of the Australian 3rd Division at Wau. |
| January 31, 1943: |
New Guinea - American and Australian forces stop a Japanese advance in the Battle of Wau. The Japanese attempt to destroy this remote Allied base in the New Guinean hinterland by land advance from Salamaua is wrecked by massive airlift of reinforcements. |
| March 9, 1943: |
In New Guinea - There are heavy Japanese attacks on Wau. |
| April 12, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Port Moresby is attacked by 174 Japanese aircraft in their ongoing offensive. Little significant damage is done. |
| April 14, 1943: |
In New Guinea - A Japanese raid on Allied shipping in Milne Bay sinks two transports. This is the last of the series of attacks carried out in their air offensive. Japanese losses have been heavy. |
| June 29, 1943: |
New Guinea - A small Papuan force leaves Buso in canoes and lands at Cape Roon whence they move overland to Sachsen Bay in preparation for a diversionary attack on Cape Dingo before the upcoming American landings in Nassau Bay. |
| June 30, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Part of the American units from the advanced bases of Mageri and Morobe known as MacKechnie Force including the commander (Archibald Ross MacKechnie) lands in Nassau Bay, not far south of the town of Salamaua, in strong surf. Although the troops of the first and second landing waves manage to get ashore thanks to the guidance of the Australian diversionary Australians who infiltrated jungle to reach the beach, all their boats are lost. The third wave turns back without landing, and the Japanese launch counterattacks to the bridgehead. |
| July 3, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Australian forces, advancing from Wau, are heavily engaged by Japanese forces around Mubo. During the day, the Australians link up with the Americans from the Nassau Bay landing force in the Bitoi River region. |
| July 10, 1943: |
In New Guinea - A further linking up of Australian and American forces cuts off the Japanese forces in Mubo from Salamaua. |
| September 20, 1943: |
In New Guinea - Australian forces, advancing up the Markham Valley, seize Kaiapit from the Japanese defenders. |
| December 31, 1944: |
In the Philippines - On Leyte, various Japanese counterattacks in the northwest are repulsed by American forces. Up to this point, the Japanese have suffered about 70,000 casualties, almost all killed, in the battles on Leyte. American casualties number 15,500 dead and wounded. The US 6th Army is being withdrawn from the island, in preparation for the invasion of Luzon, and the US 8th Army is replacing it. In the hills above Silad Bay, a tragic event occurs when the commander of the 32nd US Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) Herman Bottcher dies during a Japanese mortar attack. Bottcher´s men had spent more than 40 days behind enemy lines when they were suddenly attacked by Japanese troops. Captain Herman Bottcher, who also achieved the rank of captain in the Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War, distinguished himself as a hero of the Battle of Buna in New Guinea. His merits stand out especially in light of the fact that he was a German who had only held American citizenship for one year at the time of his death. |
|
| Literature sources: |
 | Šnajdr, Miroslav: Airacobra v amerických službách : USAAF 1941-1944 (Aircobra in US service), Votobia, 1996, Olomouc |
 | Jordan, David, Wiest Andrew: Atlas Of World War II., Ottovo nakladatelství, 2006, Praha |
 | Skřivan, Aleš: Cestou samurajů (By Path of Samurais), Mladá fronta, 1984, Praha |
 . | Swanston, Alexander & Malcolm: The Historical Atlas of World War II, Columbus, 2007, Praha |
| . | Skřivan, Aleš: Japonská válka 1931 - 1945 (Japanese War 1931 - 1945), Libri, 1997, Praha |
 | Hrbek, Jaroslav, Hrbek Ivan: Krvavé oceány (Bloody oceans), Naše vojsko, 1994, Praha |
 | Hubáček, Miloš: Pacifik v plamenech (Pacific in flames), Mladá fronta, 1997, Praha |
 | Sakai, Saburo: Oozora no Samurai, Naše vojsko, 1994, Praha |
Nepevný, Jindřich, Ing.: Tainan Kokutai, HPM No. 4/1991
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