War at the End of the World: Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight For New Guinea, 1942-1945

432 Pages·2016·21.8 MB·English

by  James P. Duffy

ALSO BY JAMES P. DUFFY
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NAL CALIBER
Published by New American Library,
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This book is an original publication of New American Library.
First Printing, January 2016
Copyright © James P. Duffy, 2016
Maps by Chris Erichsen
Front jacket photographs: planes © Everett Historical/Shutterstock Images; mountains © Minden Pictures/Getty Images; soldier ©
Getty Images. Back jacket photograph © Corbis.
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eBook ISBN: 978-1-10161109-8
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA: Duffy, James P., 1941– War at the end of the world: Douglas MacArthur and the
forgotten fight for New Guinea, 1942–1945/James P. Duffy.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-451-41830-2
1. World War, 1939–1945—Campaigns—New Guinea. 2. MacArthur, Douglas, 1880–1964. I. Title.
D767.95.D84 2016
940.54'265—dc23 2015019828
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither
the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, publisher does
not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Version_1
To the memory of Mary Gallagher
In addition to all our other difficulties, there was New Guinea itself, as tough
and tenacious an enemy as the Japanese.
—GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
Heaven is Java; hell is Burma; but no one returns alive from New Guinea.
—SAYING POPULAR AMONG JAPANESE SOLDIERS
CONTENTS
Also by James P. Duffy
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
List of Maps

INTRODUCTION
PROLOGUE
PART ONE: 1942
CHAPTER 1. “This Is War, Not a Sunday School Picnic”
CHAPTER 2. “Every Man for Himself”
CHAPTER 3. First Landings in New Guinea
CHAPTER 4. A General in Search of an Army
CHAPTER 5. To Port Moresby by Sea
CHAPTER 6. Second Landings in New Guinea
CHAPTER 7. Death Along the Kokoda Track
CHAPTER 8. First Defeat at Milne Bay
CHAPTER 9. “Take Buna, or Not Come Back Alive”
PART TWO: 1943
CHAPTER 10. Sailing the Bismarck Sea
CHAPTER 11. Assault on Salamaua
CHAPTER 12. Pincers Around Lae
CHAPTER 13. War on the Huon Peninsula
CHAPTER 14. Invasion Across the Straits
PART THREE: 1944
CHAPTER 15. The General and the Admiralties
CHAPTER 16. Reckless and Persecution
CHAPTER 17. Next Stop: Wakde
CHAPTER 18. Bloody Biak
CHAPTER 19. The General, the President, and the Admiral
CHAPTER 20. Breakout from Wewak
CHAPTER 21. Island-Hopping to Victory
EPILOGUE

Photographs
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Source Notes
Index
MAPS
The Japanese Plan for War, December 1941
Rabaul and Vicinity, 1941
The Japanese Advance into the Solomons–New Guinea Area, January–July 1942
The Pacific Areas, 1 August 1942
Japanese Thrust Across Mountains Toward Port Moresby
The Huon Peninsula and the Straits
Southwest Pacific Operations, September 1943–February 1944
Admiralty Islands
Hollandia-Aitape Operations
New Guinea, 1942–1944
Biak Island Operation
Morotai Island Operation