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[sneakey pete]

Darwin was bombed a little bit, most of the conflict we had with the Wapanese was in and around the Phillipenes though (Kokoda Trail being the most memorable instance).

I think you'll find that the the trail is rather not in the Phillipenes, but in Paupa New Guinea. There were also a few other large battles fought around it, mainly holding off an invasion of the major port on the south of the coast. if they'ed captured it they would have pretty much stopped any shipping between Australia and the US.

During the war PNG was technically a colony (or similar) of australia, So they could get the militia troops to fight there. The first troops at the Kokoda trail, for instance, were militia. They managed to severely slow down a force 2-3 times their size for fair amount of time. If they'd just crumbled it's likely the Japanese would have made it all the way to the south coast.

[Jackrabbit]

What I love is that totally untrained recruits, expecting to defend their own homes, managed to hold off well trained Japanese soldiers. And win.

We rock.

[Neruz]

Melbourne suburbs btw.


Australian troops have a history of being small in number but individually very good. We've got some of the best special ops forces in the world.

Darwin was bombed a little bit, most of the conflict we had with the Wapanese was in and around the Phillipenes though (Kokoda Trail being the most memorable instance).

I think you'll find that the the trail is rather not in the Phillipenes, but in Paupa New Guinea. There were also a few other large battles fought around it, mainly holding off an invasion of the major port on the south of the coast. if they'ed captured it they would have pretty much stopped any shipping between Australia and the US.

During the war PNG was technically a colony (or similar) of australia, So they could get the militia troops to fight there. The first troops at the Kokoda trail, for instance, were militia. They managed to severely slow down a force 2-3 times their size for fair amount of time. If they'd just crumbled it's likely the Japanese would have made it all the way to the south coast.

Fine then, replace "Phillipenes" with "That string of islands between us and China."

It's also fun to note that according to the records from the Japanese commanders at the time, they thought there was about 10 times more people than there actually was on the trail.

[Emperor_Jonathan]

Australian troops have a history of being small in number but individually very good. We've got some of the best special ops forces in the world.

In WWI at least, British Commanders noted that the Australian troops were a bit more independent than troops of other nationalities.

[Neruz]

Yeah, that's a cultural thing. Keep in mind that Australian culture was founded primarily by convicts and second sons of rich Englishmen who couldn't hope to inherit anything useful. We have a very solid culture of 'sticking it to the man' so to speak and telling authority figures to piss off.

It means that we produce supurb special forces, since that kind of independance is a huge bonus in spec ops, but it can be an issue in the more traditional army elements.

[Jackrabbit]

One of the many, many things to despise about WW1 was the fact that British high command did not consider Australian troops well trained enough to preform complex assaults and attacks and instead ordered them to walk slowly towards the enemy, without ducking or taking cover lest they break formation.

[Emperor_Jonathan]

One of the many, many things to despise about WW1 was the fact that British high command did not consider Australian troops well trained enough to preform complex assaults and attacks and instead ordered them to walk slowly towards the enemy, without ducking or taking cover lest they break formation.

Yeah, no.

That was basically the tactics of the time, tactics that were effective in Napoleonic times. Outdated for the technology. It wasn't just the Australians, but all troops, on both sides. The British General of the Western Front (forgot his name) basically said that the allies will win "because we have more men." In the end the Allies had more deaths/casualties than the Germans, it's just that the Germans didn't have enough men. Hell, by the end of the war they were using 14 year olds. (Youngest Australian Soldier to die in WWI was James Martin, Queenslander, 14, 9 Months.) The British often chose the Australians to lead assaults and to go on raids because of their independence.

(EDIT: By leading assaults, I'm specifically talking about Ypres. Not too sure about other areas.)

[Cheeetar]

Suburban NSW.




No I don't have much else to add to this thread.

[Jackrabbit]

One of the many, many things to despise about WW1 was the fact that British high command did not consider Australian troops well trained enough to preform complex assaults and attacks and instead ordered them to walk slowly towards the enemy, without ducking or taking cover lest they break formation.

Yeah, no.

That was basically the tactics of the time, outdated for the technology. It wasn't just the Australians, but all troops, on both sides. The British General of the Western Front (forget his name) basically said that the allies will win "because we have more men." In the end the Allies had more deaths/casualties than the Germans, it's just that the Germans didn't have enough men. Hell, by the end of the war they were using 14 year olds. (Youngest Australian Soldier to die in WWI was James Martin, Queenslander, 14 9 Months.) The British often chose the Australians to lead assaults and to go on raids because of their independence.

(EDIT: By leading assaults, I'm specifically talking about Ipres. Not too sure about other areas.)

Oh, okay. My bad.

Still pisses me off.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

Fine then, replace "Phillipenes" with "That string of islands between us and China."

HATE HATE.

HATE HATE.

You deeply offend me, sir.

[Neruz]

Forgive me for not being able to tell that an island on the edge of a group of different islands isn't considered a part of that group of islands.

[RAM]

Bah, they are not actually offended, they are just looking for an excuse to invade...

[LegoLord]

Australia has a city named Darwin?  Cool.

[Jackrabbit]

We're very scientific.

[Neruz]

That's why we have the saying "She'll be right, no worries mate."

It's usually proceeded by something breaking spectaculary.