Download PDF Victory in Papua eBook Samuel Milner

Product details File Size 2913 KB Print Length 369 pages Page Numbers Source ISBN 179203265X Simultaneous Device Usage Unlimited Publisher Brier Publications (December 17, 2018) Publication Date December 17, 2018 Language English ASIN B07LGBVPKM

Victory in Papua eBook Samuel Milner Reviews

• Milner was a staff officer on General MacArthur’s staff in Australia during the New Guinea campaign. His assignment was military historian. He wrote this book during the 1950s. He had access to all the Allied orders and after-action reports. He also had access to the Imperial Japanese Military archives. He furthered his research by interviewing a couple of dozen battalion and regimental commanders who patriated in the action on Papua. This gives the book a unique perspective on the campaign.
  The introduction claims to include the soldier’s perspective on the combat. This not really true. NCO and enlisted men are only occasionally included if they were mention in an after action report for valor.
  The book is an excellent order of battle for both the Americans, Australia and Japanese units in the campaign. It also includes excellent perspective on the command officers at the front. Their thoughts and impressions.
  The book can be hard to follow since it is mostly unit destinations, compass directions of assault, and relative locations (eg. The left flank of task force Warren on the morning of December 12th). There are three good maps in the book, but they only cover small geographic areas of the campaign and troop deployment for a few days.
  The book covers the logistical difficulties of the campaign and the general lack of hygiene in the harsh environment. I was surprised to learn that an entire American battalion, that was not cutoff, was out of rations for three days early in the battle for Buna. I never think of the American GI going without food, but it happened. The disease was so bad during the campaign that 2,300 soldiers and officers of the 32 division were discharged as unfit for duty from the U.S. Army for recurring and incurable malaria after six month of rest in Australia after the battle.
  The book concentrates on the Battle of Buna–Gona. The early chapters set the stage for the battle and the last chapter gives some historical perspective on the results. The first couple of chapters seem to have been edited by a MacArthur sycophant. The bulk of the book is just history and the last chapter perspective is not very complimentary of MacArthur.
• New Guinea was the start of the US Army's advance in the Pacific. The battles of the Kokota Trail, Buna, Gona, and others would set the tone for the start of the the US Army and the Australian reclamation of New Guinea. Unprepared troops, without the proper equipment, medical supplies, food, air and naval support, and other necessities required for survival first encounter dug-in and prepared Japanese forces. An account of some of the worst combat conditons encountered in the Pacific. A good analysis of the battle conditions and the lessons learned.
• There is a lot of new, interesting material in this work. I have studied this military history for years and still found a lot of new analysis.
• After visiting the conflict area, this book opened my eyes to the history of Papua. This book offered great detail and referenced the action there and other ongoing conflicts. Some of the details were difficult to understand and slowed the story to a crawl when every Battalion or Regiment was named from each American, Australian and Japanese group. Overall it was amazing what the Greatest Generation had to endure for victory.
• This is a good summary of the battle of New Guinea. It is an official history and like most, it is somewhat boring. However in reading it you get the idea that this battle was particularly difficult for the GI. It is good for the history of the region
• Enjoyable and informative. It did need some editing. At least one sentence was repeated verbatim. Some of the writing was a little confusing mixing different actions in or references to action in the sections so that it is hard to understand what was going on. References to locations could use more and better maps to follow the action. It was still worth reading.
• A good detailed history about an early phase of the New Guinea campaign that is often neglected in the history books. Written soon after the war, a good cautionary tale about inadequately trained troops, tactically unimaginative commanders, a determined enemy and one of the unhealthiest climates in the world. Along with Guadalcanal, the Buna-Goa campaign was one of the first exposures of American troops to jungle warfare against the Japanese. Lessons were learned at a tremendous cost in dead, wounded, missing and diseased.
• Was interested in the 32nd Red Arrow Division's campaign in Papua New Guinea. Quite readable and interesting. Learned an abundance of information about the 32nd and all the other American and Australian units. Good summary of the "lessons learned" by the allies in which to prepare for future operations. Time well spent.