Lark Force

E177549

Lark Force was an Australian Army formation deployed to defend Rabaul in New Britain during World War II, ultimately overwhelmed by Japanese forces in 1942.

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All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Lark Force canonical 2
Sparrow Force 1

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Australian Army formation
airSupport limited RAAF presence
allegiance Allied Powers of World War I
surface form: Allied powers
assignedRole garrison force
branch Australian Army
casualtiesDescription high killed, missing, and POW losses
codeName Lark Force self-link
commemoration remembered in Australian war memorials
componentUnit 17th Anti-Tank Battery
2/10th Field Ambulance
2/22nd Battalion
New Guinea Volunteer Rifles detachment
anti-aircraft units at Rabaul
coastal artillery units at Rabaul
conflict World War II
surface form: Second World War
country Australia
dateOverrun 1942-01-23
engagement Invasion of Rabaul
surface form: Battle of Rabaul (1942)
engagementOutcome defeat at Rabaul
fate overrun by Japanese forces
formedBy Australian Army
garrisonArea Rabaul and surrounding areas of New Britain
historicalEra Pacific War
surface form: World War II Pacific campaign
legacy symbol of early Australian defeats in Pacific War
locationDeployed New Britain
Rabaul
Territory of New Guinea
logisticalSituation isolated and poorly reinforced
navalSupport minimal Royal Australian Navy support
notableEvent Tol Plantation massacre
sinking of Montevideo Maru
opponent Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Navy
partOf Second Australian Imperial Force
POWTransportShip Montevideo Maru
primaryMission defence of Rabaul
resultOfDeployment heavy casualties
large number of prisoners of war
statusAfterJanuary1942 destroyed as a fighting formation
strategicPurpose forward outpost against Japanese expansion
strengthApproximate 1400 personnel
supportedBy Royal Australian Air Force units at Rabaul
theatre Pacific War
typeOfOperation static defence
underCommandOf 8th Australian Division
surface form: Australian 8th Division (higher command context)
yearDeployedToRabaul 1941

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Invasion of Rabaul opponent Lark Force
Battle of Timor (1942) involvedMilitaryUnit Lark Force
this entity surface form: Sparrow Force
Lark Force codeName Lark Force self-link