Invasion of Rabaul

E33356

World War II battle military operation

The Invasion of Rabaul was a major early World War II Japanese amphibious and air assault that captured the strategic Australian-held base at Rabaul in early 1942, turning it into a key stronghold for operations in the South Pacific.

Aliases (3)

Battle of Rabaul ×1
Battle of Rabaul (1942) ×1
Rabaul developed into major Japanese base ×1

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	World War II battle → military operation →
airComponent	carrier-based aircraft → land-based bombers →
alsoKnownAs	Battle of Rabaul (1942) →
attackingForceStrength	several thousand Japanese troops →
belligerent	Australian Army → Imperial Japanese Army → Imperial Japanese Navy → Royal Australian Air Force →
commander	Shigeyoshi Inoue → Tomitaro Horii →
conflict	World War II →
consequence	Rabaul developed into major Japanese base → establishment of large Japanese airfields at Rabaul → threat to Allied positions in New Guinea and Solomon Islands →
countryInvolved	Australia → Empire of Japan → United Kingdom →
date	January 1942 →
defendingCommander	John Scanlan →
defendingForceStrength	approximately 1,400 men →
endDate	February 1942 →
followedBy	Japanese occupation of Rabaul →
garrisonAfterCapture	major Japanese army and navy forces →
location	New Britain → Territory of New Guinea →
method	air assault → amphibious assault →
navalComponent	cruisers → destroyers → transports →
opponent	Lark Force →
outcome	capture of Rabaul by Japan →
partOf	New Guinea campaign → Pacific War →
place	Rabaul →
precededBy	Japanese advances in the Southwest Pacific →
relatedOperation	Allied air raids on Rabaul → Battle of the Coral Sea → Guadalcanal campaign →
result	Japanese victory →
startDate	23 January 1942 →
strategicImportance	access to sea lanes in the Bismarck Sea → control of key South Pacific base → forward base for operations against New Guinea and Solomon Islands →
theater	South Pacific → South West Pacific Area →

Referenced by (7)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
5th Carrier Division → First Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy →	operationParticipatedIn
Invasion of Rabaul ("Battle of Rabaul (1942)") →	alsoKnownAs
Invasion of Rabaul ("Rabaul developed into major Japanese base") →	consequence
New Britain ("Battle of Rabaul") →	hasHistoricEvent
Shigeyoshi Inoue →	operationCommanded
Akagi →	participatedIn