Book Review of
Images of War
MacArthur’s Papua New Guinea Offensive 1942-43
Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives
Author: Jon Diamond
Pen & Sword Books
ISBN: 978-1-52675-740-1
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $22.95
Copyright 2020
ISBN: 978-1-52675-740-1
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $22.95
Copyright 2020
The Japanese seizure of Rabaul on New Britain in January 1942 directly threatened Northern Australia and, as a result, General Douglas MacArthur took command of the Southwest Pacific Area.
In July 1942, the Japanese attacked south across the Owen Stanley mountain range. Thanks to the hasty deployment of Australian militiamen and veteran Imperial Force troops the Japanese were halted at Loribaiwa Ridge just 27 miles from Port Moresby.
MacArthur’s priority was to regain Northwest New Guinea and New Britain. The capture of airfields at Buna and re-occupation of Gona and Sanananda Point were pre-requisites.
The Allied offensive opened on 16 November 1942 with Australian infantrymen and light tanks alongside the U.S. 52nd Infantry Division.
Overcoming the Japanese and the inhospitable terrain in tropical conditions proved the toughest of challenges. It remains an achievement of the highest order that the campaign ended successfully of 22 January 1943.
This book’s account with its clear text and superb images is a worthy tribute to those who fought and all too often died there.
THE AUTHOR:
Jon Diamond MD is a kidney specialist in the USA with deep interest in WWII. He is a keen collector of photos. His “Stillwell and the Bhindits”, “War in the South Pacific”, “Invasion of Sicily”, “Invasion of the Italian Mainland”, “Salerno to Gustav Line, 1943-1944”, “Onto Rome 1944”, “Anzio and Victory at Cassino”, “Beyond Rome to the Alps”, “Across the Arno and Gothic Line, 1944-1945” and “Op Plunder-the Rhine River Crossing” are all published by Pen & Sword in the Images of War series.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in South Yorkshire, UK.
This book is soft-cover of 238 pages in 7 ½” x 9 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows at the top a black and white wartime photo of 2 Australian infantrymen behind high grass firing their weapons.
Below them on the left is a small black and white wartime photo of MacArthur and other officers in a jeep. A second small black and white wartime photo shows an Australian team manning an anti-aircraft gun. A third black and white wartime photo shows a Stuart tank moving through the jungle and the fourth black and white wartime photo shows a U.S. team manning a machine gun.
Across the back cover there is 3 more small black and white wartime photos.
The first one shows a Australian machine gun team. The second one shows the nose of a P-38 Lightning and the third one shows 4 Australian infantrymen marching down a road.
Inside the book there are 272 more black and white wartime photos and 5 maps.
Concerning the Japanese:
There are 4 photos of officers, 1 of a pilot, 19 of infantrymen, 3 of Japanese capturing Australian infantrymen, 7 of dead Japanese infantrymen, a picture of the Pearl Harbor attack on 1-7-1941, 4 photos of the surrender of Singapore to the Japanese, photos of Japanese A6M2 Model 21 Zeros on a carrier deck, a photo of a knocked out Japanese Type 97 tank and a Type 95 Ha Go Tank, 2 photos of a Japanese 75mm Type 14 mortar gun, photo of a Type 97 mortar, photo of a 6.5mm Tosho 3 machine gun, photo of a Type 89 grenade launcher, a photo of a Japanese destroyed bomber, a photo of a Japanese destroyed Zero A6M2, 2 photos of Japanese prisoners, a photo of a Japanese type 96 6.5mm machine gun, 12 photos of Japanese pill boxes and a photo of a Japanese wood fence.
For the British:
Seven photos of British and Indian troops, 6 photos of British officers and a photo of a British Bofors 40mm anti-tank gun.
For the Australians:
There are 41 photos of officers and infantrymen.
For the U.S. Marines:
There are 6 photos of General MacArthur, 2 photos of the B-25’s on the Doolittle Raid on Japan, 2 photos of the U.S.S. Lexington, a photo of the U.S.S. Phelps destroyer, a photo of U.S. Marines landing on a beach, a photo of a Marine gun crew manning a 75mm howitzer, 61 photos of Marine infantrymen, 9 photos of Marine officers, a photo of a P-40 Warhawk, a photo of a B-25 on a runway and another photo of one attacking Japanese ships, 8 photos showing the interior and exterior of a C-47, photos of Marines on a wood sail boat, on a row boat and in a landing craft, a photo of a U.S. anti-tank gun, a photo of a U.S. 75mm Pack howitzer, a photo of a U.S. 105mm howitzer, a photo of a Browning M1917 water-cooled machine gun, a photo of a 0.30 in caliber light machine gun, 2 photos of a P-38 Lightning, a photo of a B-17, a photo of a B-24, 3 photos of a Willys Jeep, a photo of a U.S. graveyard with a chaplain, 6 photos of U.S. medics with wounded, a photo of a 3-wheeled motorcycle, 12 photos of Stuart tanks and 2 photos of dead U.S. infantrymen.
Weapons belonging to the Allied forces:
A photo of a QF 45in howitzer, a photo of a 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, a photo of a 0.50 in caliber anti-aircraft heavy machine gun.
A photo of a Filipino officer, 2 photos of native scouts, 2 photos of SNLF infantrymen, a photo of an airfield, 3 photos of the jungle, 6 photos of Papuan troops, 4 photos of damaged buildings, 3 photos of Allied cemetarys and a photo of campaign badges nailed on a wall.
This is one neat picture album. It will be of interest to both modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. They are the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Books and all Pen & Sword titles can be seen on Casemate’s web site at:
In July 1942, the Japanese attacked south across the Owen Stanley mountain range. Thanks to the hasty deployment of Australian militiamen and veteran Imperial Force troops the Japanese were halted at Loribaiwa Ridge just 27 miles from Port Moresby.
MacArthur’s priority was to regain Northwest New Guinea and New Britain. The capture of airfields at Buna and re-occupation of Gona and Sanananda Point were pre-requisites.
The Allied offensive opened on 16 November 1942 with Australian infantrymen and light tanks alongside the U.S. 52nd Infantry Division.
Overcoming the Japanese and the inhospitable terrain in tropical conditions proved the toughest of challenges. It remains an achievement of the highest order that the campaign ended successfully of 22 January 1943.
This book’s account with its clear text and superb images is a worthy tribute to those who fought and all too often died there.
THE AUTHOR:
Jon Diamond MD is a kidney specialist in the USA with deep interest in WWII. He is a keen collector of photos. His “Stillwell and the Bhindits”, “War in the South Pacific”, “Invasion of Sicily”, “Invasion of the Italian Mainland”, “Salerno to Gustav Line, 1943-1944”, “Onto Rome 1944”, “Anzio and Victory at Cassino”, “Beyond Rome to the Alps”, “Across the Arno and Gothic Line, 1944-1945” and “Op Plunder-the Rhine River Crossing” are all published by Pen & Sword in the Images of War series.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in South Yorkshire, UK.
This book is soft-cover of 238 pages in 7 ½” x 9 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows at the top a black and white wartime photo of 2 Australian infantrymen behind high grass firing their weapons.
Below them on the left is a small black and white wartime photo of MacArthur and other officers in a jeep. A second small black and white wartime photo shows an Australian team manning an anti-aircraft gun. A third black and white wartime photo shows a Stuart tank moving through the jungle and the fourth black and white wartime photo shows a U.S. team manning a machine gun.
Across the back cover there is 3 more small black and white wartime photos.
The first one shows a Australian machine gun team. The second one shows the nose of a P-38 Lightning and the third one shows 4 Australian infantrymen marching down a road.
Inside the book there are 272 more black and white wartime photos and 5 maps.
Concerning the Japanese:
There are 4 photos of officers, 1 of a pilot, 19 of infantrymen, 3 of Japanese capturing Australian infantrymen, 7 of dead Japanese infantrymen, a picture of the Pearl Harbor attack on 1-7-1941, 4 photos of the surrender of Singapore to the Japanese, photos of Japanese A6M2 Model 21 Zeros on a carrier deck, a photo of a knocked out Japanese Type 97 tank and a Type 95 Ha Go Tank, 2 photos of a Japanese 75mm Type 14 mortar gun, photo of a Type 97 mortar, photo of a 6.5mm Tosho 3 machine gun, photo of a Type 89 grenade launcher, a photo of a Japanese destroyed bomber, a photo of a Japanese destroyed Zero A6M2, 2 photos of Japanese prisoners, a photo of a Japanese type 96 6.5mm machine gun, 12 photos of Japanese pill boxes and a photo of a Japanese wood fence.
For the British:
Seven photos of British and Indian troops, 6 photos of British officers and a photo of a British Bofors 40mm anti-tank gun.
For the Australians:
There are 41 photos of officers and infantrymen.
For the U.S. Marines:
There are 6 photos of General MacArthur, 2 photos of the B-25’s on the Doolittle Raid on Japan, 2 photos of the U.S.S. Lexington, a photo of the U.S.S. Phelps destroyer, a photo of U.S. Marines landing on a beach, a photo of a Marine gun crew manning a 75mm howitzer, 61 photos of Marine infantrymen, 9 photos of Marine officers, a photo of a P-40 Warhawk, a photo of a B-25 on a runway and another photo of one attacking Japanese ships, 8 photos showing the interior and exterior of a C-47, photos of Marines on a wood sail boat, on a row boat and in a landing craft, a photo of a U.S. anti-tank gun, a photo of a U.S. 75mm Pack howitzer, a photo of a U.S. 105mm howitzer, a photo of a Browning M1917 water-cooled machine gun, a photo of a 0.30 in caliber light machine gun, 2 photos of a P-38 Lightning, a photo of a B-17, a photo of a B-24, 3 photos of a Willys Jeep, a photo of a U.S. graveyard with a chaplain, 6 photos of U.S. medics with wounded, a photo of a 3-wheeled motorcycle, 12 photos of Stuart tanks and 2 photos of dead U.S. infantrymen.
Weapons belonging to the Allied forces:
A photo of a QF 45in howitzer, a photo of a 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, a photo of a 0.50 in caliber anti-aircraft heavy machine gun.
A photo of a Filipino officer, 2 photos of native scouts, 2 photos of SNLF infantrymen, a photo of an airfield, 3 photos of the jungle, 6 photos of Papuan troops, 4 photos of damaged buildings, 3 photos of Allied cemetarys and a photo of campaign badges nailed on a wall.
This is one neat picture album. It will be of interest to both modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. They are the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Books and all Pen & Sword titles can be seen on Casemate’s web site at:
Highly recommended.