On the Kokoda Trail

On New Guinea, the Japanese had been slowly advancing on the Kokoda Trail. The Allies’ Maroubra Force had been forced back to prepared positions at Deniki. The Australian militiamen preformed a three-company counterattack which recaptured Kokoda and its vital airfield – but ths success proved short-lived when …

1942-08-09

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On New Guinea, the Japanese had been slowly advancing on the Kokoda Trail. The Allies’ Maroubra Force had been forced back to prepared positions at Deniki. The Australian militiamen preformed a three-company counterattack which recaptured Kokoda and its vital airfield – but ths success proved short-lived when on the next day the Japanese assaulted Deniki.

Deniki, Papua New Guinea

The Battle of Kokoda consisted of two engagements fought in late July-early August 1942. Forming part of the Kokoda Track campaign of the Second World War, the battle involved military forces from Australia, supported by the United States, fighting against Japanese troops from Major General Tomitaro Horii's South Seas Detachment who had landed around Buna and Gona in Papua mid-July 1942, with the intent of capturing Port Moresby to the south via the overland route. The first engagement took place on 28–29 July 1942, and saw a company-sized element of Australians attempt to hold the village from the advanced elements of the Japanese landing force, which were advancing towards the entrance to the Owen Stanleys. In a short firefight, the Australian company was almost encircled before withdrawing. The second engagement took place just over a week later between 8 and 10 August, during which a weakened Australian battalion launched an attack from Deniki, aimed at re-taking Kokoda. At the same time, the main Japanese force also launched an attack and the two sides clashed head on along the track. Meanwhile, flanking attacks caught the Japanese force, which had also grown to around battalion strength, by surprise, and the Australians briefly took Kokoda and nearby Pirivi before being forced to withdraw to Deniki, which was the scene of further fighting prior to the Battle of Isurava.

Japanese

Australian

Scenario Type = Standard