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- The Rabaul Campaign DVD
- Two exciting films showing the reduction and neutralization of the mighty Japanese island Fortress
- Rabaul,
a large natural harbor on the eastern end of the huge Island of New Britain
(located northeast of New Guinea in the Southwest Pacific) was an
essential strategic linchpin for the Japanese from which they
could project their forces throughout the region. They poured tens
of thousands of troops, hundreds of airplanes, and thousands of tons
of supplies and material into this base to make it a mighty
fortress. The Allies' brilliant solution to the Rabaul conundrum was
to isolate it, slowly starve it, and bypass it -- rather than
assault it directly.
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* Mission
to Rabaul (1944, B&W, 60:00) (New! - Digital Audio & Video
restoration) This dramatic, high impact documentary film shows some of the
most memorable, exciting, and extensive footage of 5th Air Force B-25G bombers conducting tree top level attacks with machine
guns and delayed action bombs to come out of World War 2 .The first
step in the reduction of Rabaul was the seizure of a string of
Japanese bases along the Northeast coast of New Guinea. The film focuses on the decisive and revolutionary impact of
the air component in the strategy, including high & low level attacks, parachute
drops, and resupply, accompanied by a magnificent musical score drawn from Holst's "The Planets."You're
literally sitting in the cockpit or in the tail gunners seat
watching amazing low level attack runs. You'll also see P-38s,
A-20s, B-25s and B-24 cooperating with US Australian and New
Zealand Forces
securing forward air bases to strike against Rabaul and for the
invasion of New Britain. "Mission to Rabaul" shows how
each piece of this classic strategy culminated inevitably in the
first escorted, massed bomber strike on Rabaul on 12th October,
1943 an essential goal in the reduction of Japanese defenses.
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* Attack!
The Battle for New Britain (1944 B&W 60:00) Stage two of the
isolation and reduction of the Japanese fortress of Rabaul was the seizure of key bases at the opposite (Western) end of the 370-mile
long island of New Britain, cutting enemy supply lines and providing
advance airfields for continuing attacks on the stronghold. You'll
see all aspects of the invasion, including planning, training,
air attacks, amphibious assaults, and the intense jungle fighting to secure
objectives. And there's more of those exciting low level B-25
strikes!
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An
initial diversionary attack was carried out on the Arawe Peninsula
on they south side of the island by Task Force "Director,"
a sub division sized mix of US Army units, led by the 112th Cavalry
and landed by US Marine amphibious tractor forces. The main attack
on Cape Glouster followed on December 25th, led by the 1st Marine
Division, supported by US and Australian Naval and Air Forces. After
a week of intense jungle fighting, including numerous Japanese air and ground
force counterattacks, the Marines with tank support, secured it's main
objective, the Cape Gloucester Airdrome.You'll see jungle fighting in truly unbelievable terrain.
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Afterwords, the
Marines continued to push eastwards on New Britain through April, when they were relieved by the Army's 40th Division, which in turn was relieved by
the 5th Australian Division. By the end of the War, enemy forces were
bottled up on the Eastern end of New Britain and once mighty Rabaul
was cut off and reduced to a virtual prison for the starving
Japanese.
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