I-Indian Ocean phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, ingxenye 3
Ama-Gurkas, asekelwa amathangi aphakathi kwe-M3 Grant, ashanela amasosha ase-Japan emgwaqeni u-Imphal Kohima enyakatho-mpumalanga ye-India.
Ekuqaleni kweMpi Yezwe II, i-Indian Ocean yayiwumzila wezokuxhumana obaluleke kakhulu kuma-Allies, ikakhulukazi amaNgisi, ukuthutha izimpahla namasosha ephuma emakoloni aseMpumalanga Ekude nase-Oceania. Impumelelo yamaJapane yasishintsha kakhulu isimo: amanye amakoloni alahleka, kanti amanye aba yizifunda ezihamba phambili okwakudingeka zilwele ukuphila zodwa.
Ngo-November 1942, isikhundla sabaseBrithani oLwandlekazi i-Indian ngokusobala sasibi kakhulu kunonyaka ngaphambili, kodwa inhlekelele eyayithenjiswe ekuqaleni konyaka yayikude kakhulu. Ama-Allies ayebusa olwandle futhi ayekwazi ukuletha impahla eNdiya nasePheresiya - eSoviet Union. Nokho, ukulahlekelwa kweSingapore kwasho ukuthi imizila phakathi kweBrithani ne-Australia neNew Zealand yanqanyulwa. Ukuvikeleka kwalezi zimpahla ezimbili kwakungasancikile eLondon, kodwa kuWashington.
Ukuqhuma kwezinhlamvu emkhunjini i-m / s "Neptune" kubangele ukulahlekelwa okukhulu ngesikhathi sokuqhuma kwamabhomu echwebeni laseDarwin. Nokho, umshayi-mgodini u-HMAS Deloraine, obonakala ngaphambili, wasinda kulesi sigameko esibuhlungu.
Nokho, usongo e-Australia naseNew Zealand kusukela ekuhlaselweni kweJapane lwaluncane. Ngokuphambene nenkulumo-ze yaseMelika, esaphila nanamuhla, amaJapane ayengewona amasosha ahlanyayo agajwe isifiso sokunqoba umhlaba wonke, kodwa osomaqhinga abanengqondo. Babenethemba lokuthi impi abayiqala ngokuhlaselwa kwePearl Harbor ngo-1941 yayizolandela isimo esifanayo nesempi yaseRussia ngo-1904-1905: okokuqala babezothatha izikhundla zokuzivikela, bavimbe isitha esiphikisayo, bese kulandela izingxoxo zokuthula. I-British counter-offensive ingavela e-Indian Ocean, i-American counter-offensive evela e-Pacific. I-Allies counteroffensive evela e-Australia yayizobhajwa kwezinye iziqhingi futhi ayizange ibe usongo oluqondile eJapane. (Iqiniso lokuthi kuzanywa kwakungenxa yezizathu ezincane - ikakhulukazi ezombangazwe - ezingafanekiselwa uGeneral Douglas MacArthur, ofuna ukubuyela ePhilippines ngazo zonke izindlela.)
Nakuba i-Australia yayingeyona inhloso yesu le-Japan, yayibaluleke kakhulu ekusebenzeni. Ngisho nangaphambi kuka-1941, uMkhuzi—kamuva owaba u-Admiral—uSadatoshi Tomioka, Isikhulu Sophiko Lwemisebenzi Yezempi Yasemanzini Yombuso, wasikisela ukuba esikhundleni sokuhlasela iHawaii—eyaholela ePearl Harbor naseMidway—ahlasele iFiji neSamoa, bese kuba yiNew Zealand. Ngakho-ke, ukuphikiswa okulindelwe kweMelika kwakungafanele kuqondiswe ngqo eziqhingini zaseJapane, kodwa eNingizimu Pacific. Ukuhlasela kweNew Zealand bekungaba isenzo esihambisana kakhulu nezakhiwo zohlelo lwempi yaseJapan, kodwa izici ezihlosiwe zikuvimbile.
Umyalo wamasosha asolwandle wanquma ukuthi izigaba ezintathu zazizokwanela ukuthumba izifundazwe ezisenyakatho ye-Australia, futhi imikhumbi eyayithutha cishe amathani ayi-500 000 yayizozinakekela. Ikomkhulu Lebutho Lombuso lazihleka usulu lezi zibalo, lanquma amandla amancane ezigabeni eziyi-10 futhi lafuna amathani ayi-2 ayisamba ukuze liwanikeze. Lawa kwakungamandla amakhulu nezindlela kunalawo asetshenziswa ekunqotshweni kuka-000 eBurma edlula eMalaya naseDutch Indies kuya ePhilippines. Lawa kwakungamandla iJapane engakwazi ukuwasebenzisa, yonke imikhumbi yakhe yabathengisi yasuswa amathani ayizi-000.
Isiphakamiso sokuhlasela i-Australia sagcina senqatshiwe ngo-February 1942, lapho kucatshangelwa ezinye izinyathelo zempi ngemva kokunqotshwa kweSingapore. AmaJapane anquma ukuhlasela iHawaii, eyaphela ngokunqotshwa kwamaJapane eMidway. Ukuthunjwa kweNew Guinea kwakufanele kube uhlobo lomsebenzi wokucekela phansi, kodwa ngemva kweMpi YasoLwandle LwaseCoral, uhlelo lwamiswa. Kuyafaneleka ukuqaphela ukuthembela komunye nomunye: Impi Yasolwandle YaseCoral yaliwa inyanga ngaphambi kweMpi yaseMidway, futhi ukulahlekelwa empini yokuqala kwaba nesandla ekunqotshweni kwamaJapane okwesibili. Kodwa-ke, ukube iMpi yaseMidway yayiphumelele kumaJapane, izinhlelo zokunqoba iNew Guinea cishe ngabe zivuselelwe. Ukulandelana okunjalo kwaboniswa amaJapane lapho ezama ukubamba isiqhingi saseNauru - lokhu futhi kwakuyingxenye yohlelo lokucekela phansi ngaphambi kokuhlasela kweHawaii - aphoqeleka ukuba ahlehle ngoMeyi 1942, aphinde asebenza ngo-Agasti.
