Told for the first time, this is the epic story of the Milne Bay campaign of 1942 – which saw Japanese land forces suffer their first defeat of the war – and has properly been called the RAAF’s forgotten finest hour.

The Battle for Milne Bay – Japan’s first defeat on land in the Second World War – was a defining moment in the evolution of the indomitable Australian fighting spirit. For the men of the AIF, the militia and the RAAF, it was the turning point in the Pacific, and their finest – though now largely forgotten – hour. Forgotten, until now.

In August 1942, Japan’s forces were unstoppable. Having conquered vast swathes of south-east Asia – Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies – and now invading New Guinea, many feared the Empire of the Rising Sun stood poised to knock down Australia’s northern door.

But first they needed Port Moresby. In the still of an August night, Japanese marines sailed quietly into Milne Bay, a long, malaria-ridden dead end at the far eastern tip of Papua, to unleash an audacious pincer movement. Unbeknown to them, however, a secret airstrip had been carved out of a coconut plantation by US Engineers, and a garrison of Australian troops had been established, supported by two locally based squadrons of RAAF Kittyhawks, including the men of the famed 75 Squadron. The scene was set for one of the most decisive and vicious battles of the war.

For ten days and nights Australia’s soldiers and airmen fought the elite of Japan’s forces along a sodden jungle track, and forced them back step by muddy, bloody step.

In Turning Point, bestselling author Michael Veitch brings to life the incredible exploits and tragic sacrifices of these Australian heroes.

Has properly been called the RAAF’s forgotten finest hour. September 1942 marked the high-point of Axis conquest in World War II. In the Pacific, Japan’s soldiers had seemed unstoppable. However, the tide was about to turn. On Sunday, 6 September 1942, Japanese land forces suffered their first conclusive defeat at the hands of the Allies. At Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, a predominantly Australian force – including 75 Squadron (fresh from their action in 44 DAYS) – fought for two weeks to successfully defend a vital airstrip against a determined Japanese invasion. The victorious Australian army units were crucially supported by two locally-based squadrons of RAAF Kittyhawks. The Battle for Milne Bay and victory for the Allies was a significant turning point in the Pacific War, but while it received worldwide publicity at the time, it has since been largely forgotten… It deserves to be remembered.

• xvii, 334 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, 1 map, portraits ; 20 cm #259224
• Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. Squadron, 75
• World War, 1939-1945 — Australia
• World War, 1939-1945 — Participation, Australian
• Milne Bay (Papua New Guinea), Battle of, 1942
• World War, 1939-1945 — Campaigns — Papua New Guinea — Milne Bay Province
• Military history
• History
• Milne Bay (Papua New Guinea) — History, Military
• Australian