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Pacific star : 3NZ Division in the South Pacific in World War II / Reg Newell.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Auckland, New Zealand : Exisle Publishing, 2015Copyright date: ©2015Description: 230 pages : illustrations (some colour), maps ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
  • still image
  • cartographic image
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781927187838 (hardback)
Other title:
  • Pacificstar [Spine title]
Subject(s):
Contents:
The war in the South Pacific saw some of the most gruelling fighting of World War Two. Conditions were unpleasant - fetid heat, torrential downpours and hostile flora and fauna - while the Japanese enemy were ruthless and would often fight to the last man. Amphibious warfare, jungle warfare and the need to co-operate with our American ally all meant that new demands were made on New Zealand soldiers. Yet the war in the South Pacific came to be seen as an easy war, generally overlooked (with the exception of Guadalcanal) by historians. From ignorance of what the soldiers were called upon to endure, the notion arose that service in the South Pacific was somehow less worthy than the 'real war' in Europe against the Nazis. This attitude continued in the post-war world and today the soldiers of 3NZ Division are all but forgotten. Pacific Star sets the record straight, shedding new light on the sacrifices and tribulations which the soldiers of 3NZ Division had to endure in the service of the Allied cause. The book covers their initial deployment in Fiji and New Caledonia, and describes the major battles the division fought in the Solomons: Vella Lavella, the Treasury Islands and the Green Islands, as well as their sometimes strained relationship with the US military. Reg Newell has interviewed veterans for this book, which includes new maps and previously unpublished photographs.
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Copy number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Non-Fiction Davis (Central) Library Non-Fiction Non-Fiction 940.5412 NEW 1 Available T00604710
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The war in the South Pacific saw some of the most gruelling fighting of World War Two. Conditions were unpleasant - fetid heat, torrential downpours and hostile flora and fauna - while the Japanese enemy were ruthless and would often fight to the last man. Amphibious warfare, jungle warfare and the need to co-operate with their American allies all meant that extra demands were made on New Zealand soldiers.Yet the war in the South Pacific came to be perceived as an easy war and, with the exception of Guadalcanal, was generally overlooked by historians. From ignorance of what the soldiers were called upon to endure, the notion arose that service in the South Pacific was somehow less worthy than the 'real war' in Europe against the Nazis. This attitude continued in the postwar world, and today the soldiers of 3NZ Division are all but forgotten.Pacific Star sets the record straight, shedding new light on the sacrifices and tribulations which the soldiers of 3NZ Division had to endure in the service of the Allied cause. The book covers their initial deployment in Fiji and New Caledonia and describes the major battles the division fought in the Solomons - Vella Lavella, the Treasury Islands and the Green Islands - as well as their sometimes strained relationship with the US military. Reg Newell has interviewed veterans for this important book, which includes new maps and previously unpublished photographs.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 220-225) and index.

The war in the South Pacific saw some of the most gruelling fighting of World War Two. Conditions were unpleasant - fetid heat, torrential downpours and hostile flora and fauna - while the Japanese enemy were ruthless and would often fight to the last man. Amphibious warfare, jungle warfare and the need to co-operate with our American ally all meant that new demands were made on New Zealand soldiers. Yet the war in the South Pacific came to be seen as an easy war, generally overlooked (with the exception of Guadalcanal) by historians. From ignorance of what the soldiers were called upon to endure, the notion arose that service in the South Pacific was somehow less worthy than the 'real war' in Europe against the Nazis. This attitude continued in the post-war world and today the soldiers of 3NZ Division are all but forgotten. Pacific Star sets the record straight, shedding new light on the sacrifices and tribulations which the soldiers of 3NZ Division had to endure in the service of the Allied cause. The book covers their initial deployment in Fiji and New Caledonia, and describes the major battles the division fought in the Solomons: Vella Lavella, the Treasury Islands and the Green Islands, as well as their sometimes strained relationship with the US military. Reg Newell has interviewed veterans for this book, which includes new maps and previously unpublished photographs.

6 11 22 27 37 44 68 74 82 96 100 102 109 115 135 137 151 159 168 175

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Acknowledgements (p. 6)
  • Note on nomenclature (p. 8)
  • Preface (p. 9)
  • 1 The Great Pacific War: A brief overview (p. 13)
  • 2 Defence Dilemmas and Strategic Nightmares (p. 17)
  • 3 New Zealand's Achilles Heel: The vulnerable northern approaches (p. 21)
  • 4 Into the Pacific: Fijian genesis (p. 25)
  • 5 Japan Enters the War (p. 34)
  • 6 Confusion and Obfuscation: Forming a division (p. 43)
  • 7 Growing Pains (p. 51)
  • 8 New Caledonia: The land of the Niaouli trees (p. 58)
  • 9 To the Solomons: Into the forward area (p. 71)
  • 10 Fighting on Vella Lavella: Initiation to battle (p. 76)
  • 11 The Treasury Islands: Operation Goodtime - A diversionary operation (p. 93)
  • 12 The Green Islands: Operation Squarepeg (p. 109)
  • 13 Death of a Division (p. 123)
  • 14 'Mud, Mosquitos and Monotony': The hard slog (p. 133)
  • 15 Columbia's Apprentice: Fighting with the Americans (p. 157)
  • 16 Aftermath (p. 182)
  • 17 The Achievements of 3NZ Division (p. 196)
  • Notes (p. 200)
  • Appendix: The organisation of 3NZ Division at its height, early 1943, New Caledonia (p. 212)
  • Glossary (p. 213)
  • Bibliography (p. 220)
  • Index (p. 226)

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