The Enfield rifle and a little of its history in the Pacific.
(John Wayne and the Marine Corps didn't kill all the Japanese in WWII)
Dec 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attacked
Dec 8, 1941 Japanese attack the Philippines
Feb 15, 1942 Singapore falls.
Mar 11, 1942 Macarthur leaves the Philippines and arrives in Australia to help stop the Japanese in the Pacific.
May 2, 1942 Japanese attack New Guinea and begin moving up the Kokoda track toward Kokoda and then Port Moresby
May 6, 1942 Corregidor fall in the Philippines
May 7, 1942 Battle of the Corral Sea
July 29, 1942 Kokoda falls to the Japanese after bitter fighting with the Australian reservists and the Australians begin a fighting withdrawal moving toward Port Moresby.
Aug 7, 1942 Marines land on Guadalcanal
Sept 14, 1942 Australians pushed back to 30 miles from Port Moresby
Sept 16, 1942 air superiority over Port Moresby brings the Japanese to a halt
Sept 18, 1942 7th Marine Regiment lands on Guadalcanal, total strength now 23,000 men
Sept 27, 1942 Australians with freshly arrived troops from North Africa attack from Port Moresby and have the Japanese in full retreat for the first time in World War Two.
The main Australian and New Zealand Army was fighting in North Africa with British forces against General Rommel and the Africa Korps and are being pushed back toward Cairo Egypt. The Australian Prime Minister defies Churchill and starts bringing Australian troops home to defend Australia from the attacking Japanese and does not know if these troops will arrive in time to stop the Japanese from invading Australia.
The only forces available to fight the oncoming Japanese Army are hastily trained reservists called Chocolate soldiers. They are called Chocolate soldiers because it is thought they will melt and run away. These hastily recruited and poorly trained reservists, sick and racked with dysentery, lack of food and medical supplies stood their ground and fought bravely until regular Australian Army troops arrived at Port Moresby.
The beginning soundtrack from the WWII Australian movie Kokoda
“1942 the relentless Japanese war machine rolls down through South East Asia like a deadly virus.
The Americans, their fleet at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and their eyes turned toward the Philippines are in no position to help.
10,000 Japanese make their way up the narrow trail toward Kokoda.
We are alone………and Australia is open to invasion…………..”
The Chocolate soldiers..........
The Enfield rifle, Elle McPherson in a wet T-shirt and a Koala bear target used to joke with the Australians (Ozmanics) in Enfield forums.
You got to love the Australians and you can't do what I did with a Winchester Model 70.
