By 1945 General Douglas MacArthur's forces had advanced from Papua to the Philippines and to Borneo. The vast majority of the troops, supplies and equipment for this campaign were transported by sea, and MacArthur's success was based on 22 amphibious assaults. Soldiers and Marines did the ground fighting and MacArthur's air forces eventually ruled the skies, but it was the ships of the United States and Australian navies that deliverd them to the battlefronts and supported them.
''The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and MacArthur' contains much already known, but also reveals facts of the RAN's war little reported upon. Tiny by comparison with the USN, the RAN more than compensated by commanding all the hyrographic surveying for MacArthur's shipping and amphibious assaluts, and shouldered the major responsibility for protecting MacArthur's convoys. The RAN Coast Watchers collected cruicial intelligence; Beach Commandos directed men and material across assault beaches, often delivered by RAN landing ships. RAN ships shuttled troops and equipment, rescued downed airmen and swept enemy mines. Australian sailors fought and sometimes died in battles against kamikaze aircraft in the Philippines and in routing the Japanese Fleet at Surigao. Wherever MacArthur's troops fought, the RAN was there. When the fighting stopped the RAN facilitated the surrender of Japanese forces and finally brought our troops home.
Contents:
Maps and Figures
Acknowledgements
Chronology
Notes and Glossary
Introduction
1. Background
2. The Shore Staff
3. Cruisers and Destroyers
4. Sloops and Frigates
5. Corvettes
6. Motor Launches
7. The Hydrographers
8. Convoys and Convoy Signalmen
9. Coast Watchers
10. RAN Beach Commandos
11. The Landing Ships
12. Taking the Surrender
13. Home
Epilogue
Bibliography
Notes
Index
