New Guinea 1943–44

New Guinea 1943–44 is a fully illustrated history of airpower during the decisive stage of the New Guinea campaign, marking the moment when the Allies were finally able to go on the offensive and shatter Japanese forces.

In mid-1943, responsibility for air operations over New Guinea transferred to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) from the Imperial Japanese Navy. Engaging in its first large-scale contest against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), the IJAAF was tasked with defending its bases, securing sea lanes supporting numerous Japanese outposts along the coast, and influencing ground operations.

This book, the second of two volumes on the New Guinea campaign, sees Pacific War scholars Mark Stille and John Rogers draw on years of research and diverse Japanese, American, and Australian sources. They detail how the New Guinea air war turned against the Japanese between June 1943 and 1944. As the IJAAF became over-extended, it gradually lost combat strength against the backdrop of vastly improved Allied airpower, rendering the Japanese unable to contend effectively.

The Allied air offensive unfolded with two prongs: one targeted Japanese shipping to isolate its forces, while the other bolstered ground offensives and landings that decimated Japanese forces, leaving them isolated for the remainder of the war.

This book is packed with vivid artwork, detailed maps, and archive photos, explaining how the lessons learned and the strengthened forces established during the harsh struggle for Papua in 1942–43 were pivotal. These developments transformed the Allies’ airpower into a decisive element in General MacArthur’s 1943–44 campaign.