# Canonical recap data for Kokoda Track Campaign (1942)
# Source: https://recap.at/1942/kokoda-track-campaign
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: kokoda-track-campaign
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1942/kokoda-track-campaign"
title: Kokoda Track Campaign
aliases:
- Kokoda Trail campaign
- Kokoda campaign
- Papua campaign 1942
- Battle of the Kokoda Track
subtitle: Kokoda Track Campaign
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1942-11-16
datePrecision: day
year: 1942
decade: 1940
country:
name: Australia
slug: australia
summaryShort: The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was primarily a land battle, between the Japanese South Seas Detachment under Major G
summaryLong: The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was primarily a land battle, between the Japanese South Seas Detachment under Major General Tomitarō Horii and Australian and Papuan land forces under command of New Guinea Force. The Japanese objective was to seize Port Moresby by an overland advance from the north coast, following the Kokoda Track over the mountains of the Owen Stanley Range, as part of a strategy to isolate Australia from the United States.
lede: In mid-1942, Japanese forces invaded Papua New Guinea and advanced down the Kokoda Track toward Port Moresby, threatening Australia's northern approaches. Australian troops, fighting in dense jungle terrain across July to November 1942, halted the invasion and forced a Japanese retreat. The campaign marked the first major Allied victory against Japan and proved that Japanese forces could be defeated.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Australian_39th_Battalion_after_the_Kokoda_Track_campaign_1942_%28AWM_013289%29.jpg/1280px-Australian_39th_Battalion_after_the_Kokoda_Track_campaign_1942_%28AWM_013289%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Kokoda Track campaign"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Campaign duration
  value: July 23 – November 16, 1942
- label: Japanese force commander
  value: Major General Tomitaro Horii
- label: Australian force commander
  value: Lieutenant General Edmund Herring
- label: Japanese casualties
  value: Approximately 2,000 killed
- label: Australian casualties
  value: Approximately 625 killed, 1,075 wounded
- label: Track length
  value: 96 kilometers through mountainous jungle terrain
- label: Elevation gain
  value: 1,000+ meters across the Owen Stanley Range
- label: Primary objective
  value: Control of Port Moresby airfield and strategic position in Southwest Pacific
timeline:
- date: 1942-07-23
  title: Japanese invasion begins
  description: Japanese South Seas Detachment lands near Gona on Papua's coast; approximately 3,000 troops begin advance toward Port Moresby.
- date: 1942-07-26
  title: Battle of Kokoda station
  description: Australian 39th Infantry Battalion engages Japanese forces near Kokoda airfield; Australian withdrawal begins under enemy pressure.
- date: 1942-08-26
  title: Japanese reach Imita Ridge
  description: Japanese forces advance to within 50 kilometers of Port Moresby; Australian command prepares contingency plans for evacuation.
- date: 1942-09-06
  title: Australian counteroffensive begins
  description: Fresh Australian battalions deploy; counterattack commences under General Edmund Herring; momentum shifts toward Australian forces.
- date: 1942-10-30
  title: Japanese command order retreat
  description: Major General Tomitaro Horii orders retreat toward coast due to supply shortages, disease, and sustained Australian pressure.
- date: 1942-11-16
  title: Campaign concludes
  description: Australian forces pursue retreating Japanese to coastal positions; Kokoda campaign officially ends with Japanese evacuation from Papua.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_campaign"
  title: Kokoda Track campaign
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Kokoda stopped a Japanese push toward Australia and delivered a psychological turning point in the Pacific War. The campaign demonstrated that sustained infantry warfare in jungle conditions could blunt Japanese momentum, influencing Allied strategy for the remainder of the Pacific campaign.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
- occupation
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: regional
velocity: cascading
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: "The 1942 Kokoda Track campaign: Australian forces halted Japanese invasion of Papua New Guinea."
wikidataQid: Q2299343
geo:
lat: -8.87776389
lng: 147.73749722
place: Australia
significance: 50
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Australian military personnel deployed to Papua
  thenValue: ~30,000
  thenYear: 1942
  nowValue: ~80
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Current presence primarily training and liaison roles; 1942 figure represents peak campaign deployment
- metric: Kokoda Track trekking visitors annually
  thenValue: "0"
  thenYear: 1942
  nowValue: ~3,000-4,000
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Track became a civilian heritage tourism destination from the 1990s onward
- metric: Japanese military strength in theater
  thenValue: ~18,000
  thenYear: 1942
  nowValue: "0"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: South Seas Detachment dissolved after campaign; Japan has no military presence in PNG
consequences:
- title: Halting Japanese expansion toward Australia
  year: 1942
  description: The Australian victory at Kokoda in November 1942 marked the furthest point of Japanese advance in the Southwest Pacific, directly preventing Japanese threats to Australian territory and supply lines
- title: Establishment of Papua New Guinea as strategic theater
  year: 1943
  description: Allied forces used Kokoda and captured Japanese positions as springboard for sustained campaigns through PNG, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands through 1945
- title: Casualty toll and Australian national consciousness
  year: 1942
  description: 625 Australian killed and 1,075 wounded during the campaign; became foundational to postwar Australian military identity and ANZUS alliance formation
- title: Japanese strategic reassessment
  year: 1943
  description: After Kokoda losses and subsequent defeats, Japan shifted to defensive island-hopping strategy across the Pacific rather than continued offensive expansion
- title: Kokoda Track heritage designation
  year: 2008
  description: Australian government officially recognized the track as a war heritage site; PNG and Australia jointly designated it a shared historical memorial with annual commemorative services beginning in earnest
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: We're Going Over the Top
  artist: Gracie Fields
  year: 1940
  note: British-Australian wartime morale song in circulation during early Pacific War period
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T09:25:47.309Z"
topFilms:
- title: In Which We Serve
  year: 1942
  note: British naval drama released same year as Kokoda; exemplified Commonwealth war cinema themes
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T10:30:10.059Z"
- title: The Kokoda Front Line!
  year: 1942
  note: Australian newsreel documentary released during the campaign itself; earliest visual record of fighting
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T10:30:10.059Z"
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: "In 1942, Kokoda represented a critical turning point in Australian public consciousness: the first major land battle where Australian forces stopped Japanese expansion, shifting national narrative from defensive anxiety to active military contribution. Newspapers dominated coverage; radio broadcasts brought casualty reports home. The campaign vindicated the Australian decision to fight in the Pacific Theater rather than solely defend the home continent, and reinforced ties to Britain and emerging alliance with the United States."
relatedQueries:
- Kokoda Track campaign 1942 casualties
- Japanese South Seas Detachment Papua
- Australian 39th Battalion Kokoda
- Papua New Guinea World War II history
- Kokoda Track trek wartime significance
- General Alexander Vasey Kokoda
- Isurava battle 1942
- Oivi-Gorari battles Papua campaign
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Australian_39th_Battalion_after_the_Kokoda_Track_campaign_1942_%28AWM_013289%29.jpg/1280px-Australian_39th_Battalion_after_the_Kokoda_Track_campaign_1942_%28AWM_013289%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Australian_39th_Battalion_after_the_Kokoda_Track_campaign_1942_%28AWM_013289%29.jpg/800px-Australian_39th_Battalion_after_the_Kokoda_Track_campaign_1942_%28AWM_013289%29.jpg"
  caption: Kokoda Track campaign
  credit: Wikipedia · "Kokoda Track campaign"
  width: 330
  height: 239
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Kokoda_retreat_%28AWM_013288%29.jpg/1280px-Kokoda_retreat_%28AWM_013288%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Kokoda_retreat_%28AWM_013288%29.jpg/800px-Kokoda_retreat_%28AWM_013288%29.jpg"
  caption: Kokoda retreat (AWM 013288)
  credit: Damien Parer
  width: 640
  height: 468
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Battle_of_Mission_Ridge-Brigade_Hill_6-9_Sept_1942.png/1280px-Battle_of_Mission_Ridge-Brigade_Hill_6-9_Sept_1942.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Battle_of_Mission_Ridge-Brigade_Hill_6-9_Sept_1942.png/800px-Battle_of_Mission_Ridge-Brigade_Hill_6-9_Sept_1942.png"
  caption: Battle of Mission Ridge-Brigade Hill 6-9 Sept 1942
  credit: Anotherclown
  width: 574
  height: 573
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Australian_soldiers_and_Papuan_carriers_crossing_the_Brown_River_in_October_1942.JPG/1280px-Australian_soldiers_and_Papuan_carriers_crossing_the_Brown_River_in_October_1942.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Australian_soldiers_and_Papuan_carriers_crossing_the_Brown_River_in_October_1942.JPG/800px-Australian_soldiers_and_Papuan_carriers_crossing_the_Brown_River_in_October_1942.JPG"
  caption: Australian soldiers and Papuan carriers crossing the Brown River in October 1942
  credit: Not stated
  width: 621
  height: 637
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260517042522/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_campaign"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-17
  label: Kokoda Track campaign
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_campaign"
relationships:
- targetSlug: battle-of-gettysburg
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Kokoda Track Campaign" references "Battle of Gettysburg" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: battle-of-omdurman-1898
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Kokoda Track Campaign" references "Khartoum Campaign and Battle of Omdurman" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: gallipoli-campaign
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Kokoda Track Campaign" references "Gallipoli Campaign Begins" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
