Give the Bastards Hell

 Give the Bastards Hell

The Battle for Milne Bay

New Guinea 1942

by

David W. Cameron

In New Guinea’s jungles, a fierce battle turned the tide of the Pacific War—the first major land defeat for the unstoppable Japanese forces.

By mid-August 1942, Imperial Japanese forces dominated the Southeast Asian and Pacific theatres, seemingly unstoppable in their advance. While the Japanese South Seas Force pushed north toward Port Moresby along the Kokoda Track, they launched an operation against Milne Bay at the eastern tip of New Guinea. Their objective: to seize the crucial Allied airfields under construction, which would pave the way for capturing Port Moresby and consolidating their hold on the region.

For two intense weeks, Japanese marines, supported by tanks and naval bombardments, battled through the jungle-covered strip of land between the beaches and mountains. Facing them was a determined and diverse Allied force—Australian militia, 2nd AIF troops, American engineers, and, critically, Australian fighter pilots—who fought the Japanese to a standstill near the partially completed Air Strip No. 3. Despite desperate human wave attacks by the Japanese, the Allies held their ground.

When the smoke cleared, the Japanese had suffered their first significant land defeat since Pearl Harbor. The Battle of Milne Bay marked a turning point in the Pacific War, signalling the beginning of the end for the Imperial Japanese Empire.

Another outstanding work from historian David Cameron. Give the Bastards Hell recounts the Australians’ desperate fight to halt the Japanese advance at Milne Bay. Through meticulous research and vivid first‑hand accounts, the book transports the reader straight into a brutal campaign where Allied soldiers and airmen threw everything they had into protecting the newly built airfields.

The battle ultimately became Japan’s first land defeat of World War II, shattering the myth of their invincibility in jungle warfare. It’s one of those remarkable engagements that rarely gets the attention it deserves.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys well‑crafted historical nonfiction.