Rabaul was supposed to be one of Japan’s great shields in the South Pacific. Located on the northeastern tip of New Britain, it offered a superb harbor, airfield sites, and a position from which ...

Rabaul was supposed to be a shield. After Japan captured the port in early 1942, it transformed the area into one of the most important bases in the South Pacific. Airfields, harbor facilities, ...

While Kokoda continues to loom large in the minds of Australians, Rabaul hardly resonates. But relatives of the nearly 2,000 Australian soldiers and civilians who were left behind when Japan invaded ...

On a plain of barren pumice overlooked by an active volcano, Albert Koni points to the site of his childhood home. It's right here where he's standing, but 7 metres down. "Everything is under the ...

Cmdr. Joseph C. Clifton passes out cigars on board the aircraft carrier Saratoga (CV-3), in celebration of a successful air attack on Rabaul, 5 November 1943. (National Archives) With a face weathered ...

In the bitterest days on Guadalcanal a year ago, Marines used to refer to the frequent runs of Jap destroyers carrying men and supplies down the Solomons as the “Bougainville Express.” Last week the ...

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our ...