HMAS ''Ladava'' is a former

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

(RAN) base that was located at

Milne Bay Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, south-eastern Papua New Guinea. More than long and over wide, Milne Bay is a sheltered deep-water harbor accessible via Ward Hunt Strait. It is surrounded by the heavily wooded Stirling Range (Papu ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

. The

Australian armed forces The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Fo ...

operated a number of bases in Milne Bay during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Australians were able to defend and keep Milne Bay in the

Battle of Milne Bay The Battle of Milne Bay (25 August – 7 September 1942), also known as Operation RE or the Battle of Rabi (ラビの戦い) by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese naval infantry, known as ''Kaigun ...

in 1942. Some bases: Rabi Camp (also spelled Rabe) was attacked by Japan in 1942. Rabi Camp was on the north shore in Swinger Bay at . KB Mission camp (Koebule Mission) was on the north shore east of Rabi Camp at , in the city of

Alotau Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province, in the far south-east of Papua New Guinea, on the tip of the Papuan Peninsula. It is located on the northern shore of Milne Bay and the township is conveniently situated within the Alotau Urban LLG. Bei ...

. Waga Waga Camp was at , on the south shore. At Konibirrubirru Island was an Australian Wireless Spotters Station. Main camp was at HMAS Ladava. Later the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

built Naval Base Milne Bay nearby and in some of HMAS Ladava camps.

Kana Kopa Base

Kana Kopa (Kana Kope) is on the south side and near the entrance of Milne Bay at . Kana Kopa was used as anchorage for the Royal Australian Navy starting in 1942 and supported the August 1942 Battle of Milne Bay.

Airfields

* Gurney Airfield (No. 1 Strip) at Milne Bay, is now Gurney Airport at . * Turnbull Field (No. 3 Strip) was built in 1942 and is located near Gil Gili, just west of Swinger Bay. Now Memorial Park- No. 3 Airstrip at . * Waigani Airfield, No. 2 Strip was built near Waigani on the west end of Milne Bay. Due to poor water drainage, the airfield was abandoned and not used. Airfield was at .

Gallery

Area of Battle of Milne Bay 1942.jpg, Area Milne Bay Bases in 1942 GiliGiliDock 1942 MilneBay.jpg, MV ''Anshun'' lying on her side at Gili Gili Dock, in Milne Bay, New Guinea, 1942 AWM 014700 No 3 Strip and Stephens Ridge at Milne Bay.jpg, No 3 Strip and Stephens Ridge at Milne Bay AWM 026647 P-40 Milne.jpg, An Australian

P-40 The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entr ...

at Milne Bay Milne Bay 026629.jpg, An Australian Bofors 40 mm

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...

gun of the 2/9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery at Milne Bay No. 1 Airstrip Milne Bay 070345.jpg, Australian camp at Milne Bay HMAS Anshun wreck.jpeg, MV ''Anshun'' lying on her side at Gili Gili Dock, in Milne Bay, New Guinea, 1942 Milne Bay 026639.jpg, One of the Japanese barges after the battle. The fluted bottom allows the barge to retract from the beach easily. Battle of Milne Bay 25 August - 7 September 1942.png, Maop Battle of Milne Bay 25 August - 7 September 1942 AWM 026689 Australian 2-10th Inf Bn Milne Bay Sep 42.jpg, Australian 2-10th Inf Bn Milne Bay Sep 1942 RAAF fighter pilots Milne Bay Sept 1942.jpg, RAAF fighter pilots Milne Bay Sept 1942 Japanese type 95 tank at Milne Bay.jpg, Japanese type 95 tank at Milne Bay after battle USA-P-Papua-p170 AUSTRALIAN 3.7 INCH PACK HOWITZER is dismantled before being loaded on a Japanese motor-driven barge which was captured at Milne Bay. milner.jpg, Australians with 3.7 inch

howitzer The howitzer () is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon (or field gun) and a mortar. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire break ...

dismantled before being loaded on a Japanese motor-driven barge which was captured at Milne Bay Clowes, Cyril Albert.jpg, Cyril Clowes with new bridge at Milne Bay

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ladava Ladava Milne Bay Province

Kana Kopa Base

Airfields

Gallery

See also

References