Battle

The risk of Japanese assault on Port Moresby increased, and so a force was created to hold them back. This was the "Maroubra Force", made up of CMF and Papuan Infantry groups. These young soldiers, who had little training in jungle warfare and had outdated weapons, were split into units, some of which kept watch in Port Moresby, while others were ordered to defend the airfield.

First contact between Australian and Japanese troops occurred on the 22 July, 1942 at Awala (about 40km from Kokoda) a day after the 21st, when the Japanese troops had landed at Gona, Buna and Sanananda on the northern shore, and had begun to make their way along the trail. The Japanese planned to attack from the north, over the Owen Stanley Ridge. The next four months saw troops fighting in appalling conditions, and many casualties.

The first clash occurred on 23 July, with a small platoon of Australians slowing the Japanese attackers of their crossing of the Kumusi River, and later falling back to the city of Kokoda. The Australians fought to keep the Japanese invaders away from Port Moresby, and afterwards away from Kokoda, and back toward the Japanese stronghold at Gona, Buna and Sanananda.