152 - National Guard vs Imperial Japanese Army on Guardalcanal - Lessons Learnt for employing green troops at 5th Matanikau

The US 182nd Infantry Regiment crossed the Matanikau on 18 November 1942 and within 48 hours all three companies of 1st Battalion had broken under Jap...

151 - How Sea Control doomed the 17th Army to Starvation on Guadalcanal: The failure of the Tokyo Express

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal cost the US Navy two rear admirals and six warships — yet it stopped 11 Japanese transports carrying 10,000 troops and...

150 - What new tactics did Carlson's Raiders use to hunt Shoji's Regiment during the Long Patrol on Guadalcanal?

Colonel Shoji landed 1,500 Japanese troops east of Henderson Field — and the Americans needed three battalions and a week of manoeuvre to trap just 45...

How do you defend an island nation when 40% of your trade flows through contested waters?

Forty percent of Australian trade flows through the South China Sea — and if conflict erupts near Taiwan, that route becomes uninsurable overnight. Ma...

Strategic Context for Australia's WW2 mobilisation

Australia spent 20 years preparing for a war most politicians refused to discuss publicly — and that systematic industrial strategy may be the nation'...

How do you defend an island nation when 40% of your trade flows through contested waters?

Forty percent of Australian trade flows through the South China Sea — and if conflict erupts near Taiwan, that route becomes uninsurable overnight. Ma...

Australia's Road to War - 1936 to 1941 - Dr Peter Layon

Australia built a coherent defence industrial strategy in the 1920s and 30s that actually worked when tested by total war — yet we've forgotten most o...

149 - Why did the Marines stop 1,000 yards short of victory at 4th Matanikau - Guadalcanal

After the defeat at Henderson Field, Japanese 17th Army headquarters remained confident — fresh divisions and hundreds of aircraft were promised withi...

148 - The Battle of Henderson Field - Guadalcanal 1942

This episode is the 14th episode in our Guadalcanal series.  We look at the Battle of Henderson Field, which is the decisive terrain for the campaign....

147 - The Japanese tank attack in the Battle of Henderson Field - Guadalcanal

This episode looks at the Sumiyoshi's tank attack across the Matanikau - an attempt to draw defenders away from the perimeter of Henderson Field.  We...

146 - Halsey's question for Vandegrift about Henderson Field's defence that influenced Pacific Strategy.

This episode looks at the defensive and offensive planning undertaken by the IJA and the USMC.  It also looks closely at Vandegrift's meeting with Hal...

145 - 973 rounds in 83 minutes. The Battleship Bombardment of Henderson Field

This episode looks at the IJN and IJA combined planning for the assault on Henderson's Field, including the naval gunfire from the Kongo and Haruna un...

144 - Sitauational Awareness and the fight for Guadalcanal's Key Terrain - 3rd Battle of the Matanikau

USMC 1st Marine Division vs the IJA 2nd (Sendai) Division in the fight to control the Matanikau River.
The 3rd Battle of the Matanikau Part II -...

143 - Inside the Japanese OODA loop on Guadalcanal - Vandegrift and 3rd Matanikau

Maruyama vs Vandegrift in the fight to control the Matanikau River.
The 3rd Battle of the Matanikau Part I - This is the ninth episode of our Gu...

Puller, Munro, and Monssen - the daring resuce of 1/7 Marines - 2nd Battle of the Matanikau Part II

2nd Matanikau - Guadalcanal and Pullers rescue of the 1/7th Marines.
The 2nd Battle of the Matanikau Part II - This is the eighth episode of our...

141 - Chesty Puller, 1/7 Marines and 2nd Matanikau, Guadalcanal

The 2nd Battle of the Matanikau - This is the seventh episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland.
This episodes di...

140 - Battle of Edson's Ridge: How the Marines saved the Cactus Air Force

This is the sixth episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland.
This episodes discusses:
How close did Japanes...

139 - Guadalcanal - Edson and the defence of Bloody Ridge

This is the fifth episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland.
This episodes discusses:
Why was Henderson Fie...

138 - Guadalcanal - Battle of the Tenaru: How the Marines stopped Ichiki's night assault on the Alligator Creek

This is the fourth episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland.
This episodes discusses:
How did the Marines...

137 - The Marines' Assault on Guadalcanal

This is the third episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland.
This episodes discusses:
How the Marines seize...

136 - Marines vs Japanese: Brutal Battles for Tulagi, Gavutu and Tanambogo

This is the second episode of our Guadalcanal series with historian and author Dave Holland.
Shoestring invasion planning
Koro rehearsals...

135 - How the Marines Prepared for Guadalcanal | Operation Watchtower Explained

This is the first in a major series of podcasts looking at the Battles of Guadalcanal.  This is an interview with Dave Holland.  
 
This e...

134 - Preparing Today's Armies for Tomorrow's Wars: Battlefield Innovation and Disruption

This is the final episode of three in our series from our interview with Retired Colonel John Antal discussing his research into contemporary combat a...

133 - Kill webs and super swarms - building survivable CPs for decision superiority

This is the second episode of our interview with Retired Colonel John Antal discussing his research into contemporary combat and how technology is cha...

132 - Ten Battlefield Disruptors for Tomorrow's Wars

How is the modern battlefield changing?
What role is technology like Artificial Intelligence, drones, precision strike and electronic warfare ch...

131 - Amphibious Ambitions and Island Defeats - How Kinman and Hainan shaped China's Navy

This is the second of a two-part series looking at the origin story of the PLA Navy.  This episode looks at the crucial Kinmen and Hainan Islands camp...

130 - From River Crossings to Amphibious Operations - How the PLA Built a Navy from scratch and learned littoral manoeuvre

129 - Slim in Burma - Innovation, Air Power and Special Forces

How did Field Marshall Slim innovate in the Burma Campaign?  This is a look at military innovation through necessity that developed key capabilities f...

128 - Rebuilding an Army: Morale, Leadership, Training and Mission Command in the 14th Army with Slim

How did Slim rebuild the 14th Army after it's 1,000 mile withdrawal from Burma?
We look at how lessons were learnt and doctrine was developed to...

127 - The General who wouldn't quit: Slim and the longest retreat

We look at Slim's early career and background to study his optimism and resilience in the face of an overwhelmingly poor tactical situation.
Thi...

126 - Care of the wounded on the Kokoda Track

This episode looks at the care of the wounded on the Kokoda Track.
What level of care did sick and wounded soldiers receive?
Why was the...

The Military Decision Making and Planning Process

This episode is a cross-post from The Cove Podcast.  This is a recording of MAJGEN Mick Krause, AM - the author the new ADF-I-5 doctrine - Decision Ma...

125 - Medical considerations on the Kokoda Track

What medical treatment was avaiable for the soldiers fighting on the Kokoda Track.  How were ill and injured soldiers cared for and what were the diff...

124 - Leadership lessons from the Jungles of Vietnam with Gary McKay

This episode is the second of a two part interview with retired LTCOL Gary McKay, who was a Platoon Commander in Vietnam, in D Coy, 4 RAR.  He fought...

123 - Jungle Combat in Vietnam with Gary McKay

This episode is the first of a two part interview with retired LTCOL Gary McKay, who was a Platoon Commander in Vietnam, in D Coy, 4 RAR.  He fought i...

122 - Japanese Lessons Learnt for Jungle Warfare

This episode continues our Kokoda Campaign Podcast series.
This episode is Part 5 of our interview with Dr with Dr Adrian Threlfall, an expert i...

121 - The Jungle Warfare Training Centre, Canungra

This episode continues our Kokoda Campaign Podcast series.
This episode is Part 4 of our interview with Dr with Dr Adrian Threlfall, an expert i...

120 - Preparing for Combat in the Jungle

This episode continues our Kokoda Campaign Podcast series.
This episode looks at Jungle Warfare Doctrine Development, with Dr Adrian Threlfall,...

119 - Learning to learn: Jungle Warfare

This episode continues our Kokoda Campaign Podcast series.
This episode looks at Jungle Warfare Doctrine Development, with Dr Adrian Threlfall,...

118 - Jungle Warfare Doctrine Development in the Australian Army

We return to the fetid jungles of New Guinea and our Kokoda Campaign Podcast series, looking at the 53rd Battalion and it's combat performance at Isur...