Southwest Pacific Area

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | 700+ words | Copyright

Southwest Pacific Area SWPA an area that includes the Philippine Islands, the South China Sea, the Gulf of Siam, the Netherlands East Indies (except Sumatra), the Solomon Islands, Australia, and the waters to the south. The area, particularly Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, was the scene of fierce fighting in World War II. The Japanese swept through the area in early 1942 and captured nearly all points of strategic and military importance. Reconquering the region became a specific priority of the Allies after the Pacific Military Conference in Washington in March 1943. Operation Cartwheel was the codename given to the project, which included such bloody campaigns as Guadalcanal. The operation came to an end in August 1944, when the Australians secured control of the northwestern coast of New Guinea, allowing the Allies to turn most of their attention to other parts of the Pacific Theater.

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