Rabaul

Rabaul , town (1990 pop. 17,044), on New Britain island, Bismarck Archipelago , a part of Papua New Guinea. Situated within an active caldera surrounded by volcanoes, the city has long been vulnerable to volcanic eruptions. It was nearly destroyed in 1937, but after being rebuilt Rabaul flourished as the principal city and port of the archipelago, with one of the finest harbors in the world. Copra was the chief export. In 1994 the city was again devastated by volcanic eruptions, which buried its eastern end in ash and mud and filled the harbor with debris. The rest of the city and the surrounding area was also severely damaged, and the capital of East New Britain prov., which was formerly in the city, was moved to Kokopo. Rabaul was the capital of the Australian Territory of New Guinea from 1920 to 1941. During World War II, it was the major Japanese naval and air base for the projected invasion of Australia. Totally destroyed by Allied bombing, it was rebuilt after the war.

Rabaul the chief town and port of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Rabaul's harbor, Simpson Harbour, is the finest natural harbor in the southwest Pacific, and its conquest was a central part of Japanese expansion in the region. The Japanese gained control of the port in January 1942, and Rabaul quickly became their primary air and naval base in the region. Neutralizing it became an important goal of the Allied Operation Cartwheel in the Southwest Pacific Theater in early 1943, and this goal was achieved by the end of the year.

Rabaul, port situated at eastern end of New Britain, one of the islands in the Bismarck archipelago. The capital of the Australian mandated territory of New Guinea, it was captured by the Japanese in February 1942 and became the principal air and naval base in their South-East Area, during the Pacific war. The Allies dropped 20,584 tons of bombs on Rabaul, forcing the garrison to live in specially constructed tunnels and caves. Because it was so heavily defended, early US strategy to capture it was reversed at the Quebec conference in August 1943 (see QUADRANT). Instead, MacArthur's offensive (CARTWHEEL), which had been launched two months previously, isolated and reduced it from the air (see also New Britain campaign). By March 1944 all principal Japanese naval and air units there had withdrawn to Truk, but in August 1945 53,000 army troops, 16,200 naval forces, and 20,000 civilian workers surrendered there.