During the war, Rabaul was a major Japanese naval base and stronghold that
was bypassed by Allied forces, but remained occupied by the Japanese
until the end of the war. Instead, it was neutralized from the air
by Allied fighters and bombers.
| |
Rabaul Area |
Rabaul |
Japanese stronghold and Navy Headquarters |
Observatory Hill |
Volcano Observatory |
|
Town area on the south side of Simpson Harbor |
|
Prewar Roman Catholic Mission |
Bitapaka |
Bita Paka Allied War Cemetary at Rabaul |
|
Airfield covered in ash in 1994 |
|
RAAF airfield expanded by
the Japanese |
|
Japanese airfield
coconut and copra plantation |
|
Japanese airfield coconut and copra plantation |
|
Japanese airfield also
know as Tavelo. |
|
Present day airport (built in 1983) |
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Emergency Landing Strip and tunnels |
|
Japanese seaplane base, at the edge of Rabaul |
|
Australian defenses and Japanese
war memorial |
|
Submarine Base used to provision
submarines |
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Sunken ship in 5m of water |
|
Coastwatchers Memorial underground
bunker |
| |
Rabaul Area Harbors and Bays & Islands |
|
Major Japanese anchorage during the war |
|
Japanese Barge Tunnels and floating crane |
|
East of Karavia Bay connects St. Georges Channel |
|
West of Rabaul. To the
north west is the Watom |
|
Located to the west of Rabaul |
|
Island in Simpson Harbor
seaplane base |
|
British POWs interned on this island
by Japanese |
| |
Duke of York Islands |
|
Island group located to the east of Rabaul |
|
Island to the east of Rabaul |
|
Largest Island in the group |
|
Duke of York Islands in St
Georges Channel |
| |
East New Britian |
|
RAAF Beaufighter Wreck |
|
Plantation on the east coast of New Britain |
|
Tol Plantation, massacre of
POWs, Jammer Bay |
|
Bay on the southern coast of New Britain |
|
Used
by the Japanese, then a major RNZAF base. |
|
Located to the west of Rabaul |
