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The battle for the island began on August 7, 1942, when US Marines made an amphibious landing. The island had been a British colony, but there were no troops there and the Japanese had easily taken the island. The Japanese then began to build an airfield on the island, and this was the reason for the US invasion. Once the Japanese finished the airfield planes based on it could begin to bomb northern Australia, and to attack ships going between the US and Australia. The battle lasted about six months. The US was not really ready to fight yet, and this was the first offensive undertaken by US forces. The case was seen as being so urgent that the US had to go ahead no matter what, to stop this threat to Australia.

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15y ago

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