Second Battle of Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossing

Second Battle of Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossing
Part of the Second World War, Pacific War
Eora Creek valley
Date 11–28 October 1942 Location Territory of Papua 9°02′00″S 147°44′14″E / 9.0334205°S 147.7372547°E / -9.0334205; 147.7372547 Result Allied advance
Belligerents
Australia	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Arthur Allen John Edward Lloyd Kenneth Eather	Tomitaro Horii Masao Kusunose
Units involved
7th Division 16th Brigade 25th Brigade	South Seas Detachment 144th Infantry Regiment
Strength
1,882 – 2,100	986 – 1,075
Casualties and losses
412 killed or wounded	244 killed or wounded

7th Division

South Seas Detachment

The Second Battle of Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossing was fought from 11 to 28 October 1942. Forming part of the Kokoda Track campaign of the Second World War, the battle involved military forces from Australia, supported by the United States, fighting against Japanese troops from Major General Tomitaro Horii's South Seas Detachment who had landed in Papua in mid-1942, with the intent of capturing Port Moresby.

It formed part of the Australian pursuit of the Japanese towards the beachheads around Buna and Gona, following the abandonment of plans to capture Port Moresby. The Australians took heavy casualties as part of efforts to advance north to re-take Kokoda and then push on towards Oivi and Gorari in November. Eora Creek village and Templeton's Crossing had also been the site of a battle from August – September 1942, as the Australian forces were forced to retire toward Port Moresby by the advancing Japanese.

On 21 July 1942, Japanese forces landed on the northern Papuan coast around Buna and Gona. The landing was part of a plan to capture the strategically important town of Port Moresby via an overland advance along the Kokoda Track following the failure of a seaborne attempt at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May. While more forces were gradually committed to face the advancing Japanese, the South Seas Detachment, under command of Major General Tomitaro Horii advanced steadily south towards their objective on the southern coast.

...
Wikipedia