Economic and defensive considerations also motivated the New Zealand involvement — reliance on Britain meant that threats to Britain became threats to New Zealand too in terms of economic and defensive ties. However, they were unable to bring their anti-tank weapons forward, and more importantly, British armour didn't move forward to support the soldiers. Also on May 10th 1942, nine weeks after Darwin, Sydney Harbour received an early morning wake up call when two midget submarines attacked various targets in the harbour. In NZ industry switched from civilian needs to making war materials on a much larger scale than is commonly understood today.  • Paris New Zealand entered the Second World War by declaring war on Nazi Germany with Britain. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). The Americans, prominent amongst the Allied nations in the Pacific, planned to bypass major Japanese strongholds, but instead to capture a handful of island bases to provide a supply-chain for an eventual attack on Japan itself (see island hopping). The first of these, 75 Squadron, comprised the Wellingtons and pilots lent by New Zealand in August 1939, which later flew Short Stirlings, Avro Lancasters and Avro Lincolns. After war was declared against Japan in December 1941, many more troops were sent into the Pacific, though some were later transferred to Italy. It was 75 years ago this month and New Zealand was in the second-to-last year of World War II. Wiki User Answered . New Zealand was not subject to any significant direct military threat during the war. The presence of German raiders led to the formation of New Zealand based air-combat units — initially using re-armed types like the Vildebeest, and hurriedly converting impressed airliners such as the DH86 to carry bombs. The British forces prevented Rommel's advance was prevented from reaching Alexandria, Cairo and the Suez Canal in the First Battle of El Alamein, where New Zealand troops captured Ruweisat Ridge in a successful night attack. In February, 1942, With Crusader completed, the New Zealand government insisted that the Division be withdrawn to Syria to recover - 879 men were killed and 1700 wounded in Operation Crusader, the most costly battle the Division fought in the Second World War. The counter-attack was scrapped, and so too was Galatas, its position being far too vulnerable to hold.  • Bagration  • Neptune The first recorded maritime combat activity in New Zealand occurred when Māori in war waka attacked Dutch explorer Abel Tasman off the northern tip of the South Island in December 1642. In December 1941, Japan attacked American forces at Pearl Harbor in Hawai‘i. And the Long Range Desert Group was formed in North Africa in 1940 with New Zealand and Rhodesian as well as British volunteers, but included no Australians for the same reason. The RNZAF took on a major part of the maritime reconnaissance task too, with Catalina (and later Sunderland) flying-boats and Hudson bombers. 14 Squadron RNZAF, equipped with Corsair fighters, and RNZN ships also joined BCOF. John returned to New Zealand on the hospital ship Maunganui. New Zealand territory suffered no attacks and was not directly threatened in WW2, being too far from the theatres of action to be in danger. The New Zealand defenders, though prepared, suffered from a disadvantage: 18 Battalion, 400 men, was the only fresh infantry formation on the line — the rest were non-infantry groups like the Petrol Company and the Composite Battalion, consisting of mechanical, supply and artillery troops. New Zealand forces took part in an unsuccessful attempt to defend the island of Crete, Greece, in 1941 when German airborne forces attacked. New Zealand at War Return to the World War 2 Tanks by Country Index. In 1966 the first encyclopedia of New Zealand was published in three thick volumes.  • Military production comprised the New Zealand 3rd Division.  • Kuril Islands 19 Battalion was the only formation still in combat on Pink Hill, and they too withdrew. HMNZS Leander fires on the Japanese cruiser Jintsu. An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand was a critical and publishing success at the time, and has been used as a basic reference work about the country since then. The New Zealand Army contributed the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF).  • Surrender of Germany  • Okinawa The attacks … Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator. On the night of 23 May and the morning of 24 May, 5 Brigade withdrew again to the area near Daratsos, forming a new front line running from Galatas to the sea. Casualties, pp. John joined the aircraft carrier Formidable which was attacked by a kamikaze plane May 1945 that crashed on the deck of the ship. It was a war in which New Zealanders gave their greatest national effort — on land, on the sea and in the air — and a war that New Zealanders fought globally, from Egypt, Italy and Greece to Japan and the Pacific. Soon after New Zealand declared war on Germany in 1939, the 2nd New Zealand Division was formed and sent off to fight alongside its British counterparts in Greece, Crete, and North Africa. 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The Royal Navyceased to assume the protection of New Zealand from the treaty of Waitangi in 1840 when the territory became a fully-fledged colony. Italian Campaign The 28th Maori Battalion in Italy. The relatively fresh 18 Battalion replaced the worn troops from Maleme and Platanias, deploying 400 men on a two kilometre front.  • Tannenberg Line At around 6:00 pm the failure was reported to Brigadier Hargest and the prospect of a withdrawal was raised. The New Zealand Navy did not exist as a separate military force until 1941. The Gambia represented New Zealand at the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay (2 September 1945), and stayed as part of the occupation force. The New Zealand government placed the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy at the Admiralty's disposal and made available to the RAF new medium bombers waiting in the United Kingdom for shipping to New Zealand.  • Soviet Union (Barbarossa) On 18 November 1941, Operation Crusader was launched to lift the Siege of Tobruk (the third such attack), under the command of General Alan Cunningham and the New Zealand 2nd Division (integrated into the British Eighth Army) took part in the offensive, crossing the Libyan frontier into Cyrenaica. By 2 November, with the attack bogged down, Montgomery launched a new initiative to the south of the battle lines, Operation Supercharge, with the ultimate goal of disintegrating the Axis army. New Zealand entered World War II by declaring war on Germany as of 9.30 pm, on 3 September 1939 ( NZT ). Two tanks led two companies of 23 Battalion into Galatas at a running pace - heavy fire was encountered and as the tanks went ahead towards the town square, the infantry cleared each house of German soldiers as they worked inward. Evacuated to Crete on 28 April (having disregarded an order to leave on 23 April), the New Zealand General Freyberg became commander of the Allied forces on Crete on the 30th. Cassino was eventually captured on 18 May 1944 by British and Polish troops, with support of NZ artillery, 8 April 1945 crossed the Senio River then began their final push across the Santerno River and Gaiana River and finally the Po River on, 1 May 1945 crossed the Isonzo River to reach Trieste on 2 May 1945, the day of the German unconditional surrender. In 1884 four spar torpedo boats were purchased and from 1887 ships of the Australas…  • Operation Paperclip  • Belgrade German and Japanese surface raiders and submarines operated in New Zealand waters on several occasions in 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1945, sinking a total of four ships while Japanese reconnaissance aircraft flew over Auckland and Wellington preparing for a projected Japanese invasion of New Zealand. Seventy-five years ago, New Zealand played a pivotal role in defeating Nazi Germany in a land battle for the first time, changing the outcome of World War II.  • Moscow Their commander was willing to mount the attack despite the difficulty, but a representative sent from Brigadier Edward Puttick at New Zealand 2nd Division headquarters recommended against such an attack for fear of being unable to hold the line subsequently. Several military research projects were conducted in New Zealand during World War II, notably a joint US/NZ project in 1944-45 called Project Seal to develop a tsunami bomb. Day three, the 22nd, saw German soldiers take Pink Hill. Being a small country, New Zealand's contribution to the war seemed, and was, equally small. The generally acknowledged dates of the War by Western countries ranges from 1939 through 1945; however, the more progressive view includes the start of the war when Japan invaded China earlier in the 1930s. Many New Zealanders served alongside other Commonwealth sailors in vessels of the Royal Navy and would continue to do so throughout the war. It fought in Greece, Crete, the Western Desert and Italy. Despite near complete defeat for their landing troops east of the airfield and in the Galatas region, German invaders were able to gain a foothold by mid-morning west of Maleme Airfield (5 Brigade's area) - along the Tavronitis riverbed and in the Ayia Valley to the east (10 Brigade's area - dubbed 'Prison Valley'). Home Over the years I’ve been privileged to meet and talk with many veterans who made up New Zealand’s last line of defence at that time.  • Crossbow Other New Zealand squadrons within the RAF included 485, which flew Supermarine Spitfires throughout the war, 486, (Hawker Hurricanes, Hawker Typhoons and Hawker Tempests), 487, (Lockheed Venturas and De Havilland Mosquitoes), 488, (Brewster Buffaloes, Hawker Hurricanes, Bristol Beaufighters and De Havilland Mosquitoes), 489, (Bristol Blenheims, Bristol Beauforts, Handley Page Hampdens, Bristol Beaufighters, and De Havilland Mosquitoes), and 490, (Consolidated Catalinas and Short Sunderlands). ... For New Zealand forces, this was longest and most important land campaign of WWII.  • West Hunan New Zealand provided personnel for service in the Royal Air Force and in the Royal Navy. New Zealand was involved for all but three of the 2179 days of the war — a commitment on a par only with Britain and Australia. Fuel and rubber shortages are overcome with novel approaches. [3], • Yugoslavia This allowed German troops to seize the airfield proper without opposition and take nearby positions to reinforce their hold on the airfield. (I.P.) Following the evacuation from Crete, the Division regrouped at its camp near Maadi, at the base of the desert slopes of Wadi Digla and Tel al-Maadi. New Zealand mosque attack suspect Brenton Tarrant grins in court.  • Occupation of Germany 6 New Zealand Brigade attacked the Italian town of Cassino as part of the Allies‘ advance on Rome. Despite hard fighting so far in the battle, the 28 (Māori) Battalion was considered to be the only "fresh" battalion available and the only one capable of carrying out such an attack. The New Zealanders continued to advance with the Eighth Army through the Tunisia Campaign, driving the Afrika Korps back into Tunisia, and notably fought at Medenine, the Tebaga Gap and Enfidaville.  • Manhattan Project This lone tank stranded itself quickly on a boulder, and faced with the same technical difficulties as the first Matilda, the crew abandoned the vehicle. The Second World War was the greatest conflict ever to engulf the world. With this knowledge of the plans General Freyberg began to prepare the island's defences, hampered by a lack of modern and heavy equipment as the troops from Greece had in most cases had to leave only with their personal weapons. 5 Brigade fell back to a new line at Platanias, leaving Maleme securely in German hands, allowing them to freely build up their force in this region.  • Western Ukraine He trained at Harewood and then went to Canada on the Empire Air Training Scheme. The Germans have a history in the South Pacific. The signal was not spotted, and further attempts were made to get the message through to no avail. At the time 80% of Japan's oil came from the US.  • Korsun–Cherkassy Altogether, 10,130 New Zealanders lost their lives in World War II and another 19,345 were wounded. Total New Zealand losses since November 1941 stood at 2,989 killed, 7,000 wounded and 4,041 taken prisoner. Moa then hounded I-1 onto a reef, where she broke up. The presence of German raiders led to the formation of New Zealand based air-combat units — initially using re-armed types like the Vildebeest, and hurriedly converting impressed airliners such as the DH86 to carry bombs. Local enterprises manufactured or assembled large numbers of De Havilland Tiger Moth, Airspeed Oxford and North American Harvard training aircraft, and the RNZAF also acquired second-hand biplanes such as Hawker Hinds and Vickers Vincents, as well as other types for specialised training such as Avro Ansons and Supermarine Walruses.  • Ardennes We all know that Australia and New Zealand didn’t fall to the Japanese, but at the time there wasn’t always that same confidence in the outcome of the war. June 1942, the Allies get wind of the impending invasion of New Zealand by reading Japanese codes. Made doing some things very difficult in alphanumeric order ( 1-to-Z ) the surrender of the invasion... 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