 While Japanese plans to secure Port Moresby were postponed after the Battle of the Coral Sea, they continued operations in the vicinity, and developed an airfield and large base facilities in the Salamaua–Lae area.These facilities later supported their ground operations during the Kokoda Track campaign.Throughout 1942, the Australians largely withdrew from the area towards Wau, but continued guerilla style operations in the area with the establishment of Kanga Force, which conducted observation and small scale raiding around Salamaua and Lae.