command given allied supreme military command major allied commands pacific war included philippines borneo dutch_east_indies excluding sumatra australia new_guinea western primarily consisted united_states australian forces dutch filipino british allied forces served general appointed supreme commander creation april created subordinate commands australia philippines command disappeared surrendered far_east reformed assumed responsibility administration leaving purely logistical agency swept away reorganisation commands remained abolished september origins forerunner short lived american british dutch australian command december january referred rapid japanese advance dutch_east_indies effectively divided area late february dissolved recommendation commander field marshal sir commander chief india retained responsibility allied operations burma sumatra command established emergency conditions convoy intended supply philippines known rerouted brisbane attack pearl harbor brigadier general ordered assume command troops convoy december concurrent designation task force south pacific place command day chief staff united_states_army general ordered barnes assume command commander troops australia charge troops supplies december convoy arrival brisbane command designated australia renamed australia january mission create base australia support forces philippines staff known remember pearl harbor group selected arrived melbourne february aboard president large convoy bearing personnel supplies munitions intended java philippines australia brief time increased isolation philippines fall java withdrawn command placed continued direction support java philippines replace subject discussions australian new_zealand chiefs staff held melbourne february march proposed creating new theatre war encompassing australia new_zealand command deputy lieutenant general assumed command australia february president united_states prime minister united_kingdom winston_churchill discussed matter command arrangements pacific washington march roosevelt proposed world divided british american areas responsibility united_states having responsibility pacific american supreme commander responsible churchill responded favourably proposal governments australia new_zealand consulted endorsed idea american supreme commander wanted input matters strategy resulted creation met time london february churchill deputy prime minister foreign secretary represented united_kingdom represented australia representatives netherlands new_zealand india china page replaced australian representative june parallel created washington met april chaired roosevelt later representing australia prime minister representing canada effective body influence strategy allow concerns president formation obvious choice supreme commander pacific general ordered leave philippines australia command area february promised command discussions solid support president army american people navy commander chief admiral saw pacific lines communication primarily naval responsibility yield command army officer proposed division placing australian area excluding new new_zealand army planners led brigadier general willing compromise divided command objected placing australia new_zealand separate theatres discussed matter march result decision adopt navy plan minor amendments going general marshall contacted asked australian government nominate arrival australia imminent choice supreme commander march arrived march issued directive formally designating pacific theatre area american strategic responsibility march divided pacific theatre areas admiral active theatre divided annex defined boundaries coast thailand malaya singapore singapore south north coast sumatra round east coast sumatra leaving eastward line point coast sumatra east south latitude south southeasterly australia reaching east south north east boundaries south latitude north east east south equator east east south latitude south southwesterly latitude south east south april prime minister australia directed australian defence forces personnel treat orders army workshops fixed fortifications royal_australian_air_force raaf logistical training infrastructure placed having placed troops disposal australian government adamant consulted alteration boundaries command arrangements government particularly concerned supreme commander troops outside australia australian territory consent legal restrictions australian militia serve matter changes command came replaced commander agreed change status government consulted proposed changes vice admiral replaced months later consulted concurred change general headquarters supreme commander southwest pacific area april preferred use conventional title commander chief created subordinate commands australia philippines command short life lieutenant general philippines following weeks disappeared entirely surrendered announced composition staff known general headquarters april major general chief staff brigadier general deputy chief staff colonel assistant chief staff colonel assistant chief staff brigadier general assistant chief staff colonel assistant chief staff brigadier general signal officer brigadier general brigadier general officer colonel colonel public relations officer marshall recommended appoint australian dutch officers senior positions possible staff army officers served philippines rest including chamberlain staff reported marshall qualified dutch officers australia australian_army critical shortage staff officers wish dutch australian army officers american naval officers served junior positions staff july moved north melbourne brisbane located building original intention found impractical lacked communications facilities required headquarters located building advanced headquarters opened kilometres away advanced subsequently moved september october manila major reorganisation april planned invasion japan army forces pacific placed command including new command formed operating headquarters units remained operational control major formation pass control july abolished september remained australian_army commander chief general sir appointed commander headquarters existing general headquarters australia known australian commander chosen land forces australian april american ground troops australian controlled major commands lieutenant general sir army based queensland lieutenant general sir victoria lieutenant general western australia major general controlled australian american divisions august australian_army strength men women army ground personnel late eighteen american divisions australian_army seven moved brisbane remained melbourne formed advanced deputy chief general staff major general moved nearby major general replaced september remained post january resumed post july remained december main body moved advanced followed opening december main moved february advanced remained formed remained located main body main body remained moved operations borneo april practice controlled land operations task forces reported directly commanders control allied land air naval service forces area japanese land attack imminent important formed commanded personally september september february lieutenant general arrived headquarters force force reported directly result command majority american land forces theatre time post abolished march met detailed plans western new_guinea campaign explaining assume direct command land forces reached philippines suggesting army commander remain australia commander chief new organisation went effect september lieutenant general lieutenant general lieutenant general australian_army lieutenant general major general reporting directly remained important administrative logistical command abolished september april reorganisation created created unlike created completely integrated headquarters royal_australian_air_force raaf officer air vice marshal chief staff staff officer paired raaf officer senior staff posts divided evenly majority command positions held australians shortages raaf assigned air groups serving role aircraft commander australian government appointed air vice marshal chief air staff responsible matters operations administration training soon clear jones preferred operational command regarded jones happy leave arrangements way orders bombing mission philippines order delivered personally protested informed wanted mission carried mission flown personally wrote henceforth communications handled disagreements followed washington general lieutenant general alarmed integration raaf disturbed inability work july marshall offer major general brigadier general replacement selected sent home australia found talented recently arrived brigadier generals reorganised command august appointing commander walker commander composed raaf personnel moved separate brigadier general arrived september replaced air vice marshal chief staff took newly created walker shot january successor brigadier general disappeared march normal structure air force creating advanced new headquarters authority alter assignments aircraft forward area fast changing weather enemy action orders drawn australia created 1st 2nd control air operations forward area specific mission departure doctrine enthusiastic innovation washington like objections converted air task forces june added created headquarters raaf formed australian october commander army forces pacific seventh air_force added major general replaced march replaced abolished september vice admiral appointed commander april february commander east australia extending include fiji headquarters melbourne command included naval element air forces responsibility land defense directly admiral king important force command rear admiral formed april commander task force june succeeded royal_navy officer divided australian coastal waters sea air lines communication hawaii north_america fell special provision having designated sub commander admiral agreement australian government succeeded commander commander vice admiral september like predecessor reported king role like senior naval officer theatre chief naval staff admiral sir vice admiral senior agreed serve carpenter commander south west pacific sea frontier formed march renamed seventh fleet march task forces renumbered match task force task force important component task force formed rear admiral january vii amphibious force later year training centre established port new_south_wales queensland initially consisted australian american attack transport uss henry allen gradually grew size landing craft landing ships arrived annoyed way royal_navy officer communicated directly admiralty aware critical command arrangements decisions proposed australian officer captain replace appointment supported admiralty objections appointed collins replace commander task force june rank commodore intention collins replace term expired occur collins seriously wounded october twice asked replaced embarrassed november king replaced vice admiral informing seeking approval australian government face saving formula agreed invasion massively reinforced ships cover provided admiral fleet remained battle gulf divided command brought allies brink disaster arose abolished september australia series bases gradually built australia initially support forces philippines seven base sections established australia operate base section northern territory base section brisbane base section melbourne base section adelaide base section perth base section sydney july command brigadier general barnes returned united_states lieutenant general sixth united states army headquarters arrived australia february administrative functions taken given new headquarters far_east command old headquarters philippines function different left logistical responsibilities new arrangement awkward required considerable adjustment functioned properly september marshall replaced brigadier general formed port august sub bases created bay bay advanced sub base advanced sub base respectively april advanced sub base created april discontinued island handed control july advanced sub base formed port sub bases bases august advanced base formed advanced base november followed respectively worldwide shipping crisis end long supply line region developed transportation nets regional logistics entirely dependent water transport fleet composed assets available commander chief royal_navy australian_army operational command maintained respective organizations assets inadequate resulting creation large army fleet unique later finally starting retention admiral convoy diverted brisbane december core augmented vessels fleeing japanese advance particularly dutch vessels later known vessels dutch shipping line april army fleet grown ships january fleet large ships exceeded ninety peak ninety august number count larger fleet small vessels ranging landing craft barges floating equipment vessels tons including section locally constructed craft vessels manned largely australian civilian employees june vessels floating equipment delivered united_states permanent fleet vessels army general fleet periods vessels small obsolete poor condition unorthodox management comparison allied forces advanced new bases formed old ones australia closed closed january base section june remaining bases base section formed brisbane control bases closed december leaving bases june functions absorbed base section renamed february new_guinea base closed july bases september leaving series bases opened philippines base base base base manila came base section redesignated philippine april june command lieutenant general absorbed intelligence april brigadier general australian counterpart major general agreed pool resources establish combined intelligence organisation known australian british armies raaf ran supplied personnel formation worked japanese message traffic magic ultra intelligence important operations handle forms intelligence created included special unit carried special operations like secret watched japanese aircraft ships observation posts japanese lines propaganda specialists important combined organisations translated japanese documents prepared maps charts drafted terrain quality tended important quantity intelligence proved field minor allies australia netherlands play key good intelligence enabled allied forces risk failures chances success organisation built australia proved useful war later wrote prove present day intelligence cooperation proved lasting important legacy australia experience coalition warfare second world war legacy allied command structure faced challenges coalition warfare ways varying degrees success benefits wartime alliances proved substantial required constant effort maintain australia new_zealand coalition warfare norm experience proved formative political military lessons following decades australian new_zealand american forces fight korean war vietnam war war terror
South West Pacific Area (command)