RAAHC's Firepower: Lessons from WWII - Event Four: Canberra

About

Seminar Event (5-7pm): Joint Fires in the Littoral, 1943-1945.

Presentation One: Strategic Context:

Presenter One: Vice Admiral Peter Jones, AO DSC RAN Ret'd

• Case Study: ‘The Apogee of Amphibious operations’: what did it take in terms of the operational employment of firepower for the United States to capture Guadalcanal in 1942-43?
• Explore the theatre setting and operational generation requirements to command, project, apply and protect the amphibious joint force.

Presentation 2: Campaign Application:

Presenter Two: Dr Dayton McCarthy, CSC

• The Operation Oboe Landings: Operationally outstanding, or operationally ‘overtaken by events’?
• How did Australia generate, command and project the joint fires required to support Australia’s largest ever amphibious lodgement in 1945?
• What Allied dependencies were needed to set theatre conditions, project and sustain the operation?

Panel Discussion:

• What lessons for today’s military and political decision-makers can be drawn from Australia’s preparation for and conduct of the Borneo campaign?
• What Australian experiences then are not applicable for Australia today?
• What strategic policy and/or military capability decisions might be considered to best prepare Australia’s firepower today, for employment tomorrow?

Keynote Address with refreshments (7.30-9pm): Professor David Kilcullen will be our keynote speaker - he will speak on how might Australia’s political, industrial and civic leadership prepare national military capability, and steward the…