The “Island Hopping Campaign” was a phrase to describe the years in which the United States attempted to take over military bases on several islands of the Pacific Ocean. Together with other allied countries, the United States attacked the islands least protected by the Japanese. However, obtaining this land was not easy and did not come without a price. Many battles were fought throughout the Pacific Islands and many lives were lost. One of the major battles fought for control of an island was the Battle of New Guinea. New Guinea is located off the northern coast of Australia and is part of the Solomon Islands. New Guinea is the second largest island in the world, but the large block of land in the middle of the Pacific wasn't the only reason Japan wanted to take control of it. The Japanese wanted New Guinea for a variety of reasons. For example, in Papua the Japanese wanted to use this part of the island as a first step to defend Rabaul. The Japanese had a military base in Rabaul, a city on the Gulf of New Guinea, and they needed a place on the island to protect it, so they wanted Papua. The Battle of New Guinea was actually a series of battles on several islands around the largest one. The Allied forces, made up of Americans and Australians, wanted New Guinea because of its size. It was perfect for a military base and created the perfect place to put a landing strip for planes. The Allies would use this airstrip and military base to shoot down the Japanese at Rabaul. Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Kokoda and Buna were also places where the Allies wanted to build an airport. These locations were strategic for both sides, so this was the focus of the battle. Another thing that makes New Gu...... center of the card ...... control of the Huon Peninsula on 24 April 1944. The Huon Peninsula The campaign was a series of battles in which Australian forces they attacked Japanese bases along the Huon Peninsula. Some of the battles include Finschhafen, Scarlet Beach, Sattleberg and Sio. This campaign began with an amphibious landing on Scarlet Beach on September 22, 1943. An amphibious landing occurs when air, land, and sea forces land simultaneously for an invasion. As the Allies moved north and attempted to secure Finschhafen, Japanese troops attacked Scarlet Beach. This battle lasted about a week and caused the forces of the Australian lines to split. However, the Australians pressed on and decided to check Sattleberg. This was particularly important to the Australians because it was useful for observing the coast and if the Japanese took control, they could disrupt Australian lines of communication..