Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Only if there was enough P-51B/Cs to go around. The ETO got most and a few to the MTO.
There never was a serious threat of invasion.
The Australians were fighting for national survival and it made all the difference. That's why they fought so well along the Kokoda Trail and defeated them at Milne Bay. Their troops were more inspired than the American troops.S - I wouldn't say the Philippines campaign was a "cakewalk" for the Japanese, rather I think they were surprised it came off quicker than what they planned for. The terrain allowed them some of their typical flanking maneuvers and while I'll not say the defense, while a "heavy garrison" as you say, was second string, it was cut off from decent supply.
I'm of the thought its (Philippines) defensive structure was more paper tigerish than anything, but the Japanese devoted what was needed to get the job done. As far as Australia, I'm not sure they could have seriously invaded and accomplished much, they could have taken a port but hell, the 5 foot spiders alone would have kicked their collective asses... ok, just a bit of hyperbole but I think you get my meaning.
Had the Japanese actually invaded a port in NW or Northern Australia I'd wager the US would have kicked in harder and sooner, I think it would have been reasonable that the allies would have cut off and killed off whatever invasion force made it ashore, maybe not right away, but much like the island outposts left to die on the vine they would have cut off their supply and it would be the Philippines in reverse (they're the ones cut off and forced to surrender).
I could be full of hot air too, it's just my two cents worth.
The Japanese goal was not to invade Australia, but rather isolate her by restricting her much needed transport traffic.
defeated the Allies at Coral Sea (forcing a USN and Allied withdrawel)
In regards to Japan actually invading Australia, it simply was not feasable, as they did not have the manpower nor resources for such an adventure, but blockading Australia to force terms would be a viable alternative.
I think that was basically Caldwells beef, what modern Aviation researchers now recognize as the "Bomber Mafia" was basically calling the shots in the USAAF and they got the priority. But that didn't have to be the case.
Let's be realistic here:
Imperial Japan had only so many assets and manpower to go around.
They already held Manchuria, vast swaths of China, Formosa, Hong Kong, Burma, French Indo-China, Korea, Philippines, Dutch East Indies, Malaya, Brunei, Borneo, Java, Timor, a majority of PNG, Nauru, the Carolines, the Marshalls, the Solomons, the Marianas, the Gilberts plus Attu, Kiska, Wake and Guam. Add to that, Ryukyu, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Sakhalin, Kuriles and Japan proper.
Then look at Australian topography: there are coastal towns/cities seperated by vast tracts of wildland with no real resources to draw from. Then there's
The American-British staff conversations opened in Washington on 29 January 1941 and continued
Germany First
During the Second World War, the city was host to more than 50,000* American and Australian troops and air crew, and it became a major staging point for battles in the South West Pacific. A large United States Armed Forces contingent supported the war effort from seven airfields and other bases around the city and in the region. The first bombing raid on Rabaul, in Papua New Guinea, on 23 February 1942 was carried out by six B-17s based near Townsville*.
In July 1942, three small Japanese air raids were conducted against Townsville, which was by then the most important air base in Australia.[20] Several 500-pound (230-kilogram) bombs were dropped in the harbour, near the Garbutt airfield and at Oonoonba, where bomb craters are still clearly visible.[21] No lives were lost and structural damage was minimal, as the Japanese missed their intended target of the railway and destroyed a palm tree. Although the Japanese aircraft were intercepted on two of the three raids, no Japanese planes were shot down.
Townsville - Wikipedia
Note that Townsville to Rabaul is 1,771km (1,100 miles) and Tonwsville to Sydney is over 2,000km (1243 miles).
And nobody really know how Strategically valuable Mustangs would turn out to be in the beginning or middle of 1943. That in part explains why they took so long to be deployed in large numbers.
Like the A-36 and P-51A and F4F and P-40 and P-39 - the AAF and Commonwealth 'made do' with what they had. There is a reason that P-51B/D destroyed more than any Commonwealth or US fighter by a significant total.
Not really. The first P-51B-1-NA was completed save Packard 1650-3 which didn't arrive until end of April, leading to Chilton's first flight on May 5, 1943. Packard didn't deliver 20 more 1650-3s until the end of June and NAA production of engineless Mustangs continued through July. The first P-51B-1 arrived in Liverpool in September 1943 and didn't achieve Group level number of 75 for the 354th FG until late November. The RAF was receiving Mustang III in late October but basically gave them all back in December to assist equipping the 357th FG.Perhaps but it was pretty close. Caldwell knew about Mustangs and wanted them for Darwin, that's quite clear from the biography.
The first significant Spitfire battle in Darwin was in March 1943. The first production P-51B flew in May 1943.
They were still having significant combat by May. One of the big engagements that damaged the rep of the Spit V was on 2 May, and significant raids were going on through July. I think they could have gotten P-51Bs there by then though it would have had to have been a priority. Not realistic politically but they could have gotten some there as early as June, probably.
P-38s or Spit VIIIs may have been more realistic but Darwin just wasn't that much of a priority, and I think that was Caldwells real beef. For the middle of 1943 the Spit V is a bit long in the teeth. The Aussies apparently asked for P-38s but were told they were all committed up in the Solomons etc.
S
The total of 4950 is an oft quoted victory credit for the Mustang and represents Only US ETO/MTO (and low). The final total of Mustang air victory credits (after claims processed) for US and Commonwealth, for all types and theatres, is ~ 6300Francis K Mason, in "The Hawker Hurricane", States the Hurricane as as responsible for 51.5% of the 11,400 claims that are in traceable RAF air combat reports.
That gives the Hurricane 5,871 claims , compared to 5163 for the Hellcat and 4,950 for the Mustang in air to air claims. ( last 2 sourced from the internet). However I do see the Mustang also has claims for 4131 aircraft destroyed on the ground, that's pretty impressive.
The total of 4950 is an oft quoted victory credit for the Mustang and represents Only US ETO/MTO (and low). The final total of Mustang air victory credits (after claims processed) for US and Commonwealth, for all types and theatres, is ~ 6300
Before anyone gets their pee-thing in a knot, the above numbers are only for American flown aircraft, thus the reason for the low Spitfire numbers