Rabaul

Rabaul was until in 1994 the capital of the part is island of New Britain, an island of the New Guinea-News-Guinea. The city was built in the Caldeira of large a Volcan and was destroyed by an important eruption in 1994. The new capital, Kokopo, are located at 20 kilometers of Rabaul, so that the new capital and the new airport is often called Rabaul.

History

At the time where New Guinea was a German colony, those transferred their capital in the city lately built from Rabaul. Rabaul means Mangrove in Kuanua (the local language), in reference to the fact that the city was built on old a mangrove.

After the First World War, New Guinea was allotted to the Great Britain, and Rabaul became the capital of the Territory of New Guinea.

Second world war

After the Attaque on Pearl Harbor, it was obvious that New Guinea would be attacked soon. In December 1941, the whole of the women and the children was evacuated city. In January 1942, a first bombardment by the Japan announced the nearest invasion.

After the occupation, the Japanese developed in Rabaul an important base. Kilometers of tunnels were dug to protect the installations and in 1943, there was approximately 110  000 Japanese soldiers with Rabaul.

The April 18th 1943, the admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, admiral of the Japanese Fleet and architect of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was cut down by American hunters after having taken off of Rabaul. Its route known because the Americans had, at this time, was deciphered there the Japanese codes.

Rather than to attack Rabaul, the Alliés chose to neutralize the city. They established, progressively their conquests, a network of bases which cut Rabaul of its lines of supply and subjected the city to an intensive ramming.

In particular from November 5th to 11th 1943, the Americans launched air and sea raids to prevent a Japanese naval counter-attack whereas the Americans unloaded in the Cape Torokina (Bougainville). These raids inflicted heavy losses with the Japanese fleet and reflect fine in Rabaul as bases naval importance.

The base became thus useless and fell at the end from the war, in August 1945.

Volcanic eruptions

The proximity of volcano always formed a threat for the city. In 1878, an eruption caused the birth of a volcano in the port. In 1937, two volcanos, Tavurvur and Vulcan, entered in eruption and killed 507 people by causing enormous damage.

After alarms in 1983 and 1984, Tavurvur and Vulcan entered again in eruption in 1994, destroying the airport and burying the majority of the city under ashes.

External bonds

  • will caldeira It of Rabaul
  • Rabaul, the city in the volcano]
  • Air raids on Rabaul

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