Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates/Allied logistics in the Kokoda Track campaign/archive1

TFA blurb review

During the Second World War, Allied logistics in Papua played a crucial role in bringing the Kokoda Track campaign to a successful conclusion. ... Although identified early as a vital strategic outpost, Port Moresby, the most significant Papuan town, had just two airfields and basic port facilities in early 1942. An enormous amount of work was required to transform it into a major base for both air and land operations against the Japanese. This was done in the face of frequent Japanese air raids. During the course of the Kokoda Track campaign, the two original airfields were improved, and five new airfields were developed. To make them operational, the engineers had to construct more than just runways; taxiways, hardstands, facilities and access roads all had to be built. The operation of the base depended on shipping, but the port facilities were limited. To increase the capacity of the port, a causeway was built to Tatana Island, where pontoon docks were emplaced. Engineers also built roads, warehouses, and a water treatment plant. They ran the town's electricity and water supply, and quarried stone for the roads and airstrips.

The Allies were confronted with an interior covered with rainforest and tall mountains where wheeled vehicles could not operate. The Australian Army was forced to rely on air transport and native carriers, two modes of transportation that it had never used before. The techniques and technologies to deliver supplies by air were in their infancy. There were few aircraft available, and these were of a variety of different types, complicating maintenance. Air operations in New Guinea were restricted by the weather. Transport aircraft were vulnerable in the air, and required fighter escorts. They were also subject to destruction on the ground by Japanese air raids. The loss of the airstrip at Kokoda led to the adoption of air dropping. Due to a shortage of parachutes, supplies often had to be dropped without them, and loss due to breakages and unrecoverable goods was high.

Thousands of Papuans were conscripted to help the war effort. Trucks and jeeps carried stores, ammunition and rations only part of the way; pack animals and a flying fox (zip-wire) took them a bit farther. The rest of the journey was completed on the backs of Papuan carriers, who struggled over the mountains lugging heavy loads. The environment posed the danger of endemic tropic diseases, particularly dysentery, scrub typhus and malaria. Medical units had to combat these, while caring for the sick and wounded, many of whom had to walk back to the base area along the Kokoda Track. Often the Papuan carriers had to carry the wounded on the way back, earning them the sobriquet of "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels". (Full article...)

Hawkeye, are you interested in doing this blurb from 2018? The first link has to go to (and sound something like) Allied logistics in the Kokoda Track campaign. (What's there now is basically the lead text. It hasn't been scheduled yet, we're just finishing up blurbs for everything that was promoted in 2018. 925-1025 characters.) - Dank (push to talk) 03:31, 7 December 2019 (UTC)

Here goes:

Allied logistics in the Kokoda Track campaign played a crucial role in bringing the 1942 World War II campaign to a conclusion. To transform Port Moresby, into a major base, engineers built airfields, wharves, roads, and warehouses. The interior was covered with dense rainforest and rugged mountains that wheeled vehicles could not traverse. There were few aircraft available, and they were restricted by the mountains and the weather, and subject to destruction on the ground by Japanese air raids. The loss of the airstrip at Kokoda led to the adoption of airdropping. Due to a shortage of parachutes, supplies were often dropped without them, with attendant losses and breakages. Trucks, jeeps, and pack animals carried stores, ammunition and rations only part of the way. The rest of the journey over the Kokoda Track was on the backs of Papuan carriers, who struggled over the mountains lugging heavy loads, and often carrying the wounded too, which earning the sobriquet of "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels". (Full article...)

Hawkeye7 (discuss) 04:39, 7 December 2019 (UTC)

Since we had a link for airlift, I went with that. Looks great! Thanks. - Dank (push to talk) 04:57, 7 December 2019 (UTC)

Technical term here: "airlift" is when an aircraft brings in supplies by landing them at an airport or airstrip; "airdrop" is when they are delivered by tossing them out of a plane. The latter is what we want here, so I have switched the link. (Note that most of the techniques described in the article were not yet developed in 1942.) Hawkeye7 (discuss) 09:19, 7 December 2019 (UTC)

Although most Americans have probably never heard of the campaign, for many Australians it is the only campaign of World War II that they've heard of. An appropriate date would be 25 April 2020. Hawkeye7 (discuss) 09:19, 7 December 2019 (UTC)

Ack! I looked for the link for airdrop and couldn't find it for some reason, thanks. April 25 is open on WP:TFAP. I'm about to take a wikibreak, so I'm recusing from some duties, but I agree this should run. - Dank (push to talk) 14:40, 7 December 2019 (UTC)