With control of the towns of Lae and Salamaua the troops of the Imperial Japanese Army were able to maintain control of shipping in and around the north coast of New Guinea and the island of New Britain. From here they had the potential to launch another attempt to capture Port Moresby. For the Allies, having pushed the Japanese back across the Owen Stanley Ranges and out of Buna, Gona and Sanananda, the opportunity to push the Japanese out of Salamaua and Lae. But the terrain would be just as formidable an enemy as the Japanese.

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