Pertempuran Brisbane Sejarah Australia [1942]

Battle of Brisbane, (26-27 November 1942), dua malam kerusuhan di Brisbane, ibu kota dan kota utama Queensland, Australia, antara warga Australia dan prajurit Amerika yang ditempatkan di sana selama Perang Dunia II.

Dalam beberapa hari setelah serangan Jepang di Pearl Harbor, perencana militer AS mulai memeriksa kemungkinan mengejar perang melawan Jepang dari pangkalan di Pasifik barat daya. Pada 14 Desember 1941, Brigjen. Jenderal Dwight D. Eisenhower mengusulkan pembangunan instalasi militer di Australia, dan rencana itu disetujui tiga hari kemudian oleh kepala staf Angkatan Darat AS George Marshall. Pada 22 Desember, sebuah konvoi yang dipimpin oleh USS Pensacola menurunkan lebih dari 4.000 tentara di Hamilton Wharf di Brisbane. Hampir satu juta pasukan AS akan melewati Australia antara tahun 1941 dan 1945, sekitar 80.000 di antaranya ditempatkan di Brisbane pada puncak perang. Populasi Brisbane pada bulan Desember 1940 diperkirakan 335.000; Kehadiran orang Amerika di kota itu akan memiliki dampak demografis yang signifikan. Awalnya pasukan AS disambut dengan hangat.Memang, banyak pasukan Afrika-Amerika menceritakan bahwa selama pengerahan mereka di Australia, mereka telah menerima perlakuan yang lebih baik dari orang Australia daripada dari saudara sebangsa mereka.

Pada bulan Maret 1942, Jenderal AS Douglas MacArthur diperintahkan ke Australia dari Filipina. Bulan berikutnya ia diangkat menjadi komandan semua pasukan Sekutu di teater Pasifik Barat Daya, dan pada bulan Juli ia memindahkan markas besarnya dari Melbourne ke Brisbane. Operasi besar pertama MacArthur sebagai komandan tertinggi adalah pertahanan Papua setelah pasukan invasi Jepang mengancam Port Moresby. Di bawah kondisi yang sangat keras dan bahkan tidak memiliki bekal paling dasar, kalah jumlah pasukan Australia di bawah Jenderal Sir Sydney Rowell yang bertempur dengan gagah, akhirnya menghentikan kemajuan Jepang sekitar 32 mil (50 km) dari Port Moresby. MacArthur tidak merahasiakan keyakinannya bahwa pasukan Australia kurang semangat, dan pada bulan September 1942 ia memerintahkan Rowell dibebaskan dari perintah.Tindakan itu memicu kemarahan luas terhadap MacArthur di antara pasukan Australia, sebuah pendapat yang tidak akan surut seiring waktu.

Di Brisbane, ketegangan mulai meningkat antara pasukan Amerika dan warga sipil dan prajurit Australia. Pertempuran Midway (3 Juni - 6 Juni 1942) dan Guadalcanal (mulai 7 Agustus 1942) telah secara efektif memeriksa kemajuan Jepang di Pasifik, dan Queensland tidak lagi di bawah ancaman invasi Jepang. Banyak yang menggemakan sentimen yang disuarakan oleh warga London selama "pendudukan" Amerika di Inggris — GI Amerika "dibayar terlalu tinggi, terlalu banyak, dan di sini." Personel tamtama Amerika dibayar dua kali lipat dari rekan-rekan Australia mereka, dan seragam pakaian pria tamtama Amerika lebih bergaya dibandingkan dengan perwira Australia. Selain itu, personel AS memiliki akses eksklusif ke kantin American PX (Postal Exchange) yang lengkap di distrik pusat bisnis Brisbane. PX Amerika menjual rokok, alkohol, cokelat,dan barang-barang mewah lainnya yang sangat dijatah, sangat mahal, atau tidak tersedia untuk orang Australia. Ketidaksetaraan yang mencolok antara kedua angkatan bersenjata secara mendasar menantang konsep "mateship" —sebuah ikatan egaliter yang saling menghormati dan kesetiaan yang tidak perlu dipertanyakan lagi yang berfungsi sebagai etos sentral bagi pasukan ANZAC (Korps Angkatan Darat Australia dan Selandia Baru).

The Battle of Brisbane began around 7:00 pm on the evening of what was being celebrated as Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Given the overall feeling of resentment toward Americans, it is ironic that the mass melee was sparked when a group of Australian soldiers attempted to defend an American “mate”—with whom they had only been acquainted for a few minutes—from American military police (MP). As MP batons flew, more Australians joined the growing fray outside the American PX; local pubs had just closed, and the streets were filled with soldiers and civilians. Fueled by alcohol and notions of mateship, the hostile crowd outside the PX soon topped 100 as American MPs attempted to maintain a hastily erected defensive perimeter around the building’s entrance. By 8:00 pm the crowd numbered several hundred, with some estimates improbably claiming that as many as 4,000 Australians were laying siege to the American PX. The MPs were pelted with rocks, bricks, and other projectiles, as local authorities chose not to interject themselves into an escalating situation. When an MP with a shotgun appeared at the PX entrance, all attention was drawn to the weapon, and there was an immediate scramble for control of it. The shotgun discharged, striking Australian Gunner Edward Webster in the chest, killing him instantly. Two more shots rang out, and at least a half dozen Australians would later be treated for gunshot wounds. The riot continued until 10:00 pm, when peace was temporarily restored to downtown Brisbane. The main floor of the American PX had been destroyed, and scores of individuals on both sides suffered injuries of various degrees of severity. Military censors quickly moved to quash any reports of a deadly clash between Allied troops.

Apparently believing that the worst had passed, neither army responded by confining its forces to their barracks. With the American PX under heavy guard, the following night (November 27) saw a crowd of Australian servicemen gather across the street, outside the American Red Cross offices. The group then moved down the block to MacArthur’s headquarters building, but the general had left the country. Half-dozen strong packs of Australian men spread throughout the city, beating any American GIs they found; especially vulnerable were American servicemen seen with Australian women. Australian provosts (military police) and Brisbane civilian police did little to intervene, and Australian junior officers were either unwilling or unable to restore discipline within their ranks. By midnight, the violence had subsided, but at least 20 Americans had received injuries serious enough to require hospitalization. The Battle of Brisbane finally ended when, under pressure from senior commanders, Australian provosts adopted a much more aggressive patrolling posture and brought a halt to the disorder.