The Battle of Milne Bay (from August 25 through to September 7, 1942), was the defense of the eastern New Guinea by Australian and US forces against a Japanese invasion. It would become the first time that Japanese forces had been defeated on land, shattering the myth at the time of Japanese invincibility. The Royal Australian Air Force played a particularly important role in this battle, maintaining air superiority over the region and inflicting serious damage to invading forces.