The Japanese troops were positioned poorly by their own government during the campaigns at Buna, Gona, and other places in New Guinea, which resulted in a significant loss of lives. On the other hand, the Australian soldiers' lives were well preserved with fewer than a thousand being killed during the Japanese attack on Finch Haven in 1944.
The Guadalcanal and New Guinea Campaigns were intense, with soldiers dealing with horrors that were unfamiliar to them. These theaters of war saw a back and forth battle between the Japanese and the Allies, with the latter eventually denying the Japanese their objectives.
As the Allied and Axis forces battle for control of Guadalcanal, Marine Corps General Robert Barrow's quote "amateurs think about tactics, but professionals think about logistics" resonates. Gradually building up their strength and bringing in new units from the Mediterranean and other areas is what begins to turn the tide against the Axis in the Pacific war.
The experience of a combat soldier can greatly differ based on the terrain they are fighting in. Georgian-Australian journalist, Greg Callaghan, discusses how the harsh terrain in New Guinea impacted soldiers during World War II.
During World War II, the Japanese would launch Banzai attacks at night, where thousands of soldiers would swarm the American front lines, often using brutal and medieval tactics such as sword wielding and hacking to death wounded Americans who couldn't escape.