| ANZAC Force | |
|---|---|
| Active | 27 January - 22 April 1942 |
| Country | Australia New Zealand United States |
| Allegiance | Allies of World War II |
| Branch | Navy |
| Type | Multinational naval air and sea support |
| Role | Defense of Australia and Commonwealth territories |
| Engagements | Battle for Australia New Guinea Campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Herbert Fairfax Leary |
The ANZAC Force, also called the ANZAC Command, was a short-lived naval military command for Allied forces defending northeast Australia and the surrounding area in early 1942 during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. The command was created on 27 January 1942. United States Navy Vice Admiral Herbert Fairfax Leary commanded the force. The force co-existed with the Allied ABDA command which was charged with defending Allied colonial territories in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific from Imperial Japanese aggression. The ANZAC Force was created in response to an Australian government request for a command dedicated solely to the protection of Australia.
The ANZAC area included the east coast of Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji. Leary reported directly to US Fleet commander Admiral Ernest King. Most of the naval forces assigned to the command were from the Royal Australian Navy, but the United States and New Zealand also contributed warships. The operational naval task unit under the command was called the ANZAC Squadron and was led by UK Rear Admiral John Gregory Crace. The command was absorbed and redesignated as part of the South West Pacific Area (command) under United States Army General Douglas MacArthur on 22 April 1942.