The Pacific War: From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa

Description

On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes appeared from the clouds above Pearl Harbor and fundamentally changed the course of history; with this one surprise attack the previously isolationist America was irrevocably thrown into World War II. This definitive history reveals each of the major battles that America would fight in the ensuing struggle against Imperial Japan, from the naval clashes at Midway and Coral Sea to the desperate, bloody fighting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Each chapter reveals both the horrors of the battle and the Allies' grim yet heroic determination to wrest victory from what often seemed to be certain defeat, offering a valuable guide to the long road to victory in the Pacific. Origins of the Campaign Opposing Commanders The US Commanders The Japanese Commanders The Japanese Plan The Attack on Pearl Harbor Opening Moves The Hawaii Operation The First Wave The Second Wave Aftermath US Ship Losses US Aircraft Losses Japanese Losses Origins of the Campaign Opposing Commanders The Japanese Commanders The US Commanders Opposing Fleets The IJN Carrier Force The US Navy Carrier Force Opposing Plans The Japanese Plan – the Naval General Staff vs. the Combined Fleet The US Plan The Battle of the Coral Sea Opening Moves The American Carrier Raid on May 4 Movement to Contact – May 5–6 The Clashes of May 7 Death of a Carrier Pre-battle Preparations – May 8 The Americans Strike the MO Carrier Force The Japanese Strike TF-17 After the Strikes Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Commanders The Japanese Commanders The US Commanders Opposing Forces The Japanese Fleet The US Navy Carrier Force Opposing Plans The Japanese Plan The US Plan The Battle of Midway Opening Moves The Japanese Strike Midway The Carrier Battle of June 4 Nagumo’s Dilemma The Decisive Phase The Japanese Response Hiryu Retaliates Tomonaga Attacks Yorktown  The Death of Hiryu  Yamamoto’s Decision Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Plans The Japanese Plan The US Plan Opposing Commanders The Japanese Commanders The US Commanders Opposing Forces The Japanese Forces The US Forces The Landings Tulagi Gavutu and Tanambogo Guadalcanal August The Battle of Savo Island The First Week The First Battle of the Matanikau The Battle of the Tenaru The Battle of the Eastern Solomons September The Tasimboko Raid The Battle of “Bloody Ridge” Matanikau Action October Matanikau Battle The Japanese Counteroffensive November The Naval Battle for Guadalcanal November Actions The Final Naval Battles The Army Takes Over The Final Phase Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Commanders The US Commanders The Japanese Commanders Opposing Forces The US Forces The Japanese Forces Opposing Plans The US Plan The Japanese Plans The Battle of Tarawa D-Day Red Beach 1 – Morning Red Beach 2 – Morning Red Beach 3 – Morning Other Operations Red Beach 1 – Afternoon Red Beaches 2 and 3 – Afternoon The Defenders D-Day+1 D-Day+2 D-Day+3 Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Plans The US Plan – Operations Flintlock and Catchpole The Japanese Plan – Z Operation Opposing Commanders The US Commanders The Japanese Commanders Opposing Forces The US Forces The Japanese Forces Operation Flintlock  Occupation of Majuro Roi-Namur Assault Roi Island, February 1 (D+1)  Namur Island, February 1–2 (D+1–D+2) Kwajalein Assault Kwajalein – Neighboring Islands, February 1 (D+1) Kwajalein Island, February 1 (D+1) Kwajalein Island, February 2–4 (D+2–D+4) Ebeye Island Assault Eniwetok Assault Eniwetok’s neighboring Islands, February 17–18 (D-Day–D+1) Engebi Island, February 18–19 (D+1–D+2) Eniwetok Island, February 19–21 (D+2–D+4) Parry Island, February 22–23 (D+5–D+6) Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Plans The US Plan – Stalemate II  The Japanese Plan – Defense of the Palaus Opposing Commanders The US Commanders The Japanese Commanders Opposing Forces The US Forces The Japanese Forces The Peleliu Assault D-Day D+1 – D+7 Sideshows on Angaur and Ulithi “A Horrible Place” The Pocket Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Commanders The US Commanders The Japanese Commanders Opposing Forces  The US Forces The Japanese Forces Opposing Plans The US Plan The Japanese Plan Action and Reaction Opening Moves (October 17–22) Kurita’s Center Group: Ambush in the Palawan Passage (October 21–23) Battle of the Sibuyan Sea (October 24) Ozawa’s Northern Force Halsey’s 3rd Fleet: Halsey’s Decision(October 24–25) Kurita’s Center Group: The Battle off Samar (October 25) Ozawa’s Northern Force: The Battle off Cape Engaño (October 25) Halsey’s 3rd Fleet: The Run to the South (October 25) Kurita’s Center Group: Kurita’s Deliverance (October 25–26) The Southern Force: The Approach Phase (October 24) Kinkaid’s 7th Fleet: Kinkaid’s Dispositions (October 24) The Southern Force: Battle of Surigao Strait –Phase I (October 24–25) Phase II (October 25) Phase III (October 25) Phase IV (October 25) Mopping Up: The Closing Phases (October 25–27) Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Commanders The US Commanders The Japanese Commanders Opposing Forces The US Forces The Japanese Forces Opposing Plans The US Plan The Japanese Plan The Invasion D-Day: “A Nightmare in Hell” D+1 D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 D+6 D+7 D+8 D+9 D+10 D+11 D+12–D+19: Deadlock D+12 D+13 D+15 D+16 D+17–D+18 D+19 Aftermath Origins of the Campaign Opposing Plans The Japanese Plan The US Plan Opposing Commanders The US Commanders The Japanese Commanders Opposing Forces The US Forces – Task Force 51 US Army US Marine Corps The Japanese Forces Initial Operations Initial Landings The Main Landing Splitting the Island The Offensive Continues The 10th Army Advances The Push North Ie Shima Landings Assault on the Shuri Defenses The Japanese Counteroffensive Action at Sea Kamikaze Attacks The Sinking of the Yamato  Seizing the South Shuri Falls The Push South The Last Stand Aftermath