Download or read book Island Hopping Across the Pacific Theater in World War II written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-23 with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the fighting *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading The waters of the Pacific Ocean - stretching deep blue under the tropical sun, or scourged by typhoons - provided World War II's most far-flung battlefield. Two of the world's premier mid 20th century maritime powers, the United States of American and the Empire of Japan, grappled for supremacy across that vast expanse. By the time the Battle of Midway was over in June 1942, the defeat was so devastating for Japan that it was actually kept secret from all but the highest echelons of the Japanese government. Along with the loss of hundreds of aircraft and over 3,000 men killed, the four Japanese aircraft carriers lost, when compared to America's one lost carrier, was critical considering America's huge shipbuilding superiority. The protagonists at Midway were putting into practice a newly emerging naval doctrine, one which ultimately meted out a terrible punishment to the side that miscalculated. Carrier versus carrier combat had come of age. From that point forward, it would be the Americans who operated aggressively across the Pacific. The Guadalcanal Campaign, which ran from August 1942 to February 1943, was a bitter and protracted struggle that also happened to be a strange and transitional confrontation quite unlike any other in the long Pacific War. In conjunction with the American victory at the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal represented the crucial moment when the balance of power in the Pacific tipped in favor of the Allies, but the idea that Guadalcanal would be such a significant battle would have come as a surprise to military strategists and planners on both sides. By the spring of 1943, American military planners had begun to create a plan to dislodge Japan from east and southeast Asia. To do so, parts of the Philippines were considered main strategic points in the potential Allied attack in the Pacific. The end goal of the Allied plan was an invasion of the Japanese home islands, in which heavy aerial bombardment would precede a ground assault. In order for this to occur, Allied forces would have to occupy areas surrounding Japan, with China adding to Luzon (the largest island in the Philippines) and Formosa (a large island off the coast of China) to create a triangle from which they could launch their bombers. The Allied advance across the Pacific was based on this 1943 plan, with General MacArthur and his forces moving to the north through New Guinea, then Morotai Island, and then to Mindanao, which was the southernmost major island in the Philippines chain. At the same time, Admiral Chester Nimitz sent his fleet through the central Pacific, where they engaged Japanese forces at the Gilbert, Marshall, Marianas and Palau Islands en route to Mindanao. Meanwhile, when Admiral Nimitz was directed to capture an island in the Bonin group, Iwo Jima stood out for its importance in making progress against the mainland, with three airfields that would allow American air forces to attack the Japanese mainland. Near the end of 1944, as Allied forces were pushing across the Pacific and edging ever closer to Japan, plans were drawn up to invade the Ryuku islands, the most prominent of them being Okinawa. Military planners anticipated that an amphibious campaign would last a week, but instead of facing 60,000 Japanese defenders as estimated, there were closer to 120,000 on the island at the beginning of the campaign in April 1945. The Battle of Okinawa was the largest amphibious operation in the Pacific theater, and it would last nearly 3 months and wind up being the fiercest in the Pacific theater during the war, with nearly 60,000 American casualties and over 100,000 Japanese soldiers killed. In addition, the battle resulted in an estimated 40,000-150,000 Japanese civilian casualties.
Download or read book Island Infernos written by John C. McManus and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Fire and Fortitude—winner of the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History—John C. McManus presented a riveting account of the US Army's fledgling fight in the Pacific following Pearl Harbor. Now, in Island Infernos, he explores the Army’s dogged pursuit of Japanese forces, island by island, throughout 1944, a year that would bring America ever closer to victory or defeat. “A feat of prodigious scholarship.”—The Wall Street Journal • “Wonderful.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch • “Outstanding.”—Publishers Weekly • “Rich and absorbing.”—Richard Overy, author of Blood and Ruins • “A considerable achievement, and one that, importantly, adds much to our understanding of the Pacific War.”—James Holland, author of Normandy ’44 After some two years at war, the Army in the Pacific held ground across nearly a third of the globe, from Alaska’s Aleutians to Burma and New Guinea. The challenges ahead were enormous: supplying a vast number of troops over thousands of miles of ocean; surviving in jungles ripe with dysentery, malaria, and other tropical diseases; fighting an enemy prone to ever-more desperate and dangerous assaults. Yet the Army had proven they could fight. Now, they had to prove they could win a war. Brilliantly researched and written, Island Infernos moves seamlessly from the highest generals to the lowest foot soldiers and in between, capturing the true essence of this horrible conflict. A sprawling yet page-turning narrative, the story spans the battles for Saipan and Guam, the appalling carnage of Peleliu, General MacArthur’s dramatic return to the Philippines, and the grinding jungle combat to capture the island of Leyte. This masterful history is the second volume of John C. McManus’s trilogy on the US Army in the Pacific War, proving McManus to be one of our finest historians of World War II.
Download or read book The Pacific Theater written by Geoffrey Miles White and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contributions from anthropologists participating in a symposium of the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania, New Harmony, Indiana, 1986, examine the experiences of Pacific Islanders in the war and their remembrances of it as observers, laborers, on patrol, under bombardment. The studies de
Download or read book Island Hopping in the Pacific written by Wallace B. Black and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explains why it was necessary for allied forces to make their way through islands up the Pacific on the way to invading and conquering Japan.
Download or read book World War II Pacific written by Daniel Wrinn and published by Storyteller Books, LLC. This book was released on 2021-06-25 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A brisk and compelling game changer for the historiography of the Pacific Theater in World War II." - Reviewer An enlightening glimpse into nine battles and campaigns during the Pacific War Allied offensive. Each of these momentous operations were fascinating feats of strategy, planning, and bravery, handing the Allies what would eventually become a victory over the Pacific Theater and an end to Imperialist Japanese expansion. Operation Watchtower, a riveting exploration of the spark that set off the Allied offensive in the Pacific islands, detailing the grueling struggle for the island of Guadalcanal and its vital strategic position. Operation Galvanic, an incredible account of the battle for the Tarawa Atoll and base that would give them a steppingstone into the heart of Japanese-controlled waters. Operation Backhander, a gripping retelling of the war for Cape Gloucester, New Guinea, and the Bismarck Sea. Battle for Saipan, Marines stormed the beaches with a goal of gaining a crucial air base from which the US could launch its new long-range B-29 bombers directly at Japan's home islands. Invasion of Tinian, is the incredible account of the assault on Tinian. Located just under six miles southwest of Saipan. This was the first use of napalm and the "shore to shore" concept. Recapture of Guam, a gripping narrative about the liberation of the Japanese-held island of Guam, captured by the Japanese in 1941 during one of the first Pacific campaigns of the War. Operation Stalemate, Marines landed on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for General MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines. Operation Detachment, the battle of Iwo Jima was a major offensive in World War II. The Marine invasion was tasked with the mission of capturing airfields on the island for use by P-51 fighters. Operation Iceberg, the invasion and ultimate victory on Okinawa was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater. It was also one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific, lasting ninety-eight days. This gripping narrative sheds light on these often-overlooked facets of WWII, providing students, history fans, and World War II buffs alike with a captivating breakdown of the history and combat that defined the ultimate victory of US forces in the Pacific.
Download or read book Pacific Victory written by Derrick Wright and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2010-08-09 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American 'island-hopping' campaign in the Pacific during the Second World War was a crucial factor in the eventual defeat of Japan in 1945. The assault and capture of these islands meant US bombers and their fighter escorts could now reach mainland Japan, disrupting and eventually crippling its war economy. The battles on Tarawa, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas group, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were all characterised by savage fighting and heavy casulaties on both sides. Japanese garrisons often fought to the death and kamikaze air attacks posed a grave threat to the opposing US forces. Employing archive colour and black and white photographs, maps and first-hand accounts, the author relates these pivotal battles to the wider struggle against the Japanese in the Pacific.
Download or read book World War 2 Japan written by Stephan Weaver and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-03-13 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Japanese involvement in WWII is one that includes a number of amazing events between 1939 and 1945. The Japanese went from fighting against just the Chinese to attempting to practically take on the entire world at the one time. Inside you will learn about... ✓ The Attack on Pearl Harbor ✓ The Pacific War Begins ✓ The Completion of the War Plan. ✓ Attacking Australia and Further Expansion ✓ Battle of the Coral Sea ✓ The Battle for the Solomon Islands ✓ The Bomb ✓ The Japanese Surrender And much more! This is a story of rapid expansion, an attempt at consolidation, and ultimately, retreat and massacre. It is a story of honor, of Allied unity, and eventual surrender. The role of Japan in the Pacific War is a part of WWII that cannot be forgotten.
Download or read book Multi Domain Battle in the Southwest Pacific Theater of World War II written by Combat Studies Institute Press and published by . This book was released on 2019-07-29 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Multi-Domain Battle in the Southwest Pacific Theater of World War II" provides a historical account of how US forces used synchronized operations in the air, maritime, information, and land domains to defeat the Japanese Empire. This work offers a historical case that illuminates current thinking about future campaigns in which coordination among all domains will be critical for success.
Download or read book Eyewitness Pacific Theater written by D. M. Giangreco and published by Sterling Publishing Company Incorporated. This book was released on 2008 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to the dropping of the atomic bomb that ended the war, the Pacific Theater of World War II comes alive in a compilation of eyewitness accounts of the battles, campaigns, events, and personalities of the war, complemented by hundreds of period photographs and a CD containing personal narratives.
Download or read book Islands of the Damned written by R.V. Burgin and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A remarkable eyewitness account of the most brutal combat of the Pacific War, from Peleliu to Okinawa, this is the true story of R.V. Burgin, the real-life World War II Marine Corps hero featured in HBO®'s The Pacific. “Read his story and marvel at the man...and those like him.”—Tom Hanks When a young Texan named R.V. Burgin joined the Marines 1942, he never imagined what was waiting for him a world away in the Pacific. There, amid steamy jungles, he encountered a ferocious and desperate enemy in the Japanese, engaging them in some of the most grueling and deadly fights of the war. In this remarkable memoir, Burgin reveals his life as a special breed of Marine. Schooled by veterans who had endured the cauldron of Guadalcanal, Burgin’s company soon confronted snipers, repulsed jungle ambushes, encountered abandoned corpses of hara-kiri victims, and warded off howling banzai attacks as they island-hopped from one bloody battle to the next. In his two years at war, Burgin rose from a green private to a seasoned sergeant, fighting from New Britain through Peleliu and on to Okinawa, where he earned a Bronze Star for valor. With unforgettable drama and an understated elegance, Burgin’s gripping narrative stands alongside those of classic Pacific chroniclers like Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge—indeed, Burgin was even Sledge’s platoon sergeant. Here is a deeply moving account of World War II, bringing to life the hell that was the Pacific War.
Download or read book Pacific Island Battlegrounds of World War II written by Earl R. Hinz and published by Bess Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Highlights decisive WWII military operations in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, and their effects on the islands. Illustrations, maps, and index.
Download or read book Across the Dark Islands written by Floyd W. Radike and published by Presidio Press. This book was released on 2004-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An American brigadier general shares an unflinching, honest, and powerful story of his military and personal journey through the Pacific during World War II.
Download or read book Island Fighting written by Rafael Steinberg and published by Time Life Medical. This book was released on 1998 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An account of the World War II battles and campaigns on and around the islands of the Pacific.
Download or read book Island Infernos written by John C. McManus and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Fire and Fortitude—winner of the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History—John C. McManus presented a riveting account of the US Army's fledgling fight in the Pacific following Pearl Harbor. Now, in Island Infernos, he explores the Army’s dogged pursuit of Japanese forces, island by island, throughout 1944, a year that would bring America ever closer to victory or defeat. “A feat of prodigious scholarship.”—The Wall Street Journal • “Wonderful.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch • “Outstanding.”—Publishers Weekly • “Rich and absorbing.”—Richard Overy, author of Blood and Ruins • “A considerable achievement, and one that, importantly, adds much to our understanding of the Pacific War.”—James Holland, author of Normandy ’44 After some two years at war, the Army in the Pacific held ground across nearly a third of the globe, from Alaska’s Aleutians to Burma and New Guinea. The challenges ahead were enormous: supplying a vast number of troops over thousands of miles of ocean; surviving in jungles ripe with dysentery, malaria, and other tropical diseases; fighting an enemy prone to ever-more desperate and dangerous assaults. Yet the Army had proven they could fight. Now, they had to prove they could win a war. Brilliantly researched and written, Island Infernos moves seamlessly from the highest generals to the lowest foot soldiers and in between, capturing the true essence of this horrible conflict. A sprawling yet page-turning narrative, the story spans the battles for Saipan and Guam, the appalling carnage of Peleliu, General MacArthur’s dramatic return to the Philippines, and the grinding jungle combat to capture the island of Leyte. This masterful history is the second volume of John C. McManus’s trilogy on the US Army in the Pacific War, proving McManus to be one of our finest historians of World War II.
Download or read book Women Heroes of World War II the Pacific Theater written by Kathryn Atwood and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After glamorous American singer Claire Phillips opened her own night club in Manila, using the proceeds to secretly feed starving American POWs, she also began working as a spy, chatting up Japanese military men and passing their secrets along to local guerilla resistance fighters. Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel, stationed in Singapore then shipwrecked in the Dutch East Indies, became the sole survivor of a horrible massacre by Japanese soldiers. She hid for days, tending to a seriously wounded British soldier while wounded herself. Humanitarian Elizabeth Choy lived the rest of her life hating only war, not her tormentors, after enduring six months of starvation and torture by the Japanese military police. In these pages, readers will meet these and other courageous women and girls who risked their lives through their involvement in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Fifteen suspense-filled stories unfold across China, Japan, Mayala, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines, providing an inspiring reminder of women and girls' refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history. These women—whose stories span from 1932 through 1945, the last year of the war, when U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima—served in dangerous roles as spies, medics, journalists, resisters, and saboteurs. Nine of the women were American; seven were captured and imprisoned by the Japanese, enduring brutal conditions. Author Kathryn J. Atwood provides appropriate context and framing for teens 14 and up to grapple with these harsh realities of war. Discussion questions and a guide for further study assist readers and educators in learning about this important and often neglected period of history.
Download or read book One Square Mile of Hell written by John Wukovits and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-10-04 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For Dutton Caliber's American War Heroes series, the riveting true account of the Battle of Tarawa, an epic World War II clash in which the U.S. Marines fought the Japanese nearly to the last man. In November 1943, the men of the 2d Marine Division were instructed to clear out Japanese resistance on the Pacific island of Betio, a speck at the end of the Tarawa Atoll. When the Marines landed, the Japanese poured out of their underground bunkers—and launched one of the most brutal and bloody battles of World War II. For three straight days, attackers and defenders fought over every square inch of sand in a battle with no defined frontlines, and where there was no possibility of retreat—because there was nowhere to retreat to. It was a struggle that would leave both sides stunned and exhausted, and prove both the fighting mettle of the Americans and the fanatical devotion of the Japanese. Drawn from new sources, including participants’ letters and diaries and exclusive firsthand interviews with survivors, One Square Mile of Hell is the true story of a battle between two determined foes, neither of whom would ever look at the other in the same way again.
Download or read book Great Battles for Boys written by Joe Giorello and published by . This book was released on 2016-03 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why was the Battle of Wake Island known as The Alamo of the Pacific? How did the Navy figure out jets could fly off ships? What happened to young American soldiers dropped into strange islands like Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima? "Great Battles for Boys" takes young readers to the front lines of history's toughest fights. From strategies and military leaders to bullets and bombers, boys learn which elements won--or lost. Boys also learn about courage under fire. WWII in the Pacific opens with the Flying Tigers covertly fighting Japan before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The battles then storm across the Pacific in chronological order, from the deadly surprise attack on Hawaii that nearly wiped out the American navy to the "island hopping" strategy that eventually led to Victory Over Japan. Each chapter features short dramatic tales, historic photos, maps, and age-appropriate books for further reading. There's also a list of movies the whole family can watch. Even the most reluctant readers will be captivated by these true tales of valor. "In Volume II of Great Battles, author Joe Giorello paints a vivid picture of events in WW II's Pacific Theater in a way that can make readers forget they aren't listening to first-hand accounts of the action. Combining his uniquely conversational style with myriad historical facts, plenty of interesting photos,and lots of fascinating, little known anecdotes, Joe takes readers 'behind the scenes' and helps them to experience this vitally important chapter in our Nation's history. From the dark days following Pearl Harbor to victory ratified aboard the USS Missouri, Giorello covers it all - and never fails to capture the incredible sacrifice, unbelievable courage, and selfless service of America's bravest and finest. A great book with superb additional resources; I give it a 'must read!' The Reverend Charles F. Reynolds Chief Warrant Officer 3, USMC, Ret.
