We were in the outer channel of pearl harbor when the japanese attacked. If you want a more detailed set of reads i would look at willmotts empires in the balance, the barrier and the javelin, the war with japan, and his battle of leyte gulf, which in the aggregate cover most of the war chronologically. These are my memories of the bombing and the days that followed. War at sea in the pacific, 1941 1942, no greater valor. The pacific ocean theater, during world war ii, was a major theater of the war between the allies and the empire of japan.
Macarthur appointed commander of the southwest pacific theater by president roosevelt. Japan invaded manchuria ne province of china rich in minerals b. Western pacific 15 june 1944 2 september 1945 attacks on truk, where the japanese had a major base, continued as preparations were made for the invasion of the marianas. After the 7 december 1941 japanese attack on pearl harbor and the united states entry into the war, the use of civilian labor in war zones became impractical. The need for a militarized naval construction force to build advance bases in the war zone was self. As a military historian, hastings is known for his adeptness at switching from the big picture desk plans of the generals to the infantry mans foxhole perspective, and for vividly. Pacific theater during world war ii 193945, the united states fought battles in several regions of the world.
From the pacific theater to the coast of france, discover the greatest world war ii. It is generally considered that the pacific war began on the 7th of. Inside the pacific war, the most horrifying theater in ww2. Pacific fleet able to retaliate after the japanese attacked pearl harbor on 7 december 1941. This is a great book to read for anyone interested in world war ii. World war ii in the pacific stories of some who were there on the morning of december 7, 1941, i was eleven years old. Western pacific operations united states marine corps. Langbein, a german spy was sent to canada during ww2. The united states and japan fought throughout the pacific ocean in world war ii from 1941 to 1945, a part of the war remembered as the pacific. Pacific storm is a theaterwide strategy game, kind of like the total war series in that you control the movement of units in a world map, then combat in a real time environment, it also lets you fly any of the aircraft. Marines and the imperial army of japan during world war ii. In fact, for many years, i only knew that okinawa was a place because of mr. The pacific theater was where a series of battles during world war ii took place.
There are two subregions of the pacific theater which are the south west pacific theater and the pacific ocean theater. Most of the must read book on wwii are on the european theater. And as the hundreds of thousands of american men who had just enlisted were about to learn, it was going to be more brutal than anything they would see in europe. The pacific strategy, 19411944 the national wwii museum. When germany and italy declared war on the united states days later, america found itself in a global war. Japan lost at least 100,000 men and thousands of civilians, and the americans lost over 50,000 troops. One of the costliest battles of world war ii began on september 15, 1944, when u. Pacific theater ww2 map by christian thompson description. Pacific war is a more common name, around the world, for the broader conflict. Japan attacked the us navy at pearl harbor, bringing the us into the war. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast pacific ocean theater, the south west pacific theater, the southeast asian theater, the second sinojapanese war, and the sovietjapanese war. The pacific war by costello is a similar read akin to spectors book.
Chronology and fact book by kevin don hutchison greenwood press, 1994. A map of wwii in the pacific indicating allied vs japanese victories classroom use. Feb 4, 2016 explore bogusboggss board books on ww2. It starts in 1941, allows the player to conduct the war as. Despite the internment, over 17,000 japaneseamericans sign up and fight for the u. World war ii, 193945, worldwide conflict involving every major power in the world. Omar bradley is the only other high ranking army officer in wwii who wrote a better history book about that war.
World war ii was unique in that it was a multitheater war, and saw fighting occur in. The war in europe began in september 1939 when nazi germany, under adolf hitler, invaded poland. Click through this timeline to see how battles dotted the pacific theatre between 1931 and 1945. Popular world war ii pacific theater books showing 150 of 315 ship of ghosts. However, i have found as i age that reading a book. List of books and articles about world war ii pacific theater. The european theater and the pacific theater, in particular, saw some of the most intense fighting of world war ii and involved some of the most significant events of the war, including.
The pacific theater of war included japan, china, korea, the philippines, and many more islands and countries in southeast asia. Explore history books about the battle of okinawa, considered the last great battle of. Using blitzkrieg tactics the country was quickly overtaken. Although i was very eager to read the book, i lost interest half way through. The stories downfall is based on the immense amount of description and the fact that the book is based on true accounts and gathered from peoples stories. Each short piece contains a fact or a quotation drawn from primary. The united states and japan fought throughout the pacific ocean in world war ii from 1941 to 1945, a part of the war remembered as the pacific theater. While this attention is both wellearned and welldeveloped. See more ideas about books, world war ii and history books. List of books and articles about world war ii pacific theater online. The story of the uss houston, fdrs legendary lost cruiser, and the epic saga of her survivors hardcover.
There was quite a flareup at the joint chiefs of staff meeting, when admiral ernest king asked for more planes for the south pacific, arnold wrote. World war ii united states military records, 1941 to 1945. This article reports the accounts of the experiences of an american marine and a japanese nurse, which clearly depict their life and times during the second world war. Midway could have been used as a staging point for future attacks on pearl harbor. The pacific war, sometimes called the asiapacific war, was the theater of world war ii that was fought in the pacific and asia. The fighting in the pacific was difficult for several reasons. Aug 23, 2017 the pacific theater in pictures, 19421945 four japanese transports, hit by both u. Arranged regionally and, to the extent possible, chronologically according to when islands entered the war, entries provide complete background information.
The main combatants of the pacific war were the united states, japan, australia, great britain, and china. Halseys typhoons, a firsthand account of how two typhoons, more powerful than the japanese, dealt death and destruction to admiral halseys third fleet. The pacific theatre of world war ii was largely defined by the territories of the empire of japan. The turning point in the pacific theatre came in mid1942 with historys first great carrier battles. The majority of those who starved during the pacific war were civilians. In june 1942, japan hoped to capture midway island, an american held base about miles from hawaii. The war in the pacific continued between japan the latter briefly aided by thailand and to a lesser extent by its axis allies germany and italy and the allied powers. The us pursued a twopronged offensive across the central and southwest. War in the pacific throughout the rest of world war two. He decided to use his funds to move to ottawa and then surrendered to canadian authorities.
From december 1941 to april 1945, the pacific ocean theater of world war ii saw a bitter confrontation between the allied forces led by the u. During trial, jury let him go because he didnt do any damage or even spying source. There were two major places where world war ii took place. Pacific war, major theatre of world war ii that covered a large portion of the pacific ocean, east asia, and southeast asia, with significant engagements occurring as far south as northern australia and as far north as the aleutian islands. The times london the definitive onevolume account of world war ii in the pacific theaterthe first book to weave together the separate stories of the fighting in china, malaya, burma, the east indies, the philippines, new guinea, the solomon islands, and the aleutians.
Pacific war is a more common name, around the world, for the broader conflict between the allies and japan, between 1937 and 1945. It deals primarily with the naval and air aspects of the war i dont know how well it simulates the ground war. Why does the pacific theater of wwii seem under covered. A new history of the second world war, pacific payback. Watch this video to learn about some of the key battles, as well as the general nature, of the pacific theater of the war. It is not a i was there book like the bloody battle for suribachi by wheeler. Japan invaded china who was experiencing a civil war c. The battle of iwo jima february 19 march 26, 1945 was an epic military campaign between u. March 24, 1942 admiral chester nimitz appointed as commander in chief of the u. Most people would be hard pressed to name three commanders in the pacific other than nimitz, halsey and macarther.
The definitive onevolume account of world war ii in the pacific theaterthe first. Before the start of the war in the pacific, japan attacked pearl harbor, the american military base located on the island of oahu, hawaii. Covering all pacific islands involved in world war ii military operations, this book is a detailed, single source of information on virtually every geomilitary aspect of the pacific theater. Attack in the pacific 1944 pacific theater world war ii film movie video. World war ii in the pacific national geographic society.
United states far east command, military intelligence section microform. Europeanafricanmiddle eastern theater asiatic pacific theater. One theater of world war ii was in europe, the other was in the pacific. Pacific theater during the world war ii library of congress. The american troops that landed on saipan on 15 june 1944 met bitter opposition. The introduction to the memorial on the website says, the memory of americas world war ii generation is preserved within the physical memorial and through the world war ii. Aug 06, 2019 the pacific theater of world war ii was, as one historian put it, hands down the wars most hated theater in which to fight. The chief of naval operations practically begged the commanding general of the usaaf for more airplanes. The pacific theater of operations pto is the term used in the united states for all military activity in the pacific ocean and the countries bordering it, in world war ii.
An 82daylong assault on the japanese island of okinawa, the battle was the largest in the pacific theater of war. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast pacific ocean theater, the south west pacific theater, the southeast asian theater, the second sinojapanese war, and the sovietjapanese war the second sinojapanese war between the. What are the best books on the pacific theater of wwii. Fire and fortitude is military historian john mcmanus newest book, and his first to examine the pacific theater of world war ii. The battle of midway was an epic wwii clash between the u. As on other battlefields before world war ii and since, the marines. The passage is quoted in british historian and journalist max hastingss latest book, retribution, which covers the final year of the war in the pacific. The definitive onevolume account of world war ii in the pacific theaterthe first book to weave together the separate stories of the fighting in china, malaya, burma, the east indies, the philippines, new guinea, the solomon islands, and the aleutians. This book is the fourth in the fivevolume history of marine corps.
World war ii history books about the battle of okinawa hachette. Battles with the japanese mostly occurred in the pacific theater, the waters and islands of the pacific ocean. They were part of the huge force of auxiliary and combat vessels the enemy attempted to bring down from the north on november th and 14th. The pacific war, sometimes called the asia pacific war, was the theater of world war ii that was fought in the pacific and asia. In fact, the turning point in the pacific theater took place between june 47, 1942 as a. Joint chiefs of staff issued a directive to the commanders in the pacific to begin offensive operations in the southwest pacific. Also, bombdamaged areas in japan including mushroom cloud over nagasaki, saipan, hong. The pacific theater is the area in and next to the pacific ocean, in which world war ii was fought. Lesson summary japan and the united states fought in the pacific theater of world war ii. March 18, 1942 war relocation authority established in the u. Note that we also have the rest of this collection.
World war 2 facts, kamikaze attacks, timeline, summary, significance 1995. World war ii in the pacific theater visit pearl harbor. A personal recollection of the pacific war written in 1949 by the commander of the fifth army airforce. Navy and the imperial japanese navy that played out six months after the attack. Marines landed on peleliu, a volcanic island in the western pacific ocean measuring only 6 miles long and 2. Under international law civilians were not permitted to resist enemy military attack. At its peak, the empire stretched throughout eastern china, southeast asia, the islands of oceania, and even the aleutian islands in north america. Institute for the study of war and on december 7, 1941, japan staged a surprise attack on pearl harbor, severely damaging the us pacific fleet. On july 2, 1942, having decided to take positive steps to secure the lines of communication between the united states and australia, the u. A turn of events came at a joint chiefs of staff meeting two months later on september 16, 1942. If you want a more detailed set of reads i would look at willmotts empires in the balance, the barrier and the javelin, the war with japan, and his battle of leyte gulf.
Books pacific theater books page 1 the national wwii museum. It only ended in the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki, along with the soviet invasion of manchuria. Good book about the last major naval engagement of the war, and really last major naval battle ever level 1 even though its just a story of one mans plight in the pacific, and not the theater as a whole. First published in 1960, this national book award winner and new york times bestseller traces the rise and fall of nazi germany from adolf hitlers birth in 1889 to the end of world war ii in 1945. Make your next great read one of these essential world war ii books. Selected fulltext books and articles world war ii in the north pacific. John costellos the pacific war is regarded as a classic. A bit of world war 11 history in the pacific theater the fiftyone submarines at pearl harbor, on the west coast of the u. This is a question that has been begged by the decades of europefirst histories of great quality, but extreme focus on the the battles in the west including the germans eastern front.