War in the Pacific

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Sea Power and Maritime Affairs
Lesson 14 The War in the Pacific, The Defensive
Phase
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Learning Objectives

• Comprehend the political and economic forces
  which led Japan to strike at Pearl Harbor and the
  Far East.
• Comprehend the Japanese strategy for an early
  victory in World War II.
• Comprehend the impact of Pearl Harbor and the
  subsequent Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway on
  the transformation of the aircraft carrier's role
  in naval warfare.
• Know the importance of the Guadalcanal and
  Solomon Islands campaigns to U.S. strategy in the
  Pacific.
• Comprehend the nature of U.S. command
  relationships in the Pacific Theatre of World War
  II.

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Background Information

• Japanese-American Relations tense Japan
  challenged Americas Open Door policy by
  attacking Manchuria in 1931.
• In 1937, Japanese expansion in China resulted in
  attack on American gunboat, the Panay, by
  Japanese aircraft.
• Roosevelt adopted economic sanctions leading to
  an oil embargo by Americans, British and Dutch
  (July 1941)

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Background Information

• The Japanese struck for the oil-rich Dutch East
  Indies (Indonesia), Singapore, and the
  surrounding British-owned Malaya, Thailand, the
  Philippines, and Hong Kong.
• The Japanese camouflaged their plans with
  diplomatic negotiations in Washington. The
  United States expected an assault somewhere in
  the Pacific because cryptanalysts, in a technique
  called Magic, had broken the Japanese
  Diplomatic Code.

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Background Information

• The attack on Pearl Harbor surprised the
  Americans, who had not anticipated a strike so
  far east or one mounted solely by carrier-born
  aircraft.

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Pearl Harbor
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Pearl Harbor Japans Plan

• Southern drive into Indochina and Dutch East
  Indies for oil.
• Strike at Philippines and Singapore to knock out
  local American and British Forces.

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Pearl Harbor Japanese Plans

• Attack on Pearl Harbor conceived by Admiral
  Yamamoto
• Great risk U.S. would surely enter the war.
• Greater potential gain U.S. Pacific Fleet would
  be knocked out of the war.
• Japan would then consolidate gains throughout
  China and the Pacific.
• Possibility of U.S. agreeing to Japanese
  territorial gains to make peace.
• Good possibility of U.S. involvement in Europe as
  well.
• Will drain naval resources from Pacific Ocean.
• U.S. Atlantic Fleet already involved in convoy
  escort against U-boats.

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Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

• Commander in Chief
• Japanese Combined Fleet
• Wounded at Tsushima Strait
• Lived in the United States
• Boston - Studied English
• Washington D.C. - Naval Attaché
• Against war with the U.S.
• Demanded Pearl Harbor Attack
• Destruction of U.S. Pacific Fleet

September 1940 If I am told to fight
regardless of the consequences, I shall run wild
for the first six months or a year, but I have
utterly no confidence for the second or third
year.
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The Attack

• Six newest and largest Japanese carriers at core
  of striking force
• Sortie from Kuriles, rendezvous 7 Dec, 200 miles
  N of Pearl Harbor
• Launched 183 aircraft at 0600, strike 0755
• 90 of damage inflicted by 0825

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The Attack
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U.S. Pacific Fleet - Pearl Harbor

• No clear warning from Washington.
• Intercepts did not identify Pearl Harbor as a
  target.
• Slow communications between Washington and
  Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
• Battleships in berths at Pearl for weekend
  liberty.
• Battleship Row
• Carriers Lexington and Enterprise delivering
  aircraft to Midway and Wake Islands.
• Yamamoto - Climb Mount Niitaka message to
  Vice Admiral Nagumo to commence attack.

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Pearl Harbor

• 7 December 1941
• Tora Tora Tora

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DECEMBER 7, 1941 a day that will live in
infamy Franklin Delano Roosevelt "I fear
all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant
and fill him with a terrible resolve." Admiral
Isoroku Yamamoto
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Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

• Battleship fleet effectively destroyed
• Carriers survive and become new capital ships
• Submarines, repair facilities, and oil tanks also
  left unharmed by attack
• Result generally not anticipated by American
  naval planners before Pearl Harbor
• Naval tactics change to support carrier strikes
• Circular formations developed to protect carriers

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Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

• U.S. declares war on Japan
• Day of Infamy - Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Hitler declares war on the U.S.
• American public opinion changes in favor of war

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Circular Fleet Formations

• Battleships and cruisers protect carriers with
  anti-aircraft fire.
• Destroyers protect carriers from submarine
  attacks.

Wind
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• Carriers must turn into the wind to launch
  aircraft.

Wind
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Wind
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Wind
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• Once aircraft are launched, the fleet is free to
  maneuver.

Wind
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To war we go...
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Continued Japanese Attacks

• Malay Peninsula attacked - December 1941
• British battleships HMS Repulse and Prince of
  Wales sunk
• 10 December 1941
• Guam taken
• 10 December 1941
• Wake Island
• First Invasion repulsed 8 December 1941
• Taken 23 December 1941

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Continued Japanese Attacks

• Hong Kong - 25 December 1941
• Thailand, Philippines, Borneo invaded in December
  1942
• Singapore - 15 February 1942
• Further attacks?
• Southwest Pacific New Guinea and Australia
• Central Pacific and northern Pacific Midway and
  Aleutian Islands

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Continued Japanese Advance

• Burma
• Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) - Southern
  Resources Area
• Rich in oil
• ABDA naval forces (Australia-Britain-Dutch-Ameri
  can)
• Defeated at the Battle of the Java Sea - 27
  February 1942
• Now the Japanese had all of the oil they needed
• Provided they could keep their SLOC open

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The Phillipines

• Initial strike on 8 December 1941 destroys U.S.
  aircraft
• General Douglas MacArthur evacuates Manila
• Retreats to Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor
  Island
• 12 March - MacArthur evacuates with family to
  Australia under orders from FDR in a Navy patrol
  boat - I shall return
• General Jonathan M. Wainwright - Surrender of
  U.S. and Filipino forces on 6 May 1942 leads to
  the Bataan Death March
• Filipino resistance against Japanese occupation
  continues

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U.S. Defensive Organization/ Plans

• Admiral Chester W. Nimitz relieves Kimmel as
  Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet
• Nimitz - Commander in Chief Pacific Ocean Areas
• Includes North, Central, and South Pacific Areas
• MacArthur - Commander in Chief Southwest Pacific
  Area
• Australia, New Guineau, East Indies, and
  Philippines
• Fleet elements in this zone remained under
  Nimitz's control

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U.S. Defensive Organization / Plans

• Controversial command structure
• No common superior -- two separate wars in the
  Pacific
• Overwhelming U.S. industrial and logistical
  superiority
• Allows divided command until forces converge on
  Philippines in 1944

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Fleet AdmiralErnest J. King

• Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (COMINCH)
• Chief of Naval Operations (March 1942)
• Proponent of changing previously agreed upon
  Germany First strategy and moving resources to
  the Pacific theatre of war.

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I SHALL RETURN!
General Douglas McArthur
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Fleet AdmiralChester W. Nimitz

• Commander in Chief
• U.S. Pacific Fleet
• and
• Pacific Ocean Areas
• World War II

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• Fleet Admiral
• William F. Bull Halsey
• Carrier strikes on Gilberts and Marshalls.
• 1 February 1942
• USS Saratoga torpedoed by Japanese submarine.

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U.S. Air Raid on Tokyo April 1942

• Halsey commands Task Force 16
• Hornet and Enterprise
• Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle - B-25
  Mitchells
• Army Air Corps bombers allow greater range
• Unable to return to land on carriers
• China used as landing area
• Early launch caused by sighting by Japanese
  pickets
• Increase in American morale
• FDR Attack was launched from Shangri-La
• Erases Japanese resistance to Yamamotos Midway
  plan

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Battle of the Coral Sea 4-8 May 1942

• Japanese attempt to cut communication to
  Australia
• Port Moresby in New Guinea
• Island of Tulagi
• Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
• Commands Task Force 17
• Pure carrier engagement first in history
• Lexington sunk and Yorktown damaged

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Battle of the Coral Sea

• Japanese carrier Shoho sunk
• Zuikaku and Shokaku damaged - unavailable at
  Midway
• Japanese tactical victory
• Took more kills
• U.S. strategic victory
• Japanese advance temporarily halted

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Japanese Carrier Shokaku
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USS Lexington (CV2)
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Battle of Midway 3-6 June 1942
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Battle of Midway3-6 June 1942

• Yamamotos objective
• Lure out and destroy U.S. carrier forces
• Carrier raid and invasion backed by entire
  Japanese Combined Fleet
• Yamamoto divides his forces
• Overly confident
• Two carriers and invasion force attack the
  Aleutians
• They STILL have an overwhelming force

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U.S. Disadvantages and Advantages

• Heavily outnumbered
• Inferior aircraft susceptible to attacks by
  Japanese Zeros
• Airfield on Midway Island - unsinkable carrier
• Interception and decoding of Japanese
  communications
• Virtually complete information regarding
  Yamamoto's fleet, tactical disposition, and
  routes of approach.
• Radar

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Commanders

• Nimitz - Overall command from Pearl Harbor
• Halsey ill, replaced by Rear Admiral Raymond A.
  Spruance
• Fletcher - Tactical command from repaired
  Yorktown
• Yamamoto - Overall command aboard battleship
  Yamato
• Nagumo - Carrier Striking Force
• Japanese Zero aircraft technologically
  superior.
• Early Japanese advantage - U.S. attacks are
  repulsed.

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AdmiralChuichi Nagumo

• Commander
• Japanese
• Carrier Striking Force
• Battle of Midway

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Rear AdmiralFrank Jack Fletcher

• Commander
• Task Force 17
• USS Yorktown (CV 5)

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Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance

• Commander
• Task Force 16
• USS Hornet (CV 5)
• USS Enterprise (CV 6)

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Battle ofMidway
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Mitsubishi A6M Zero
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TBD-1 Devastator Torpedo Bombers
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USS Yorktown (CV 5)

• SBD-3 Dauntless Dive Bombers

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F4F Wildcats
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USS Enterprise (CV 6)
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USS Hornet (CV 8)

• Captain Marc Mitscher, Commanding Officer

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USS Yorktown (CV 5)

• Damaged by air strikes on 4 June.
• Sunk by submarine torpedo attack on 7 June.

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Japanese Carriers Kaga, Akagi, and Soryu
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USS Yorktown (CV 5)
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USS Yorktown (CV 5)
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Submarines in the Pacific

• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
• Commences against Japan immediately following
  Pearl Harbor attack by order of CNO Admiral King.
• We shall never forget that it was our submarines
  that held the lines against the enemy while our
  fleets replaced losses and repaired wounds.
• - Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, 1947

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Learning Objectives

• Comprehend the political and economic forces
  which led Japan to strike at Pearl Harbor and the
  Far East.
• Comprehend the Japanese strategy for an early
  victory in World War II.
• Comprehend the impact of Pearl Harbor and the
  subsequent Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway on
  the transformation of the aircraft carrier's role
  in naval warfare.
• Know the importance of the Guadalcanal and
  Solomon Islands campaigns to U.S. strategy in the
  Pacific.
• Comprehend the nature of U.S. command
  relationships in the Pacific Theatre of World War
  II.

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Recommended Reading / Viewing

• Band of Brothers (DVD series)
• Midway (movie)
• Tora, Tora, Tora
• The Corps (series by WEB Griffin)
• "Victory at Sea," The Atlantic Monthly, March
  1999
• The articles / books are available from your very
  own LT Palumbo
• QUIZ NEXT MONDAY 1919 End of WWII (3 lectures)

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Discussion
Next time The War in the pacific, The Offensive
Phase