syscom3
Pacific Historian
The Japanese still held complete naval superiority and near total domination in the air.
Your favorite Pacific battle / campaign to study?
- Thread starter Oreo
- Start date
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RabidAlien
1st Lieutenant
I picked "Other", mainly because the first places that popped into my head were Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Pileleu. Also picked Iwo Jima, drastic change in IJA tactics, and Open Waters/backwater locations, because those who fought in the less-publicized areas shouldn't be forgotten.
My favorite battle's/study are the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the Midway battle, mainly from the Japanese perspective of their Air groups and Carriers, certainly in both cases they were the best equipped and trained at the time and superior to any other carrier force.Yet in the space of 6 months went from hero to zero never to recover....from the loss of their 4 Fleet carriers and experienced aircrews.
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
My favorite is the Solomons campaign. There are several reasons. One is because the Allies and Japanese were fairly evenly matched on the ground, in the air and at sea. Kind of like two well matched football teams having a knock down, drag out battle. Not too interesting when one side has little or no chance. The clincher for me is that I have had first hand accounts of two of the naval battles during the campaign; one uncle in USS Chicago at Savo Island and one uncle in USS Salt Lake City at Cape Esperance.
Burmese Bandit
Senior Airman
- 474
- Dec 5, 2008
Midway.
Sea, Air, land (defensive preparation) and Intelligence, as well as the fact that four crucial decisions were made which could have tipped the battle either way, even down to the very end.
Sea, Air, land (defensive preparation) and Intelligence, as well as the fact that four crucial decisions were made which could have tipped the battle either way, even down to the very end.
drgondog
Major
That is my favorite Pacific focus - as the first and most important combinations of sea/land airpower for the Allies... and the start of the island hopping strategy to bypass Japanese strongholds
noelchan127
Recruit
- 4
- Jan 3, 2009
I like the Battle of Leyte Gulf cause it is the largest naval battle in WWII and it includes one of the only 2 battleship vs battleship engagements in the pacific campaign.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was very interesting. I especially am fond of the story of Taffey 3 and the Battle off Samar. It brings a tear to the eye thinking about the bravery of those officers and sailors aboard those tin cans and jeep carriers.
wait what?
Vassili Zaitzev
Master Sergeant
I went with the Midway Campaign. It was the turning point in the Pacific Theater, and bascially the IJN lost their offensive capabilties in less then five minutes. Though, I'm also interested in the battle of Leyte Gulf, paticuarly the battle of Samar. I have a book on the battle itself, and should probably read it soon.
Hear, hear.
"Just a few more minutes and we'll hit them [IJN ironclads] with 40mm"
There is a show (360 something) on the "History channel" that covers the battle; well worth watching (via Youtube at least).
dragonandhistail
Airman
The invasion of Luzon and the Battle of Manila are my favorites. General Krueger's use of air, naval and economy of force measures to fight a tough campaign are an awesome study. I have to follow that with obscurity with the Solomons fights, specifically Bougainville and fight for Hill 700 followed by the Corps artillery duel there. New Georgia and Guadalcanal are also at the top!
drgondog
Major
Wouldn't you say that Krueger's tactics were an extension of MacArthur's?
Soundbreaker Welch?
Tech Sergeant
wow, so many battles to choose from! Hmmm.....I'm not quite sure yet what to vote for, have to think about it.
Good poll.
Good poll.
Bill G.
Banned
So, so many good choices. For me the slight winner is the Battle of Leyte Gulf. That was the last time battleships fought battleships. You can add the valor of Taffy Three.
My favorite quote was said by a 5" gunner on one of the escort carriers when the Japanese broke off the fight. It was something like, "Damn it, their getting away!" Ya just got to love that attitude!
Bill G.
My favorite quote was said by a 5" gunner on one of the escort carriers when the Japanese broke off the fight. It was something like, "Damn it, their getting away!" Ya just got to love that attitude!
Bill G.
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
Can I vote for them all, please???
Lucky13
Forum Mascot
Voted for them all! 
Otherwise I'm most interested in Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal and the operations of the PBY "Black Cats".....great poll!
Otherwise I'm most interested in Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal and the operations of the PBY "Black Cats".....great poll!
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
Am presently engaged in reading a new book out about Torpedo Squadron 8 and either did not know or had forgotten about the VT8s who flew from Midway. It seems that half the squadron was left in the states when the Hornet left the west coast for Pearl Harbor and the Midway fight. The crews left in the US were to receive, check out and accompany the new TBFs that VT8 was to be equipped with. When the Avengers and crewmen arrived at Pearl Harbor, the Hornet and Enterprise had already sailed and the Yorktown was finishing repairs and preparing to sail. It was decided to send six of the VT8 TBFs to Midway to augment the air assets there. They set out on the 1400 mile over water trip with extra gas tanks in the bomb bay and with two PBYs to help them navigate. After about 8 hours they landed at Midway. The morning the IJN fleet was to attack, the six VTs set out in the new TBFs,before sun up, unescorted and followed by four B26s modified to carry torpedos. One of the Avengers was allegedly the first TBF to roll out of the Grumman plant. Five of the TBFs were shot down in the attack(as well as all the B26s) and the sixth, the original TBF from Grumman was shot to pieces, the turret gunner killed and the radio gunner and pilot wounded. When that Avenger landed at Midway, it was a wreck. Later that day the 15 TBDs from the Hornet in VT8 were all shot down in attacks on the IJN and only one pilot survived. On that day VT8 sent 21 VTs to attack along with 48 crewmen. All but one aircraft were lost and only two pilots survived, wounded and one gunner, wounded. Has there ever been any unit that in one day had worse casualties than VT8?
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
During the Midway battle the Hornet air group was about as dysfunctional as one could get. The VTs aboard were the only AC that spotted the enemy that day. The CAG and the CO of the ship, Marc Mitscher, decided not to send escort fighters with the VTs like had been done at Coral Sea. (the Hornet was not at Coral Sea but was with Enterprise on the Doolitle Raid) At Coral Sea Lexington and Enterprise sent a few F4Fs as escorts with the VTs and the TBDs were fairly effective. At Midway, it was decided that 10 VFs would go with the VBs at 20000 feet and the VTs would go in on the deck unescorted. 8 VFs would remain with the Hornet as CAP. The VFs were launched first, then the 36 VBs and then the 15 VTs. The VFs were the shortest legged and the orbiting waiting for the rest of the strike used up precious fuel. The VFs and VBs used a different bearing to find the IJN fleet from the VTs. The CO of the VTs was part Lakota Indian and his instinct told him the course taken by the others was wrong and his squadron was the only one of the Hornet's to make contact. The VFs started running out of fuel and tried to turn back and all finally ditched and the VBs, after missing the Japanese diverted to Midway and landed there. What a mess and thank God for Enterprise and Yorktown. Of course their VTs were slaughtered also but the VBs made up for it. If the Hornet's VBs had found and hit the 4th IJN carrier, that carrier's strike would not have found and badly damaged the Yorktown.
I'm a post-moderate military history buff. Before my military service days I was very engaged emotionally with all things military. Now, I don't think "favorite" is a word I'd use. I never got into generalized accounts of battles but rather found individual accounts of the wars and battles fought most intriguing and interesting. Ted W. Lawson's Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, George Gay's Torpedo Squadron Eight, Robert L. Scott's God Is My Co-Pilot, Eddie Rickenbacker's Fighting The Flying Circus, Boone T. Guyton's Whistling Death (F4U Test Pilot), Saburo Sakai's Samurai and many others give first hand accounts of the human drama without all the pageantry and glorification outsider/non-combatant observers ascribe to what really is tragic human suffering.
