The Barrier and the Javelin. Japanese and Allied Pacific Strategies, February to June 1942

618 Pages·1983·105.34 MB·English

by  H. P. Willmott

H. Willmott
P.
7
The
ft
Barrier
'4* and the
Javelin
> Japanese and Allied
Pacific Strategies
February to June 1942

The
Barrier
and the^
#
Javelin

H. Willmott
P.
The
Barrier
and the^
#
Javelin
Japanese and Allied
Pacific Strategies
February to June 1942
Naval Institute Press
Annapolis, Maryland
—
Copyright © 1983
by H. P. VVillmott
All rights reserved.
No part ofthis book may be reproduced without
written permission from the publisher.
Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data
VVillmott, H. P.
The barrier and the javelin.
Second vol. ofa trilogy that began with Empires in
the balance.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. World War, 1939—1945—Japan. 2. Coral Sea, Battle
ofthe, —1942. 3. Midway, Battle of, 1942. 4. Japan
History 1912-1945. Title.
D767.2.W537 1982 94o.54'26 83-17218
ISBN 0-87021-092-0
All photographs courtesy ofthe U.S. Navy.
1 1 1
Contents
Maps
IX
Preface XI
PART THEJAPANESE SITUATION
I.
The Barrier or
i. . . . 3
2. theJavelin 35
3. MORYALMI: The Schlieffen Plan of
the Pacific War 81
PART THE ALLIED SITUATION
II. 12
4. The Allies and the Southwest Pacific 123
5. Operation Magic and the Allied Deployment
for the Battle of the Coral Sea 17
PART THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA
III. 201
6. The Preliminaries to Battle 203
7. The Carrier Contacts 225
8. The Reckoning and the Withdrawals 273
PART THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY
IV. 289
9. Operation Magic and the American Deployment
for the Battle of Midway 291
10. Approach to Contact 344
11. Contact 370
12. Miscalculations 395
13. Mortal Wounds 42
14. Three Against One 431
15. Dusk and Dust 470
16. The Final Exchanges 485
1
Vlll CONTENTS
PART V. FINAL PERSPECTIVES 511
17. Final Perspectives 513
Appendix A. Nominal Orders of Battle of the
Imperial Japanese and U.S. Navies
Between 7 December 1941 and
2 September 1945 525
Appendix B. The Fate of the Anglo-American Combined
Fleet 53
Source Notes
533
Bibliography 569
General Index
577
Index of Ships 590
3
Maps
Australasia and the Pacific xviii-xix
Distances in the Pacific 6
The Southwest Pacific Theater 41
The Indian Ocean 45
MO
Operation Theater 83
The Southwest Pacific 125
Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942, and
IJN Movements, 1-1 1 May 1942 227
The Situation at 0800, 4 May 228
The Situation at 0800, 7 May 229
The Situation at 1600, 7 May 230
The Situation at 0800, 8 May 231
The Western Islands of the Hawaiian Group 31
Aleutians, Southern Alaska and West Coast
Operational Areas, May-June 1942 317
The Battle of Midway and the Aleutians Operations:
Movement of Forces to 2400, June 1942 348
3
Battle of Midway Action on 4 June 1942 366
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