The Pacific War : Clash of Empires in World War II

289 Pages·2012·1.661 MB·English

by  Douglas Ford

The Pacific War

The Pacific War
Clash of Empires in World War II
Douglas ford
continuum international Publishing Group
The Tower Building 80 Maiden Lane
11 York road Suite 704
London Se1 7NX New York, NY 10038
www.continuumbooks.com
© Douglas ford 2012
all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission
from the publishers.
first published 2012
British Library cataloguing-in-Publication Data
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
iSBN: 978-1-4411-5165-0
Library of congress cataloging-in-Publication Data
a catalog record for this book is available from the Library of congress.
Typeset by fakenham Prepress Solutions, fakenham, Norfolk Nr21 8NN
Contents
List of Maps vi
abbreviations vii
introduction 1
1 Japan emerges as a Great Power, c.1860–1930 11
2 Prelude to the Pacific War: the china Question, 1931–40 23
3 The road to Pearl harbor, 1940–41 36
4 Japan Triumphant, December 1941 to Spring 1942 51
5 The allies Turn the Tide, June 1942 to January 1943 68
6 The Dynamics of War: Strategy and Operations 83
7 Tactics and Technology 101
8 Morale and combat Motivation 118
9 The intelligence War 134
10 economies at War 148
11 a War of coalitions 163
12 War and the home fronts 179
13 The endgame, autumn 1944 to Summer 1945 196
14 The atomic Bomb and the end of the Pacific War 213
conclusion 230
Notes 243
Bibliography 264
index 277
List of Maps
Map 1: The far east and Pacific regions 7
Map 2: Japanese War Plans, December 1941 45
Map 3: allied and Japanese areas of control, Spring 1942 63
Map 4: allied Strategic concept for the Defeat of Japan, 1943 87
Map 5: allied Plans for the invasion of Japan’s home islands, 1945 209
Abbreviations
aTiS allied interpretation and interrogation Service
cBi china–Burma–india theater of operations
ccS allied combined chiefs of Staff
ciNcPac commander-in-chief, US Pacific fleet
cOS British chiefs of Staff
cVL light aircraft carrier
iGhQ imperial General headquarters
iJa imperial Japanese army
iJN imperial Japanese Navy
JcS US Joint chiefs of Staff
MiD Military intelligence Division
ONi Office of Naval intelligence
raf royal air force
ScaP Supreme commander, allied Powers
Seac Southeast asia command
SWPa Southwest Pacific area
USaaf United States army air forces
USMc United States Marine corps
USSBS United States Strategic Bombing Survey

Introduction
More than 60 years have passed since the Pacific war ended with Japan
surrendering to the US and the allied nations, and the conduct of the conflict
continues to attract attention from a wide audience. enthusiasts have had
access to an enormous range of books, as well as award-winning television
documentary programs, that chronicle the major battles. among professional
scholars and casual readers alike, the war conjures some familiar images. One
thinks of the Japanese firing the first shots with their surprise attack against
Pearl harbor on 7 December 1941, and setting off gargantuan fires onboard a
number of US battleships, including the Arizona. Others picture the Japanese
and US navies confronting each other with their vast fleets of aircraft carriers
in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and their warplanes dueling in the skies
above distant locations such as Midway, Guadalcanal and Saipan. The fighting
on the land has also given rise to memorable moments, with the Pulitzer-
winning photograph of US marines hoisting their stars-and-stripes banner on
the summit of Mt. Suribachi at iwojima symbolizing the gallantry which troops
displayed when fighting their opponents. finally, the dropping of the atomic
bombs in august 1945 (and the iconic image of the mushroom cloud over
hiroshima and Nagasaki) has never failed to raise controversy about the moral
justification for using such weapons of mass destruction.
The sustained interest is also due to the distinct features that characterized
the conflict. first, the Pacific campaigns saw a number of naval battles that were
on an epic scale, owing to the enormity of the ocean. Projecting one’s military
strength across extended distances, and against enemies with substantial forces,
also required navies to invent new weapons and ways of using them. for this
reason, both the Japanese and US fleets achieved ground-breaking advances
in modern technologies, including the aircraft carrier, maritime aviation and
the submarine. The ground battles in the islands of the Pacific Ocean and in
Southeast asia also saw the combatants dealing with challenging conditions,
including the mountainous and jungle-covered terrain, coupled with an uncom-
fortable tropical climate. Troops often found their stamina and endurance put
to a formidable test. in the naval, air and land campaigns alike, the allies