Pacific Ocean theater of World War II

Japanese naval aircraft prepare to take off from an aircraft carrier. the lead plane is an A6M Zero.

Okinawa, 1945. A US Marine aims a Thompson submachinegun at a Japanese sniper, as his companion takes cover.

The Pacific Ocean theater was one of four major theaters during the Pacific War, between 1942 and 1945. It takes its name from the major Allied command in the theater, known simply as "Pacific Ocean Areas". The theater included most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands. It excluded the Philippines, Australia, the Netherlands East Indies, the Territory of New Guinea (including the Bismarck Archipelago) and the western part of the Solomon Islands (which were part of the Southwest Pacific Area. The Pacific Ocean theater also excluded China and mainland South East Asia.

Forces from the Empire of Japan mostly fought units from the United States in the Pacific Ocean theater. Army, navy and air units from New Zealand were also involved. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Fiji and other countries also contributed ships, planes and/or soldiers.

Leaders

The Japanese Combined Fleet was led by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, until he was killed in an attack by U.S. fighter planes in April 1943. Yamamoto was succeeded by Admiral Mineichi Koga (1943-44) and Admiral Soemu Toyoda (1944-45).

Admiral, later Fleet Admiral, Chester Nimitz commanded the vast majority of Allied naval forces in the Pacific Ocean during the period 1941-45. The Allied Pacific Ocean Areas (POA) command was formed in March 1942. The POA was further divided into the North, Central, and South Pacific Areas, with subordinate commanders. Nimitz retained direct control of the Central Pacific Area (CENPAC).

Major campaigns and battles

• Attack on Pearl Harbor 1941
• Battle of Midway 1942
• Solomon Islands campaign 1942-45
  • Guadalcanal campaign 1942-43
• Aleutian Islands campaign 1942-43
• Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign 1943-44
  • Battle of Tarawa 1943
• Mariana and Palau Islands campaign 1944
  • Battle of Saipan 1944
  • Battle of the Philippine Sea 1944
• Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign 1945
  • Battle of Iwo Jima 1945
  • Battle of Okinawa 1945

References

• Miller, Edward S. (2007). War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897-1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591145007. 

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