sea power and maritime affairs lesson 12: the us navy in the pacific, 1941-1945 (part 2)

Sea Power and Maritime AffairsSea Power and Maritime Affairs

Lesson 12: The US Navy in Lesson 12: The US Navy in the Pacific, 1941-1945the Pacific, 1941-1945(Part 2)(Part 2)

Break Time…………….

When We Resume: The US Navy and the Offensive PhaseWhen We Resume: The US Navy and the Offensive Phase

U.S. Aircraft ProductionU.S. Aircraft Production Japan and Germany had early advantage in air war:

– Messerschmit ME-109

– Mitsubishi A6M Zero

U.S. aircraft industry produces higher performance aircraft– American industrial base allows rapid and mass production

New flight training programs developed

U.S. gains advantage in air warfare

Air supremacy eventually established in both European and Pacific theaters

A6M “Zero” or “Zeke”A6M “Zero” or “Zeke”

Fighter

F2A “Buffalo”F2A “Buffalo”Fighter

F4F “Wildcat”F4F “Wildcat”

Fighter

Wildcats on the ProwlWildcats on the Prowl

F6F “Hellcat”F6F “Hellcat”

Fighter

F4U CorsairF4U Corsair

Fighter

SBD “Dauntless”SBD “Dauntless”

Dive Bomber

SB2C “Helldiver”SB2C “Helldiver”

Dive Bomber

TBF “Avenger”TBF “Avenger”

Torpedo Bomber

PBY “Catalina”PBY “Catalina”Scout

U.S. Submarine ForceU.S. Submarine Force

U.S. Submarine WarfareU.S. Submarine Warfare

Simultaneously with Dual advance, US conducts war on commerce

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare ordered immediately after Pearl Harbor -- new role for U.S. submarines

Early operational problems - 1942-43:– Undependable torpedoes - poorly designed magnetic fusing.– Many commanders were excessively cautious.

Subs in BattleSubs in Battle

Bataan and Corregidor, Philippines– Supplied by submarines from the Asiatic Fleet– Evacuation of personnel

Battle of Midway– Guarded approaches to the island

Guadalcanal Campaign– Begin to be more effective at fleet operations

U.S. Submarine WarfareU.S. Submarine Warfare

Late 1943:– Torpedo fusing problems corrected– Radar installed and sonar improved

Central Pacific Advance– Initially uncontested by Japanese Navy

Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf– U.S. submarines support fleet and amphibious operations– Japanese battleship and carriers sunk

U.S. Submarine WarfareU.S. Submarine Warfare

Search and rescue of downed naval aviators

Commerce raiding of Japanese shipping from East Indies– By 1945 - 3/4 of the Japanese merchant fleet sunk

High casualty rates among submarine crews:– Rotation policy: 20% of crew transferred after each

patrol.

Japanese Submarine WarfareJapanese Submarine Warfare

Long Lance torpedo - smaller variant for submarines

Focused attacks on U.S. warships and avoided supply ships– Used to screen and scout for battle fleets– “Warrior ethos” of Japanese naval leaders

Used for supply of bypassed garrisons

Japanese Submarine WarfareJapanese Submarine Warfare

Battle of Midway– Failed to intercept U.S. carrier forces– Torpedoed USS Yorktown under tow

Guadalcanal Campaign– USS Saratoga torpedoed January 1942– USS Wasp sunk

USS Indianapolis sunk -- July 1945 - shark attacks

Prelude to GuadalcanalPrelude to Guadalcanal

Japanese leadership shocked by defeat at Midway

Cancel plans to take Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia

Must proceed with plan to take Port Moresby

Within bomber range of major naval operating base at Rabaul

Japanese begin building airfield at Guadalcanal

Prelude to GuadalcanalPrelude to Guadalcanal

Nimitz moves to reinforce South Pacific Area

– Protect vital sea lines of communication with Australia.

– Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley

Commander South Pacific Ocean Area (Subordinate to Nimitz).

– Two bases established in New Hebrides.

Army - Navy DisputeArmy - Navy Dispute

MacArthur proposes retaking Rabaul– Wants Navy to let him borrow First Marine Division

Admiral King– Objects to Macarthur's plan– Proposes step-by-step advance through Solomons to re-take

Rabaul.– Nimitz and Ghormley in command with Marines making

amphibious assaults and Navy providing support. Army forces used as garrisons for islands

Operation WatchtowerOperation Watchtower

Compromise Three-Stage Plan of Operations

Initial advance in Eastern Solomons under Nimitz

Boundary between Areas moved west

MacArthur takes command after Tulagi secured

Gudalcanal CampaignAug 1942-Feb 1943

Whoever controlled an airfield would control air over the Solomons

Vital SLOC

For both sides it symbolized offensive rather than defensive warfare

GuadalcanalGuadalcanal

Force CommandersForce Commanders

Admiral Robert L. Ghormley overall command of Watchtower

Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner - Amphibious Forces

Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher carrier group– Provided support against Japanese fleet during day

GeneralGeneralArcher VandegriftArcher Vandegrift Commander - First

Marine Division

Amphibious landing virtually unopposed– Marines take Henderson

Field - “Cactus Air Force”.

Guadalcanal River Crossing

““See-Saw” PatternSee-Saw” Pattern

Japan dominates nighttime action.– “Tokyo Express” down “The Slot” into “Ironbottom

Sound”

U.S. dominates daytime with shore and carrier aircraft

ActionsActionsBattle of Savo Island, 8-9 August 1942

Battle of the Eastern Solomons, 24 August 1942

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26-27 October, 1942

“Naval Battle of Gudalcanal”, 12-13 November, 1942

Guadalcanal CampaignGuadalcanal Campaign Battle of Savo Island - Allies

defeated in night surface action

Battle of the Eastern Solomons - carrier battle

– USS Enterprise damaged by bombers

– USS Wasp sunk and Saratoga damaged by Japanese submarines

Battle of Santa Cruz IslandsBattle of Santa Cruz Islands

Halsey relieves Ghormley - 18 October 1942

Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid

Hornet sunk and Enterprise damaged – No operational carriers left

Zuiho and Shokaku badly damaged

Tactical defeat by strategic victory?…maybe

Naval BattleNaval Battle

Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee– uses RADAR to his advantage to win nighttime

naval battle

Washington and South Dakota outfight Japanese battleships– Warships flee– Transports beach themselves

Guadalcanal CampaignGuadalcanal Campaign 1st Marine Division relieved by Army’s 25th Infantry Division

Japanese forces evacuate Guadalcanal

U.S. forces begin advance up Solomon Islands– Land-based airfields established

Marine Corps’ “Black Sheep” Squadron (VMF-214)– Commanded by Maj Greg “Pappy” Boyington

• Medal of Honor Recipient

MacArthur drives Japanese from eastern Papua– Captures main Japanese base at Buna

AftermathAftermath

Both sides suffered heavy losses– U.S loses more tonnage at sea, carriers– Japan loses more lives

Japan allowed to dominate sea at night while U.S. dominates day

Battle drags on from Aug 42- Feb 43

AftermathAftermath

MacArthur successful in driving Japanese from Papuan Peninsula– By Feb 43 Jap plans for offensives in S. and W Pacific

stopped cold

King uses Casablanca Conference to allocate more resources to Pacific

Reconquest of Attu and Kiska Reconquest of Attu and Kiska Aleutian IslandsAleutian Islands (January - May 1943)(January - May 1943)

No real threat to security.

Necessary to end Japanese control of American territory for political reasons.

Battle of the Komondorskis– Last classic surface ship battle.

– Americans attack heavily guarded Japanese convoy.

Minimal resistance on Attu, none on Kiska.

Operation CartwheelOperation Cartwheel The Solomons Campaign

Halsey goes to work for McArthur

– Leads Amphibious Assault from Guadalcanal along Solomons

McArthur wants direct assault on Rabaul

– King and Marshall overrule him

– Capture every island BUT Rabaul to isolate it

Rabaul becomes isolated and insignificant– On to the Phillipines (October 1944)

The Defeat of JapanThe Defeat of Japan

Objective: The Philippines and the penetration of the Japanese inner defense zone!

The AdvanceThe Advance

Pacific “Thrust”– Amphib support

Vice Admiral Raymond Spruance

Significant campaigns:– Gilberts– Marshalls– Marianas

EssexEssex

ClassClass

Fast Fast CarrierCarrier

The Gilberts (Tarawa)The Gilberts (Tarawa)

New fleet organization due to new Essex Class carrier fleet production

Objective to gain airfield on Betio Island to launch further attacks in Central Pacific Drive

3 days cost US > 3,000 marines

Marines at TarawaMarines at Tarawa

TarawaTarawa

Kwajalein AtollKwajalein Atoll

The MarshallsThe Marshalls

After the Gilberts, concern for death toll in Marshalls

Nimitz orders RADM MITSCHER attack on Airpower– Destroys Japanese Force

Kwajalein success furthers to the rest of the islands

Total Marshall loss less than first day of Tarawa

Onto Marianas

The MarianasThe Marianas

Draws out Japanese Fleet

Battle of Philippine Sea, 19-20 June 1944 “The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”– 346 Jap planes downed– 3 Jap carriers sunk– Classic Mahanian

engagement

Liberation of the PhilippinesLiberation of the Philippines

U.S. advance continues after Marianas Campaign– Macarthur's forces capture New Guinea

Air strikes in the Phillipines wipe out two hundred aircraft

Bypass smaller islands and head to Leyte Gulf early– from 20 December to 20 October

BattleBattleofof

Leyte GulfLeyte Gulf

Battle of Leyte Gulf Battle of Leyte Gulf 24-25 October 194424-25 October 1944

Largest battle in all of naval history

U.S. command structure remains divided and confused

U.S. landings in Leyte Gulf– MacArthur “returns”

BattleBattleofof

Leyte GulfLeyte Gulf “In case opportunity for

destruction of the major portion of the enemy fleet is offered or can be created, such destruction becomes the primary task.”

-- Standing Order of Fleet Admiral Nimitz

“Where is, repeat where is, Task Force 34? The world wonders.”

-- Nimitz’ (message to Halsey during the battle.)

AdmiralAdmiralMarc Marc

MitscherMitscher

CommanderFast Carrier Task

Force

Battle of Leyte Gulf

Battle of Leyte GulfBattle of Leyte Gulf

Japanese Combined Fleet divided into three forces:– Northern

– Central

– Southern

Japanese defeated in a series of separate engagements.– Effective end of Japanese Navy’s ability to control the

sea.

Battle of Leyte GulfBattle of Leyte Gulf

Japanese Kamikaze SquadronsJapanese Kamikaze Squadrons Explosives loaded aboard aircraft. Japanese pilots fly one-way suicide attack

missions against U.S. fleet. First used at Leyte Gulf.

USS USS LexingtonLexington (CV 16) (CV 16)Essex Class Fast Carrier

Mitscher’s Flagship -- Battle of Leyte Gulf

AdmiralAdmiralThomas KinkaidThomas Kinkaid

Commander

U.S. Seventh Fleet

Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Sands of Iwo JimaThe Sands of Iwo JimaMount SuribachiMount Suribachi

The Road to JapanThe Road to Japan

Iwo Jima

Okinawa

Iwo JimaIwo Jima Emergency landing field and fighter escort base desired.

– Midway between Marianas and Tokyo– Support B-29 strategic bombing of Japan

26,000 casualties– 2,400 Emergency landings - 27,000 aircrew

General Holland Smith– “Iwo Jima was the most savage and most costly battle in the history of the Marine Corps.”

Admiral Nimitz– “Uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

Okinawa Campaign Okinawa Campaign April-June 1945April-June 1945

Staging base for invasion of Kyushu

Joint amphibious operation– Marines under Army command

Japanese use delaying tactics at the beach– Continued heavy resistance inland

Okinawa CampaignOkinawa Campaign

Kamikaze raids continue– 34 U.S. ships sunk– 4,900 Sailors killed in action

Over 40,000 U.S. casualties

Carrier groups begin raids on Japanese home islands.– U.S. has established complete control of the seas.

USS USS Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin-- Damaged in Kamikaze raid during invasion of

Okinawa - March 1945.

Japanese Battleship Japanese Battleship YamatoYamatoSunk by U.S. carrier-based aircraft during Okinawa

Campaign.

7 April 1945

U.S. Carrier U.S. Carrier RaidsRaidson theon the

JapaneseJapaneseHome IslandsHome Islands

July 1945July 1945

Manhattan Manhattan Project =Project =Atomic Atomic BombsBombs

President Truman orders two bombings.– Hiroshima - 6 August 1945– Nagasaki - 9 August 1945

Believed potential for casualties during a prolonged struggle for the Japanese home islands is too high.

HiroshimaHiroshima

Japan Japan SurrendersSurrenders

Japanese officially surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945.

MacArthur commands U.S. army of occupation.

Discussion

Next time: The US Navy in the Early Cold War, 1945-1953