Sea Power and Maritime Affairs

1. Sea Power and Maritime Affairs Lesson 12: The US Navy in the Pacific, 1941-1945

2. Comprehend the political and economic forces that led Japan to strike at Pearl Harbor and the Far East. Comprehend the Japanese strategy for an early victory and their concept of the postwar Pacific power balance. Comprehend the impact of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Battles of Coral Sea and Midway on the transformation of the aircraft carrier's role in naval warfare. Know the significant highlights of the evolution of US operational strategy in the Pacific, including major battles or campaigns and instances where strategy was flawed or ambiguous. Know the strategic significance of the employment and refinement of amphibious landing tactics by the US Navy and US Marine Corps. Comprehend the reasons the geopolitical world order was changed as a result of Japan’s actions in striking at the Western powers in 1941. Learning Objectives

3. Background Information • Japanese-American Relations tense: Japan challenged America’s “Open Door” policy by attacking Manchuria in 1931. • In 1937, Japanese expansion in China resulted in attack on American gunboat, the Panay, by Japanese aircraft. • Roosevelt adopted economic sanctions leading to an oil embargo by Americans, British and Dutch (July 1941)

4. Background Information • The Japanese struck for the oil-rich Dutch East Indies(Indonesia), Singapore, and the surrounding British-owned Malaya, Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. • The Japanese camouflaged their plans with diplomatic negotiations in Washington. The United States expected an assault somewhere in the Pacific because cryptanalysts, in a technique called “Magic,” had broken the Japanese Diplomatic Code.

5. Background Information • The attack on Pearl Harbor surprised the Americans, who had not anticipated a strike so far east or one mounted solely by carrier-born aircraft.

6. Pearl Harbor

7. Pearl Harbor: Japan’s Plan • Southern drive into Indochina and Dutch East Indies for oil. • Strike at Philippines and Singapore to knock out local American and British Forces.

8. Pearl Harbor — Japanese Plans • Attack on Pearl Harbor conceived by Admiral Yamamoto: • Great risk — U.S. would surely enter the war. • Greater potential gain — U.S. Pacific Fleet would be knocked out of the war. • Japan would then consolidate gains throughout China and the Pacific. • Possibility of U.S. agreeing to Japanese territorial gains to make peace. • Good possibility of U.S. involvement in Europe as well. • Will drain naval resources from Pacific Ocean. • U.S. Atlantic Fleet already involved in convoy escort against U-boats.

10. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto • Commander in Chief • Japanese Combined Fleet • Wounded at Tsushima Strait • Lived in the United States • Boston - Studied English • Washington D.C. - Naval Attaché • Against war with the U.S. • Demanded Pearl Harbor Attack • Destruction of U.S. Pacific Fleet September 1940: “If I am told to fight regardless of the consequences, I shall run wild for the first six months or a year, but I have utterly no confidence for the second or third year.”

11. The Attack • Six newest and largest Japanese carriers at core of striking force • Sortie from Kuriles, rendezvous 7 Dec, 200 miles N of Pearl Harbor • Launched 183 aircraft at 0600, strike 0755 • 90% of damage inflicted by 0825

12. The Attack

14. U.S. Pacific Fleet - Pearl Harbor • No clear warning from Washington. • Intercepts did not identify Pearl Harbor as a target. • Slow communications between Washington and Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. • Battleships in berths at Pearl for weekend liberty. • “Battleship Row” • Carriers Lexington and Enterprise delivering aircraft to Midway and Wake Islands. • Yamamoto - “Climb Mount Niitaka” message to Vice Admiral Nagumo to commence attack.

15. Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 “Tora Tora Tora”

24. Aftermath of Pearl Harbor • Battleship fleet effectively destroyed • Carriers survive and become new capital ships • Submarines, repair facilities, and oil tanks also left unharmed by attack • Result generally not anticipated by American naval planners before Pearl Harbor • Naval tactics change to support carrier strikes • Circular formations developed to protect carriers

25. Aftermath of Pearl Harbor • U.S. declares war on Japan • “Day of Infamy” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt • Hitler declares war on the U.S. • American public opinion changes in favor of war

26. To war we go...

27. Continued Japanese Attacks • Malay Peninsula attacked - December 1941 • British battleships HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales sunk • 10 December 1941 • Guam taken • 10 December 1941 • Wake Island • First Invasion repulsed 8 December 1941 • Taken 23 December 1941

28. Continued Japanese Attacks • Hong Kong - 25 December 1941 • Thailand, Philippines, Borneo invaded in December 1942 • Singapore - 15 February 1942 • Further attacks? • Southwest Pacific: New Guinea and Australia • Central Pacific and northern Pacific: Midway and Aleutian Islands

29. Continued Japanese Advance • Burma • Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) - “Southern Resources Area” • Rich in oil • “ABDA” naval forces (Australia-Britain-Dutch-American) • Defeated at the Battle of the Java Sea - 27 February 1942 • Now the Japanese had all of the oil they needed • Provided they could keep their SLOC open

30. The Phillipines • Initial strike on 8 December 1941destroys U.S. aircraft • General Douglas MacArthur evacuates Manila • Retreats to Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island • 12 March - MacArthur evacuates with family to Australia under orders from FDR in a Navy patrol boat - “I shall return” • General Jonathan M. Wainwright - Surrender of U.S. and Filipino forces on 6 May 1942 leads to the Bataan Death March • Filipino resistance against Japanese occupation continues

31. U.S. Defensive Organization/ Plans • Admiral Chester W. Nimitz relieves Kimmel as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet • Nimitz - Commander in Chief Pacific Ocean Areas • Includes North, Central, and South Pacific Areas • MacArthur - Commander in Chief Southwest Pacific Area • Australia, New Guineau, East Indies, and Philippines • Fleet elements in this zone remained under Nimitz's control

32. U.S. Defensive Organization/ Plans • Controversial command structure • No common superior -- two separate wars in the Pacific • Overwhelming U.S. industrial and logistical superiority • Allows divided command until forces converge on Philippines in 1944

33. Fleet AdmiralErnest J. King • Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (COMINCH) • Chief of Naval Operations (March 1942) • Proponent of changing previously agreed upon “Germany First” strategy and moving resources to the Pacific theatre of war.

34. I SHALL RETURN! General Douglas McArthur

35. Fleet AdmiralChester W. Nimitz Commander in Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas World War II

38. Fleet Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey • Carrier strikes on Gilberts and Marshalls. • 1 February 1942 • USS Saratoga torpedoed by Japanese submarine.

39. U.S. Air Raid on Tokyo April 1942 • Halsey commands Task Force 16 • Hornet and Enterprise • Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle - B-25 “Mitchells” • Army Air Corps bombers allow greater range • Unable to return to land on carriers • China used as landing area • Early launch caused by sighting by Japanese pickets • Increase in American morale • FDR: Attack was launched from “Shangri-La” • Erases Japanese resistance to Yamamoto’s Midway plan

40. Battle of the Coral Sea 4-8 May 1942 • Japanese attempt to cut communication to Australia • Port Moresby in New Guinea • Island of Tulagi • Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher • Commands Task Force 17 • Pure carrier engagement — first in history • Lexington sunk and Yorktown damaged

41. Battle of the Coral Sea • Japanese carrier Shoho sunk • Zuikaku and Shokaku damaged - unavailable at Midway • Japanese tactical victory • Took more kills • U.S. strategic victory • Japanese advance temporarily halted

42. Japanese Carrier Shokaku

43. USS Lexington (CV2)

45. Battle of Midway 3-6 June 1942

46. Battle of Midway3-6 June 1942 • Yamamoto’s objective: • Lure out and destroy U.S. carrier forces • Carrier raid and invasion backed by entire Japanese Combined Fleet • Yamamoto divides his forces • Overly confident • Two carriers and invasion force attack the Aleutians • They STILL have an overwhelming force

47. U.S. Disadvantages and Advantages • Heavily outnumbered • Inferior aircraft susceptible to attacks by Japanese “Zeros” • Airfield on Midway Island - unsinkable carrier • Interception and decoding of Japanese communications • Virtually complete information regarding Yamamoto's fleet, tactical disposition, and routes of approach. • Radar

48. Commanders • Nimitz - Overall command from Pearl Harbor • Halsey ill, replaced by Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance • Fletcher - Tactical command from repaired Yorktown • Yamamoto - Overall command aboard battleship Yamato • Nagumo - Carrier Striking Force • Japanese “Zero” aircraft technologically superior. • Early Japanese advantage - U.S. attacks are repulsed.

49. AdmiralChuichi Nagumo Commander Japanese Carrier Striking Force Battle of Midway

50. Rear AdmiralFrank Jack Fletcher Commander Task Force 17 USS Yorktown (CV 5)