1. World War II Pacific Theater Jan – June 1942 Instructor Note:
These slides contain animated objects. This presentation is intended to be viewed in “Slide Show”. Each click of the mouse will move an object, make an object appear/disappear or show an arrow. Each bulleted line in the Notes Pages correspond the sequential order of each “action” and describes that action.
On some Notes Pages: Lines in blue represent US Movements/Action and lines in red represent Japanese Movements/Action.
Pacific Theater
Jan – June 1942

2. Japanese Oil Situation (1942) (in Million U.S. Barrels)
Estimated Annual Need
Army
Navy
Civilian Economy 12.6
Total
Annual Production
Home Crude
Synthetic
Total
Deficit
Stocks on Hand(1941) 42.7
Dutch East Indies 65.1 2 6
Japanese Pre-War Strategic Dilemma –Dependence on Foreign Oil.
Japanese occupy French Indo China (Sept 40-July 41) and the US emplaced an Oil Embargo to protest, thus shutting off their main source of oil.
Japanese Oil Reserves will run out in ’42
Another source of fuel must be found. The Dutch East Indies appear to have a more than adequate quantity for the taking. There are obstacles however:
Philippians are an American Interest – troops/planes/ships stationed there – MacArthur is the Cdr.
US Naval Fleet is stationed at Pearl Harbor.

3. US Japan Comparison of Major Vessels, December, 1941 Carriers - 7
ATLANTIC
Battleships - 17
Battleships - 11
Hvy Cruisers - 18
Hvy Cruisers - 18
ATLANTIC
ATLANTIC
(Several Clicks) Comparison of Entire Carrier/Battleship/Hvy Cruiser force of both Navies just prior to Pearl Harbor attack.
These figures are deceptive however: ½ of the US Navy is in the Atlantic
Japanese plan:
Destroy US fleet
Rapidly take oil fields and establish a defensive perimeter
Defeat anything entering perimeter
Negotiate peace, keep oil fields
Results of step 1.
2 US Battleships Destroyed (AZ, OK)
4 US Battleships Heavily damaged. (TN,NV,W.VA,CA)**
The odds are now heavily in the Japanese favor which allow for a smooth Step 2.
**TN & NV return to duty spring 42, W. VA & CA return mid-44.
ATLANTIC

4. Japanese Expansion/US Defense
Carrier Division 1
Carrier Groups
Akagi
Lexington 2
Kaga
Lexington Class
Saratoga 3
DAMAGED 3 3
Carrier Division 2
Japanese Expansion/US Defense
Soryu
Yorktown 5
ATLANTIC 5 5
Hiryu
Yorktown Class
Enterprise 6
Carrier Division 5
ATLANTIC 8
Hornet 8
ATLANTIC 8
Shokaku
Zuikaku
Wasp 7
ATLANTIC 7
ATLANTIC 7 1
Japanese Initial Attacks and rapid expansion: Dec 41-Mar 42
Japan had three carrier Divisions (two carriers each, and each Carrier was comparable to US fleet carrier – the Japanese have several Light Carriers, but they were far less capable, and are not depicted here)
US had two Carrier Groups, centered around one carrier each (Enterprise #6 and Lexington #2). A third Carrier (Saratoga #3) was in San Diego.
7 December – all three Japanese Carrier Divisions attack Pearl Harbor. Enterprise was returning from delivering planes to Wake Island and Lexington was just about to delver planes to Midway.
Japan then conducted an Island ‘blitzkrieg’ to establish a defensive perimeter (Depicted by National Flag).
8 Dec – Land north portion of Malaya Peninsula
10 Dec – Land on Luzon (Philippians held out until April ‘42)
10 Dec – Guam – Gilberts
10 Dec - British Battleships Prince of Whales and Repulse move to interdict Japanese landing on Malaysia Peninsula.
Japanese Airpower from Indochina sunk both ships (Proof that ships without air cover were now at a severe disadvantage)
15 Dec – Saratoga arrives from San Diego; 20 Dec – Mindanao
23 Dec – Wake Island fell to a second Japanese attack, which needed support of CD #2
25 Dec – Hong Kong invaded.
11 Jan: Saratoga Damaged by Japanese submarine and returned to Sand Diego for repairs.
19 Jan – Borneo Falls
22-23 Jan – CD#1&5 supported seizure of Rabaul
24-25 Jan CD#2 supported seizure of Amboina
Americans began a series of raids to pull Japanese efforts away from the East Indies and give flyers experience, while still defending Pearl Harbor/Midway line with the few remaining capital ships (Carriers)
1 Feb – E & Yorktown (#5): Marshall/Gilbert Raid (CD #1 & 5 attempted to intercept but both US Carriers escaped)
15 Feb – Singapore fell – HUGE UK defeat (100,000 troops captured)
19 Feb CD 1 & 2: Darwin Raid
20 Feb – L moves to raid Rabaul, but was forced to abort due to enemy land based bombers
24 Feb - E Raids Wake & Raids Marcus Islands (4 March) (to draw attention from Java Sea – no effect)
3 Mar – CD 1 & 2 supports the fall of Java
8 Mar – Rangoon falls (Burma) and invasion of New Guinea (Japanese had unprotected ships unloading troops and supplies at Lea and Salamaua.
10 Mar – L&Y Raid of Japanese landing force at Lea-Salamaua – The carriers launched from south of Papua and planes flew over the Owen Stanley Mountain range to conduct the attack 2 5 2 3 5 6 8 7

5. Japanese Indian Ocean Raid
Carrier Division 1
Carrier Groups
Akagi
Lexington 2
Kaga
Lexington Class
Saratoga 3
DAMAGED 3
Carrier Division 2
Japanese Indian Ocean Raid
US Doolittle Raid
Soryu
Yorktown 5
Hiryu
Yorktown Class
Enterprise 6
Carrier Division 5
Hornet 8
ATLANTIC 8
Shokaku
Zuikaku
Wasp 7
ATLANTIC 7 8 6 2 5 5 2 1
The Japanese now turned to the Indian ocean with their carriers to assist in the effort to occupy Burma and thus cut off China’s last life line with the Allies – the Burma Road.
26 March – 12 April – 5 Carriers moved to the Indian Ocean to Raid Ceylon (Kaga had returned to Japan for repairs). This was intended to weaken the British forces in the area and further secure the Japanese hold on Burma.
Japanese ground forces cut the Burma road by 1 May, and occupied all of Burma by 15 May.
With the Burma Road now cut - the only way to supply the Chinese was by air on a route over the Himalayas (which will receive the name: “The Hump”)
18 April - Doolittle Raid is conducted with 16 B-25s off of Hornet (#8). Enterprise provides air support.

6. Japanese Strategic Dilemma
Carrier Division 1
Carrier Groups
Akagi
Lexington 2
Kaga
Lexington Class
Saratoga 3
DAMAGED 3
Carrier Division 2
Japanese Strategic Dilemma
Soryu
Yorktown 5
Hiryu
Yorktown Class
Enterprise 6
Carrier Division 5
Hornet 8
Shokaku
Zuikaku
Wasp 7
ATLANTIC 7
New Carrier
Junyo 1 2 6 8 2 5 5
CD 1 & 2 finally return to Japan for much needed repairs and a new Carrier (Junyo) is commissioned.
Japanese Dilemma – What is the next step?
Japanese now have their oil fields and defensive perimeter. Completed a 6 month plan in 90 days and are VERY overconfident.
Army General Staff concern: They want to dig in on the perimeter and concentrate on China
Navy General Staff concern: Australia (It is a jumping off point against the southern perimeter. Invasion of Australia is not an option (insufficient troops):
However, cutting it off from US Line of Communication is.
Phase I – Attack Solomon's (Tulagi) then Port Morsby – Control Coral Sea
Phase II – Attack New Caledonia and Fiji
Combined Fleet Commander (Yamamoto) Concern:
The US fleet still lives.
There is a wide gap between the Marshalls and Northern Japan which the Americans took advantage of in the Doolittle Raid.
Yamamoto wanted to take Midway to fill the gap and simultaneously draw the US fleet into a trap to finally destroy it. By sheer force of will he inserted this plan between Phase I and II of the South West Pacific Campaign.

7. Japanese Phase I (Coral Sea)
Carrier Division 1
Carrier Groups
Akagi
SUNK 2
Lexington 2
Kaga
Lexington Class
Japanese Phase I (Coral Sea)
Saratoga 3
DAMAGED 3
Carrier Division 2
Soryu
Yorktown 5
DAMAGED 5
Hiryu
Yorktown Class
Enterprise 6
Carrier Division 5
Hornet 8
Shokaku
DAMAGED
Aircraft Losses
Zuikaku
Wasp 7
ATLANTIC 7
New Carrier
Junyo 1 2
Coral Sea:
Phase I: Japanese send in CD 5 as a strike force to protect the invasion force. However, the Japanese use a lot of radio traffic to coordinate the plan. Since the US had broken the Japanese Code, they were able to determine their intentions and move L & Y to intercept them (E and H were recovering from the Doolittle Raid
MAY 6-8: Battle of Coral Sea – 1st ever Carrier vs Carrier Battle – neither fleet ever sees each other. Results:
L sunk and Y returns to Pearl to fix heavy damage
Japanese lose a light carrier. Heavy damage to Shokaku and Zuikaku air group depleted. The invasion force turned back.
This strategic loss for the Japanese is not a problem for the follow on Midway operation however: The Japanese are still very overconfident from many victories prior to this – they knew their pilots and aircraft were far superior to the Americans. Plus they thought they had sunk BOTH Lexington and Yorktown and thus had a 2-1 advantage in Carriers alone (their Battleships were overwhelmingly superior to the US Cruiser forces). 6 8 2 5 5

8. Midway-The Japanese PlanNF
1st CSF E H Y
MAIN H
INV E 5
Midway - Japanese Plan
Northern Force – Occupy Attu and Kiska (Aleutian Islands) – draw away enemy forces (w/ new carrier Junyo and Light Carrier
First Carrier Strike Force – CD 1 and 2 (Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, Soryu) Raid Midway
Invasion force (w/ one light carrier) moves forward from the Marianas and seizes Midway.
The Japanese felt that the US Carriers would respond to this, so they planned for a submarine screen to ambush them as they steamed toward Midway.
This would be followed by a strike by the carriers.
Finally, the Main Force of Battleships (following the Carrier Strike force) would enter the battle and finish off the Americans.
Problems with the Japanese Plan:
- It is fine if the Americans followed their almost scripted battle plan (the problem is, the enemy is rarely cooperative to a battle plan, which must contain flexibility)
- The Japanese again use a great amount of radio traffic to coordinate their widely scattered forces to execute this rather complex set of movements.
And once again, the US intercepted this traffic and was able to read portions of their code. They were able to deduce the Japanese intention, and moved their carriers to the NE of Midway, to counter their attack instead of just reacting from Pearl Harbor.
This knowledge also had the added effect of rushing the US to repair the Yorktown in time to participate in the battle. (what should have taken a month, was completed in two days) .

9. Midway-The Battle 5 SUNK SUNK SUNK SUNK DAMAGED Akagi SUNK Kaga
Carrier Division 1
Carrier Groups
SUNK
Akagi
Lexington 2
SUNK 2
Kaga
SUNK
Lexington Class
Saratoga 3
DAMAGED 3
Midway-The Battle
Carrier Division 2
SUNK
Soryu
DAMAGED 5
SUNK 5
Yorktown 5
Hiryu
SUNK
Yorktown Class
Enterprise 6
Carrier Division 5
Hornet 8
DAMAGED
Shokaku
Aircraft Losses
Zuikaku
Wasp 7
ATLANTIC 7
New Carrier
Junyo 3 5 6 8 5
Midway - Execution
Japanese ships were broken into many moving parts:
Carriers
-Medium Carrier to support the Northern force.
-4 Carriers and two BBs (Battleships) in the 1st Carrier Strike Force.
4 BBs detached from the main force as a screening force for the Aleutian Island Strike.
2 BBs escorted the occupation force
3 BBs (including the Super Battleship Yamato) were the Japanese Main Body.
None of these forces were in supporting distance of each other if, by chance, the US attacked the Japanese first.
26 May – E & H departed Pearl Harbor.
27 May - Y departed Pearl Harbor. Both groups reach the North East of Midway prior to the Japanese submarine screen getting on station to ambush them.
3 June – Northern force Bombs Dutch Harbor – Attu and Kiska are captured on 7 June.
4 June
Dawn, Japanese strike Midway
1000 – Dive Bombers and Torpedo Planes from three US Carriers strike and sink three Japanese Carriers.
Hiryu (last remaining Japanese Carrier) planes strike Yorktown which suffers heavy damage.
E & H sent one last strike and sunk Hiryu.
That evening Yamamoto considered striking the Americans at night with his battleships. But the risk of losing all his Battleships the next day (if he was unable to locate the Americans that night) was too great and he withdrew all his forces. The Saratoga arrived at Pearl Harbor on 6 June.
7 June – One of the Japanese screening submarines located the Y being towed back to Pearl and sunk her.
Result – Japanese Loss 4 carriers – Plus 322 Airplanes, and irreplaceable, experienced pilots and their air crews (3,500 lives total). US lose Y, 147 Planes and 307 lives.

10. Lost Sept 42 – San Cristobal
Color Key:
US Fleet Carrier
US Light or Escort Carrier
Japanese Heavy Carrier
Japanese Light Carrier
*Essex Air Allocation:
Year Fighter Dive Bmr Torpedo
Japan
Comparison of Aircraft Carriers, June 1942-August 1945 US
Lost June 42 – Midway
Akagi
Ryujo
Lexington 2
Kaga
Lost May 42 – Coral Sea
Lost June 42 – Midway
(Instructor Note: #’s after carrier name represent aircraft storage)
Lost Aug 42 – E. Solomons
Lost June 42 – Midway
Soryu
Yorktown 5
Lost June 42 – Midway
Comparison of Carrier Production/loss for the rest of the war:
Losses at Coral Sea: US: Lexington(88) / Japan: Shoho(30) (Additionally, Shokaku(72) was heavily damaged and out of action for months while Zuikaku’s(72) air fleet had been devastated, precluding their use at Midway. Yorktown had also been heavily damaged, but rapidly repaired to participate in Midway)
Midway Losses: Japan: Akagi(72), Kaga(66), Soryu(63), Hiryu(64) / US: Yorktown(79)
June: Saratoga(88) returned from US Coast after repairs (Sub attack in Jan) and Wasp(72) was transferred from the Atlantic.
July: Japan completed Hiyo (53) .
23 Aug: Battle of E. Solomons (1st Carrier battle of Guadalcanal – Japan attempted to reinforce Island) Japan: Ryujo(37) sunk. US: Enterprise(79) damaged and Saratoga(88) damaged by sub after battle (31 Aug). Both lost for repairs at Pearl for ~ 2 months.
16 Sept: Wasp(72) Sunk to Sub off San Cristobal Is. during convoy protection.
26 Oct: Battle of Santa Cruz (2nd Carrier battle of Guadalcanal – Japan supports major land offensive) US: Hornet (79) Sunk, Enterprise (79) Damaged / Japan: Shokaku (72) again heavily damaged and out for months.
28 Nov: Ryuho (31) converted from Sub control ship (very poor design- only used once – Philippine Sea)
Effects of huge US building effort begins to be felt: Essex(90-108*) is commissioned Dec 42. This new class will be the US Navy’s primary weapons system. US will augment this class with escort carriers. These “Jeep” Carriers are converted merchant ships that carry aircraft. The US will eventually build 62 escort carriers for use in the pacific before the end of the war. (An additional 20 were built for the Atlantic) These Escort Carriers protect the fleet, allowing the Fleet Carriers to operate independently.
1943: Saratoga returns, US commissioned 6 Essex Class, 10 Light Carriers (Independence Class-31) and 18 Escort Carriers. (The Light Carriers were similar to the Escort Carriers in appearance and aircraft storage, but were build on cruiser hulls and therefore had the speed to operate with Fleet Carriers)(**Note: Intrepid, Wasp, Hornet do not see action until 1944)
1943: Japanese only convert 2 Seaplane Carriers to Light Carriers: Chitose & Chiyoda (30)
1944: 7 Additional Essex Class Carriers and 33 Escort Carriers Commissioned (**Note: Bennington, Shangri-La, Randolph and Bon Homme Richard do not see action until 1945)
1944: Japanese finally commission 4 Heavy carriers, Taiho(60) and three Unryo(63) Class ships, but severe aircraft and pilot losses allow only the Taiho to be manned with aircraft.
19 June 44: Battle of Philippines Sea (1): Shokaku(72) and Tiaho(63) sunk by subs while 346 planes are lost attempting to attack the US fleet invading the Marianas. (AKA the ‘Great Mariana’s Turkey Shoot’)
20 June 44: Battle of Philippines Sea (2): US Air Strike retreating Japanese fleet and sink Hiyo(53) and damage Junyo(53) and Ryuho(37) which will never return to action.
24-25 Oct 44: Battle of Leyte Gulf: With very few aircraft left, the most expendable of the remaining Japanese carriers are used as decoys and sunk – Zuikaku, Zuiho, Chitose and Chiyoda. The US loses the Princeton on the 24th to land based aircraft and two Escorts of the famous “Taffy 3” Group (St Lo - Kamikaze and Gambier Bay – gunfire) on the 25th while the Fleet Carriers were sinking the Japanese Decoys. (a third Escort carrier – Liscome Bay, had been sunk by a sub in 1943 during the invasion of Makin Island in the Gilberts)
29 Nov 1944: Eleven days after commissioning, the last Japanese carrier built, Shinano, is sunk by a US Sub as she is trying to avoid the air strikes in the Tokyo area.
19 Dec – Unryo(63) on Convoy protection duty is sunk by a US Sub
1945 – US Commissions three Essex Class (non see action) and three escort carriers, but lose two: Ommaney Bay – Jan 45 preparing to support Northern Luzon landing and Bismark Sea – Feb 45 supporting Iwo Jima Landing (both lost to Kamikaze)
US sink Amagi and heavily damage Katsuragi while they are anchored in port.
Shoho
Enterprise 6
Lost June 42 – Midway
Hiryu
Lost May 42 – Coral Sea
Lost June 44 – P. Sea
Shokaku
1942
Hornet 8
Lost Oct 42 – Santa Cruz
Zuiho
Lost Oct 44 – Cape E
Zuikaku
Saratoga 3
Lost Oct 44 – Cape E
Damage June 44 – P. Sea
Junyo
Wasp 7
Lost Sept 42 – San Cristobal
Ryuho
Lost June 44 – P. Sea
Hiyo
Essex 9
Damage June 44 – P. Sea
Independence 22
Lexington 16
Princeton 23
Lost Oct 44 – Sibuyan Sea
Yorktown 10 24
Belleau Wood
Cowpens 25
Bunker Hill 17
Chiyoda
1943
Monterey 26
Intrepid 11
Lost Oct 44 – Cape E 28
Cabot
Wasp 18
Langley 27
Chitose 29
Bataan
Hornet 12
Lost Oct 44 – Cape E
San Jacinto 30
Franklin 13
Tiaho
Lost June 44 – P. Sea
Hancock 19
Unryu
Ticonderoga 14
Amagi
1944
Bennington 20
Katsuragi
Shangri-La 38
Randolph 15
Shinano
Bon Homme Richard 31
Antietam 36
1945
Boxer 21
Lake Champlain 39