- 29 Jul 2017 00:32
#14828003
This is for Starman. I think the decisive battle of the pacific war as defined above was at the Philippine Sea, June 19-20 1944. The much larger battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944 was however such a crushing defeat only as a result of the heavy losses sustained early that year, particularly in terms of experienced pilots and naval fighters, as well as vessels such as the striking force veteran carriers Hiyo, Shokaku, and the brand new Taiho, and merchant shipping losses from submarine interdiction, which meant depreciating fuel reserves. Most of the shipping losses appear to have taken place in 1942 and 1943 but losses continued for the rest of the war, I've seen figures ranging from 5 to 9 million tons of merchant shipping lost, but the figure of 5 millions tons, or 1,500 ships by submarine alone is representative of the overall problem for Japan, which never convoyed its merchant shipping, unlike its military transportation.
This situation was caused by a triple score of reversals, first at the Coral Sea, then at Midway, and lastly at Guadalcanal, all in 1942, the same year von Paulus was being encircled at Stalingrad. It now became necessary to reduce the American surface force, which by 1943 was in the processes of developing battlegroup doctrine to support the amphibious landings campaign, which included the following operations, Gilberts, Marshall Islands (Tarawa, Makin), the Aleutians, and intercepted Japanese reinforcements for the ongoing New Guinea battle at the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
So by summer 1944 the Allies are invading Guam, Saipan and Tinian, and Nimitz has Spruance and Mitscher operating with the TF58 carriers when they are intercepted by Ozawa's mobile force. During the ensuing air attacks the IJN's air service loses hundreds of aircraft and three fleet carriers to minimal American losses, 123 aircraft but only 29 pilots KIA. This was the decisive battle of the war and it meant the Japanese were not going to be able to stop the second defence perimeter from falling and opening the tertiary and final perimeter, including the Phillipines, before invasion. When Shō-Gō 2 was ordered in October to interrupt the Leyte landings, the IJN was already so short on pilots and fuel that its operation was considered doomed by several senior commanders. Battle losses against over whelming American aircraft, torpedo, and battleship attacks meant that the best chance for the remaining surface vessels was to prepare for the final invasion of the inner islands and Ryukyus.
This situation was caused by a triple score of reversals, first at the Coral Sea, then at Midway, and lastly at Guadalcanal, all in 1942, the same year von Paulus was being encircled at Stalingrad. It now became necessary to reduce the American surface force, which by 1943 was in the processes of developing battlegroup doctrine to support the amphibious landings campaign, which included the following operations, Gilberts, Marshall Islands (Tarawa, Makin), the Aleutians, and intercepted Japanese reinforcements for the ongoing New Guinea battle at the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
So by summer 1944 the Allies are invading Guam, Saipan and Tinian, and Nimitz has Spruance and Mitscher operating with the TF58 carriers when they are intercepted by Ozawa's mobile force. During the ensuing air attacks the IJN's air service loses hundreds of aircraft and three fleet carriers to minimal American losses, 123 aircraft but only 29 pilots KIA. This was the decisive battle of the war and it meant the Japanese were not going to be able to stop the second defence perimeter from falling and opening the tertiary and final perimeter, including the Phillipines, before invasion. When Shō-Gō 2 was ordered in October to interrupt the Leyte landings, the IJN was already so short on pilots and fuel that its operation was considered doomed by several senior commanders. Battle losses against over whelming American aircraft, torpedo, and battleship attacks meant that the best chance for the remaining surface vessels was to prepare for the final invasion of the inner islands and Ryukyus.
The concepts "WAR" and "PROGRESS" are now obsolete.