In the South West Pacific theatre, Japanese forces fought primarily against the forces of the United States and Australia. New Zealand, the Netherlands (in the Dutch East Indies), the Philippines, United Kingdom, and other Allied nations also contributed forces.
The South Pacific became a major theatre of the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Initially, US war plans called for a counteroffensive across the Central Pacific, but this was disrupted by the loss of battleships at Pearl Harbor. During the First South Pacific Campaign, US forces sought to establish a defensive perimeter against additional Japanese attacks. This was followed by the Second South Pacific Campaign, which began with the Battle of Guadalcanal.
The U.S. GeneralDouglas MacArthur had been in command of the American forces in the Philippines in what was to become the South West Pacific theatre, but was then part of a larger theatre that encompassed the South West Pacific, the Southeast Asian mainland (including Indochina and Malaya) and the North of Australia, under the short lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM). Shortly after the collapse of ABDACOM, supreme command of the South West Pacific theatre passed to MacArthur who was appointed Supreme Commander, South West Pacific Area on 30 March 1942.[1][2][a] However, MacArthur preferred to use the title "Commander-in-Chief." The other major theatre in the Pacific, Pacific Ocean Areas, was commanded by U.S. AdmiralChester Nimitz, who was also Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet. Both MacArthur and Nimitz were overseen by the US Joint Chiefs and the British-U.S. Combined Chiefs of Staff. CaptainAllan Rockwell McCann was appointed to represent the Navy as the Senior Representative of Commander, Submarines, Southwest Pacific, to General MacArthur.
Japanese commandEdit
Most Japanese forces in the theatre were part of the Southern Expeditionary Army (南方軍, Nanpo gun), which was formed on November 6, 1941, under General Hisaichi Terauchi (also known as Count Terauchi). The Nanpo gun was responsible for Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) ground and air units in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. The Combined Fleet (聯合艦隊, Rengō Kantai) of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was responsible for all Japanese warships, naval aviation units and marine infantry units. As the Japanese military did not formally utilize joint/combined staff at the operational level, the command structures/geographical areas of operations of the Nanpo gun and Rengō Kantai overlapped each other and those of the Allies.
Major campaignsEdit
Japanese troops load onto a warship in preparation for a Tokyo Express run sometime in 1942.A U.S. A-20G bomber of the 3rd Attack Group bombs a Japanese merchant ship off New Guinea during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, March 1943.Gen. Douglas MacArthur wades ashore during initial landings at Leyte, Philippine Islands, 20 October 1944.U.S.-manned Alligators transport Australian troops during the Battle of Balikpapan, Borneo, 1 July 1945.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.
Sulzberger, C.L (1966). The American Heritage Picture History of World War II. Crown Publishers.
Further readingEdit
Drea, Edward J. (1998). In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN0-8032-1708-0.
Eichelberger, Robert (1989). Our Jungle Road to Tokyo (reissue ed.). New York: Battery Press. ISBN0-89839-132-6.
Griffith, Thomas E. Jr. (1998). MacArthur's Airman : General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific. Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.: University Press of Kansas. ISBN0-7006-0909-1.
Krueger, Walter (1979). From Down Under to Nippon: Story of the 6th Army in World War II. Zenger. ISBN0-89201-046-0.
United States Army Center of Military History. "Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area, Volume II – Part I". Reports of General MacArthur. Retrieved 2006-12-08.- Translation of the official record by the Japanese Demobilization Bureaux detailing the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy's participation in the Southwest Pacific area of the Pacific War.
October 27, 2023
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources South West Pacific theatre of World War II news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message The South West Pacific theatre during World War II was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis It included the Philippines the Dutch East Indies except for Sumatra Borneo Australia and its mandate Territory of New Guinea including the Bismarck Archipelago and the western part of the Solomon Islands This area was defined by the Allied powers South West Pacific Area SWPA command Australian troops at Milne Bay New Guinea The Australian army was the first to inflict defeat on the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II at the Battle of Milne Bay of August September 1942 In the South West Pacific theatre Japanese forces fought primarily against the forces of the United States and Australia New Zealand the Netherlands in the Dutch East Indies the Philippines United Kingdom and other Allied nations also contributed forces The South Pacific became a major theatre of the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 Initially US war plans called for a counteroffensive across the Central Pacific but this was disrupted by the loss of battleships at Pearl Harbor During the First South Pacific Campaign US forces sought to establish a defensive perimeter against additional Japanese attacks This was followed by the Second South Pacific Campaign which began with the Battle of Guadalcanal Contents 1 Allied command 2 Japanese command 3 Major campaigns 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further readingAllied command Edit nbsp Australian cruiser Canberra center left protects three Allied transport ships background and center right unloading troops and supplies at Tulagi Main article South West Pacific Area The U S General Douglas MacArthur had been in command of the American forces in the Philippines in what was to become the South West Pacific theatre but was then part of a larger theatre that encompassed the South West Pacific the Southeast Asian mainland including Indochina and Malaya and the North of Australia under the short lived American British Dutch Australian Command ABDACOM Shortly after the collapse of ABDACOM supreme command of the South West Pacific theatre passed to MacArthur who was appointed Supreme Commander South West Pacific Area on 30 March 1942 1 2 a However MacArthur preferred to use the title Commander in Chief The other major theatre in the Pacific Pacific Ocean Areas was commanded by U S Admiral Chester Nimitz who was also Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet Both MacArthur and Nimitz were overseen by the US Joint Chiefs and the British U S Combined Chiefs of Staff Captain Allan Rockwell McCann was appointed to represent the Navy as the Senior Representative of Commander Submarines Southwest Pacific to General MacArthur Japanese command EditMost Japanese forces in the theatre were part of the Southern Expeditionary Army 南方軍 Nanpo gun which was formed on November 6 1941 under General Hisaichi Terauchi also known as Count Terauchi The Nanpo gun was responsible for Imperial Japanese Army IJA ground and air units in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific The Combined Fleet 聯合艦隊 Rengō Kantai of the Imperial Japanese Navy IJN was responsible for all Japanese warships naval aviation units and marine infantry units As the Japanese military did not formally utilize joint combined staff at the operational level the command structures geographical areas of operations of the Nanpo gun and Rengō Kantai overlapped each other and those of the Allies Major campaigns Edit nbsp Japanese troops load onto a warship in preparation for a Tokyo Express run sometime in 1942 nbsp A U S A 20G bomber of the 3rd Attack Group bombs a Japanese merchant ship off New Guinea during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea March 1943 nbsp Gen Douglas MacArthur wades ashore during initial landings at Leyte Philippine Islands 20 October 1944 nbsp U S manned Alligators transport Australian troops during the Battle of Balikpapan Borneo 1 July 1945 Battle of the Philippines 1941 1942 Battle of Bataan Battle of Corregidor Dutch East Indies campaign 1941 1942 Battle of Badung Strait 19 20 February 1942 3 Battle of the Java Sea 27 February 1942 4 Battle of Sunda Strait 28 February 1 March 1942 5 Second Battle of the Java Sea 1 March 1942 6 Solomon Islands campaign 1943 1945 New Georgia Campaign June August 1943 Battle of Kula Gulf 6 July 1943 7 Battle of Kolombangara 13 July 1943 7 Battle of Vella Gulf 6 7 August 1943 7 Naval Battle of Vella Lavella 6 7 October 1943 7 Battle of the Treasury Islands 27 October 12 November 1943 Battle of Empress Augusta Bay 2 November 1943 7 Battle of Cape St George 25 November 1943 7 Bougainville Campaign November 1943 August 1945 New Guinea campaign 1942 1945 Battle of Rabaul January February 1942 Invasion of Salamaua Lae March 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea 4 8 May 1942 4 Invasion of Buna Gona July 1942 Kokoda Track campaign July November 1942 Battle of Milne Bay August September 1942 Battle of Goodenough Island October 1942 Battle of Buna Gona November 1942 January 1943 Battle of Wau January 1943 Battle of the Bismarck Sea 2 March 1943 4 Operation Chronicle 1943 Landing at Nassau Bay 1943 Salamaua Lae campaign April September 1943 Finisterre Range campaign September 1943 April 1944 Huon Peninsula campaign September 1943 March 1944 New Britain campaign 26 December 1943 8 Admiralty Islands campaign 29 February 1944 8 Invasion of Hollandia and landing at Aitape 22 April 1944 9 Battle of Biak 27 May 1944 9 Battle of Noemfoor 2 July 1944 8 Battle of Morotai 15 September 1944 9 Aitape Wewak campaign November 1944 8 Battle of Timor 1942 1943 Philippines campaign 1944 1945 Battle of Leyte October December 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf 23 26 October 1944 9 Battle of Mindoro December 1944 Battle of Lingayen Gulf January 1945 Battle of Luzon January August 1945 Battle of Manila February March 1945 Battle of Corregidor February 1945 Invasion of Palawan February April 1945 Battle of the Visayas March July 1945 Battle of Mindanao March August 1945 Battle of Maguindanao January September 1945 Borneo campaign 1945 Battle of Tarakan May June 1945 Battle of North Borneo June August 1945 Battle of Balikpapan July 1945Notes Edit Command of the South East Asian theatre passed initially to British India Command and then in August 1943 to the joint Allied command known as South East Asia Command SEAC Cressman 2000 p 84 Milner 1957 p 22 sfn error no target CITEREFMilner1957 help Dull 1978 p 61 a b c Silverstone 1968 pp 9 11 Dull 1978 p 75 Dull 1978 p 91 a b c d e f Potter amp Nimitz 1960 p 732 a b c d Potter amp Nimitz 1960 p 759 a b c d Sulzberger 1966 pp 332 333 References EditCressman Robert J 2000 The Official Chronology of the U S Navy in World War II Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 149 1 Dull Paul S 1978 A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1941 1945 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press Potter E B Nimitz Chester W 1960 Sea Power Prentice Hall Silverstone Paul H 1968 U S Warships of World War II Doubleday and Company Sulzberger C L 1966 The American Heritage Picture History of World War II Crown Publishers Further reading EditDrea Edward J 1998 In the Service of the Emperor Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army Nebraska University of Nebraska Press ISBN 0 8032 1708 0 Eichelberger Robert 1989 Our Jungle Road to Tokyo reissue ed New York Battery Press ISBN 0 89839 132 6 Griffith Thomas E Jr 1998 MacArthur s Airman General George C Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific Lawrence Kansas U S A University Press of Kansas ISBN 0 7006 0909 1 Krueger Walter 1979 From Down Under to Nippon Story of the 6th Army in World War II Zenger ISBN 0 89201 046 0 United States Army Center of Military History Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area Volume II Part I Reports of General MacArthur Retrieved 2006 12 08 Translation of the official record by the Japanese Demobilization Bureaux detailing the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy s participation in the Southwest Pacific area of the Pacific War Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title South West Pacific theatre of World War II amp oldid 1181328201, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
