List of Pacific War campaigns
This is a list of campaigns during the Pacific War.
Flags indicate the country, or countries, winning the offensive.
Second Sino-Japanese war
[edit]Before 1942 and inclusion in the Pacific War:
1937-07-07 – 1937-07-09 Marco Polo Bridge Incident- 1937-08-13 – 1937-11-26 Battle of Shanghai
- 1937-09-01 – 1937-11-09 Battle of Taiyuan
- 1937-12-09 – 1938-01-31 Battle of Nanjing
- 1938-03-24 – 1938-05-01 Battle of Xuzhou
- 1938-06-11 – 1938-10-27 Battle of Wuhan
- 1939-03-17 – 1939-05-09 Battle of Nanchang
1939-04-20 – 1939-05-24 Battle of Suixian-Zaoyang- 1939-09-13 – 1939-10-08 Battle of Changsha (1939)
- 1939-11-15 – 1940-11-30 Battle of South Guangxi
- 1940-05-01 – 1940-06-18 Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang
- 1940-08-20 – 1940-12-05 Hundred Regiments Offensive
- 1941-01-30 – 1941-03-01 Battle of South Henan
- 1941-03-14 – 1941-04-09 Battle of Shanggao
- 1941-05-07 – 1941-05-27 Battle of South Shanxi
- 1941-09-06 – 1941-10-08 Battle of Changsha (1941)
After inclusion in the Pacific War:
- 1941-12-24 – 1942-01-15 Battle of Changsha (1942)
- 1942-05-14 – 1942-09-07 Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign
1943-05-12 – 1943-06-03 Battle of West Hubei- 1943-11-02 – 1943-12-20 Battle of Changde
- 1944-04-17 – 1944-12-10 Operation Ichi-Go
- 1945-03-21 – 1945-05-11 Battle of West Henan–North Hubei
- 1945-04-09 – 1945-06-07 Battle of West Hunan
- 1945-04-18 — 1945-08-04 Second Guangxi Campaign
- 1940-09-22 – 1940-09-25 Battle of Lạng Sơn
- 1940-09-24 – 1940-09-26 Bombing of Hải Phòng
- October 1940 – 9 May 1941
Soviet–Japanese border conflicts
- 1938-07-29 – 1938-08-11 Battle of Lake Khasan
- 1939-05-11 – 1939-09-16 Battles of Khalkhin Gol
Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia and Pacific
[edit]- 1941-12-07 (12-08 Asian Time) Attack on Pearl Harbor
- 1941-12-08 Japanese invasion of Thailand
- 1941-12-08 Battle of Guam (1941)
- 1941-12-07 Japan declares war on the United States and the United Kingdom; 1941-12-08 The United States and the United Kingdom declare war on Japan
- 1941-12-08 – 1941-12-25 Battle of Hong Kong
- 1941-12-08 – 1942-01-31 Malayan Campaign
- 1941-12-10 Sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
- 1941-12-11 – 1941-12-24 Battle of Wake Island
- 1941-12-16 – 1942-04-01 Battle of Borneo (1941–42)
- 1941-12-22 – 1942-05-06 Battle of the Philippines
- 1942-01-01 – 1945-10-25 Transport of POWs via hell ships
- 1942-01-11 – 1942-01-12 Battle of Tarakan[1]
- 1942-01-23 Battle of Rabaul (1942)
- 1942-01-24 Battle of Balikpapan[2]
- 1942-01-25 Thailand declares war on the Allies
- 1942-01-30 – 1942-02-03 Battle of Ambon[3]
- 1942-01-30 – 1942-02-15 Battle of Singapore
- 1942-02-04 Battle of Makassar Strait
- 1942-02-14 – 1942-02-15 Battle of Palembang[4]
- 1942-02-19 Air raids on Darwin, Australia
- 1942-02-19 – 1942-02-20 Battle of Badung Strait[5]
- 1942-02-19 – 1943-02-10 Battle of Timor[6][7]
- 1942-02-27 – 1942-03-01 Battle of the Java Sea[8]
- 1942-03-01 Battle of Sunda Strait[9]
- 1942-03-01 – 1942-03-09 Battle of Java[10]
- 1942-03-31 Battle of Christmas Island[11]
- 1942-03-31 – 1942-04-10 Indian Ocean raid
- 1942-04-09 Bataan Death March begins
- 1942-04-18 Doolittle Raid
- 1942-05-03 Japanese invasion of Tulagi
1942-05-04 – 1942-05-08 Battle of the Coral Sea- 1942-05-31 – 1942-06-08 Attacks on Sydney Harbour area, Australia
- 1942-06-04 – 1942-06-06 Battle of Midway
Allied offensives
[edit]| See Atlas of the World Battle Fronts | ||
|---|---|---|
 1943-07-01 |
 1943-12-01 |
 1944-05-01 |
 1944-11-01 |
 1945-03-01 |
 1945-08-01 |
South East Asian campaigns: 1941-12-08 – 1945-08-15
-
[12] 
Burma Campaign: 1941-12-16 – 1945-08-15 
October 1943 – March 1945 Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan- 1945-05-15 – 1945-05-16 Battle of the Malacca Strait
- 1942-01-23 – Battle of Rabaul
- 1942-03-07 – Operation Mo (Japanese invasion of mainland New Guinea)
1942-05-04 – 1942-05-08 Battle of the Coral Sea- 1942-07-01 – 1943-01-31 Kokoda Track Campaign
- 1942-08-25 – 1942-09-05 Battle of Milne Bay
- 1942-11-19 – 1943-01-23 Battle of Buna-Gona
- 1943-01-28 – 1943-01-30 Battle of Wau
- 1943-03-02 – 1943-03-04 Battle of the Bismarck Sea
- 1943-06-29 – 1943-09-16 Battle of Lae
-
1943-06-30 – 1944-03-25 Operation Cartwheel - 1943-09-19 – 1944-04-24 Finisterre Range campaign
- 1943-09-22 – 1944-01-15 Huon Peninsula campaign
- 1943-11-01 – 1943-11-11 Attack on Rabaul
- 1943-12-15 – 1945-08-15 New Britain campaign
- 1944-02-29 – 1944-03-25 Admiralty Islands campaign
- 1944-04-22 – 1945-08-15 Western New Guinea campaign
1942-05-05 – 1942-11-06 Battle of Madagascar
- 1942-06-06 – 1943-08-15 Battle of the Aleutian Islands
- 1942-06-07 – 1943-08-15 Battle of Kiska
- 1943-03-26 – Battle of the Komandorski Islands
-
1942-08-07 – 1943-02-09 Battle of Guadalcanal - 1942-08-09 Battle of Savo Island
- 1942-08-24 – 1942-08-25 Battle of the Eastern Solomons
- 1942-10-11 – 1942-10-12 Battle of Cape Esperance
- 1942-10-25 – 1942-10-27 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
- 1942-11-13 – 1942-11-15 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
- 1942-11-30 Battle of Tassafaronga
- 1943-01-29 – 1943-01-30 Battle of Rennell Island
- 1943-03-06 Battle of Blackett Strait
-
1943-06-10 – 1943-08-25 New Georgia Campaign - 1943-07-06 Battle of Kula Gulf
- 1943-07-12 – 1943-07-13 Battle of Kolombangara
- 1943-08-06 – 1943-08-07 Battle of Vella Gulf
1943-08-17 – 1943-08-18 Battle off Horaniu- 1943-08-15 – 1943-10-09 Land Battle of Vella Lavella
- 1943-10-06 Naval Battle of Vella Lavella
- 1943-11-01 – 1945-08-21 Battle of Bougainville
- 1943-11-01 – 1943-11-02 Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
- 1943-11-26 Battle of Cape St. George
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
- 1943-11-20 – 1943-11-23 Battle of Tarawa
- 1943-11-20 – 1943-11-24 Battle of Makin
- 1944-01-31 – 1944-02-07 Battle of Kwajalein
- 1944-02-16 – 1944-02-17 Attack on Truk
- 1944-02-16 – 1944-02-23 Battle of Eniwetok
Bombing of South East Asia, 1944-45
- Operation Cockpit 1944-04-19
- Operation Transom 1944-05-17
- Bombing of Bangkok 1944-05-20
- Operation Matterhorn 1944-06-05 – May 1945
- Operation Meridian 1945-01-24 – 1945-01-29
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
- 1944-06-15 – 1944-07-09 Battle of Saipan
- 1944-06-19 – 1944-06-20 Battle of the Philippine Sea
- 1944-07-21 – 1944-08-10 Battle of Guam[13]
- 1944-07-24 – 1944-08-01 Battle of Tinian[13]
- 1944-09-15 – 1944-11-25 Battle of Peleliu[14]
- 1944-09-17 – 1944-09-30 Battle of Angaur[14]
-
1944-10-20 – 1944-12-10 Battle of Leyte - 1944-10-24 – 1944-10-25 Battle of Leyte Gulf
- 1944-11-11 – 1944-12-21 Battle of Ormoc Bay
1944-12-15 – 1945-07-04 Battle of Luzon- 1945-01-09 Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
- 1945-01-31 – 1945-02-08 Recapture of Bataan
- 1945-02-03 – 1945-03-03 Battle of Manila
- 1945-03-18 – 1945-07-30 Battle of the Visayas
- 1945-03-10 – 1945-08-15 Battle of Mindanao
Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign
- 1945-02-16 – 1945-03-26 Battle of Iwo Jima
- 1945-04-01 – 1945-06-21 Battle of Okinawa
- 1945-04-07 Operation Ten-Go
-
1945-05-01 – 1945-05-25 Battle of Tarakan - 1945-06-10 – 1945-06-15 Battle of Brunei
- 1945-06-10 – 1945-06-22 Battle of Labuan
- 1945-06-17 – 1945-08-15 Battle of North Borneo
- 1945-07-07 – 1945-07-21 Battle of Balikpapan
- 1945-07-22 Battle of Tokyo Bay
- 1945-08-06 – 1945-08-09 Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1945-08-08 – 1945-09-02 Soviet invasion of Manchuria
Command areas
[edit]The command structures of the Pacific War varied, reflecting the different roles of various belligerent nations, and often involving different geographic scopes. These included the following:
- American commands:
- British and Allied commands:
- GHQ India, commanding the British Army in India
- Eastern Fleet
- American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
- South East Asia Command
- Far East Command, the Soviet command during the war against Japan in 1945
- Japanese commands:
- Japanese Combined Fleet, the Japanese command which oversaw naval operations
- Southern Expeditionary Army Group, the Japanese army command in the South West Pacific and South East Asia
Citation
[edit]- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Tarakan Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Balikpapan, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Ambon Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16.
- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The battle for Palembang, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Badung Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31.
- ^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Dutch West Timor Island, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The fighting on Portuguese East Timor, 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
- ^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Java Sea Battle, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
- ^ Visser, Jan (1999–2000). "The Sunda Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2014-12-03.
- ^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The conquest of Java Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
- ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
- ^ "Pacific Star - Veterans Affairs Canada". 21 January 2020.
- ^ a b Potter & Nimitz, 1960, p.770
- ^ a b Ofstie(1946)p.275
References
[edit]- L, Klemen (2000). "Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942".