Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal: HISTORY OF U. S. MARINE CORPS OPERATIONS IN WORLD WAR II, VOLUME II

“Both the United States and Japan had developed plans for war in the Pacific long before December 1941. Each nation considered the other to be its most probable enemy. There was, however, a fundamental moral difference between the respective war plans. The Americans planned for defense and retaliation in case of attack; the Japanese intended to strike the first blow. Japan's prime objective was economic self-sufficiency, and the prize she sought was control of the rich natural resources of Southeast Asia and the islands of the East Indies, her "Southern Resources Area." The Japanese were well aware that, invasion in this area would bring them into conflict with a coalition of powers. The lands they aspired to conquer were the possessions or protectorates of Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United States. By means of surprise attacks, launched simultaneously on a half dozen different fronts, the Japanese. expected to catch the Allies off-balance and ill-prepared.

Attack on Pearl Harbor and Guam, from the Japanese side.

Guam capture map

Wake Island

Corregidor

Marshalls and Gilbert Islands

Dolittle and Midway

The document notes that in the Battle for Midway, Yamamoto had seven carriers while the U.S. had only three, and Yamamoto had four seaplane carriers. He had 11 battleships to 0 for the U.S. He had more cruisers, destroyers and subs than the U.S. The problem was that he split this massive force into various groups, and the groups were widely scattered.

Midway



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