Under the Southern Cross: The South Pacific Air Campaign Against Rabaul
- ISBN-10
- 1472838211
- ISBN-13
- 9781472838216
- Series
- Under the Southern Cross
- Category
- History
- Pages
- 320
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2021-05-13
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Author
- Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
Description
From August 7, 1942 until February 24, 1944, the US Navy fought the most difficult campaign in its history. Between the landing of the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal and the final withdrawal of the Imperial Japanese Navy from its main South Pacific base at Rabaul, the US Navy suffered such high personnel losses that for years it refused to publicly release total casualty figures. The Solomons campaign saw the US Navy at its lowest point, forced to make use of those ships that had survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other units of the pre-war navy that had been hastily transferred to the Pacific. 140 days after the American victory at Midway, USS Enterprise was the only pre-war carrier left in the South Pacific and the US Navy would have been overwhelmed in the face of Japanese naval power had there been a third major fleet action. At the same time, another under-resourced campaign had broken out on the island of New Guinea. The Japanese attempt to reinforce their position there had led to the Battle of the Coral Sea in May and through to the end of the year, American and Australian armed forces were only just able to prevent a Japanese conquest of New Guinea. The end of 1942 saw the Japanese stopped in both the Solomons and New Guinea, but it would take another 18 hard-fought months before Japan was forced to retreat from the South Pacific. Under the Southern Cross draws on extensive first-hand accounts and new analysis to examine the Solomons and New Guinea campaigns which laid the groundwork for Allied victory in the Pacific War.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2021-05-13
- 320 pages
- Ebook
- Bloomsbury Publishing
Similar books
-
Under the Southern Cross
By Frane LessacThis celebratory picture book from Frané Lessac shines a light on beloved nighttime activities under the starry skies of Australia.
-
Under the Southern Cross
By Claire McNabThe vast, forbidding Australian Outback… the grandeur of Ayers Rock… legendary Alice Springs… the Great Barrier Reef… the primal beauty of Cape Tribulation… Two women, from different continents, with different values, collide with ...
-
Under the Southern Cross: The B-24 Liberator in the South Pacific
By Bob LivingstoneFollow Australian author, Bob Livingstone as he follows the B-24 Liberator as it arrives in Australia during the turning point of the war against Japan and enables attacks to penetrate deep into Japanese held territory.
-
Under the Southern Cross: The Saga of the Americal Division
By Cpt. Francis D. Cronin1st Lt James J Süeffel Pvt. Charles L Stimmet Pfc. George F Strachota Pfc. Truman G Swenson Sgt. Donald A ... Pfc. Paul Tomaski Pvt. Adam E Tomczyk Pfc. Charles B Turner St Sgt. Robert J Turner Pfc. Charles R Updegraff Pfc. Dale W ...
-
Underneath the Southern Cross
By Michael HusseyFrom his lengthy struggle to break into the Australian side, through to his masterly achievements in the Australian team, in ODI and Indian Premier League – this book follows his extraordinary cricket career., with plenty of surprisingly ...
-
Under the Southern Cross: Soldier Life with Gordon Bradwell and the Army of Northern Virginia
By Isaac Gordon BradwellLong buried in the pages of this magazine's volumes, Bradwell's engaging and readable story is finally told in its entirety.
-
Sons Of The Southern Cross
By Grantlee KiezaGrantlee Kieza tells the story of the flag through the stories of the people who fought under it, the miners, the soldiers, the bushrangers, the journalists and politicians, who shaped Australia.
-
Beneath The Southern Cross
By Judy NunnA riveting novel that tells the story of Sydney and the people who shaped its character, its skyline and its heart.
-
North Star to Southern Cross
By Will Kyselka, Ray LantermanReveals the common metaphysical and religious roots of astronomy and astrology and relates facts about stars and constellations
-
Wesleyan-Holiness Churches in Australia: Hallelujah under the Southern Cross
By Glen O'BrienThe American origins of the Holiness movement have been charted in some depth, but there is currently little detail on how it developed outside of the US. This book seeks to redress this imbalance by giving a history of North American ...