Page 256 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

222 I'ACHO l (fii i11 A

1943 forccd hai)' out of rhc war. In contro! of rhc Mcdircrrancan nnù i\rlnnric Sl'•L
lnncs, du: Alhes linally inv;~ùcù thc conrincnr on 6Junc 1944. Forrunardy for ch,·m.
Hitler crrcd by lighnng on severa! fronrs .LnÙ undcrraking <:ommllmcnr~ far ex·
cecùsng lus rcsources.
\'\Vhile Jap.Lncsc sank rh ree America n b:ttdeshsps ;~n d Ùama~cd lì ve uthcrs ~•n d
stili othcr slups . • snd Ùt'stroycd m:~n)' aircr3ft :u Pearl Hnrbor, tht-y ~rc;Hly errcù
in noc dc.-strO)'LnS rhe lo~rsucs suunures. espc<inlly rhe grl'3r oil f.'lrm che re. Mor(•over.
none of the eh ree Amerrcan ntrcrafr carriers in thc Pacilic wns rherc on 7 Dcccm·
ber 1941. Although che Jnmaged batdeshtps w~:re repaired and proved useful for
AA defcnsc and shore bombardmcm. thcy wcrc: ro slow ro operare wirh fase curi·
ers. which now bort' spearhc:aded offensive operarions.
Commiued to defeating Germany firsr. che Unired Stares assumed thc defen·
sive in rhe Pacifìc unti! ir crt""aced enough power co shifr to thc offensive. Bcforc
it could do so. theJapant-se sccu reò che Sourhern Resourct-s Area <Sourhtasr Asia
an d che Ensr lndsesl. Tht Dooliult raiù onJapanesc ciries on l H Aprii 1942 rnised
Amerim n mor.Lit·. More impon.Lncly. i t causeù Japanese ro keep sever;LI asr squ;L·
drons ~~ home fM defcnsr:. lf the Bacrle of the Coral Se-,1 was a raccica l vicmry for
Japan, ir w:1s also rhe lirst ro block furure J•lpanese pian s. Thesr: callcJ for cuuing
communications linc:s bcrwt·en tht· UniteJ Smres and Australia and cxtending thelr
ùefcnsive perimcttr nboUI the Sourhtrn Resources are:;~. To thl so thty inccnded
ro scize Pon Morcsby. New Guinta. Tulagt, Solomons lsland. and rhen Mtdway
:md rhc Aleulio.ns. How~ver. in rbc Baule of 1\tidway. 2·6 Ju.ne. rhcy lost four turri·
ers, 253 planes. and 3'>00 men including 100 irrt'placeable fim·line pilocs. Tht•
Unircd Sr.ues could nor assume rhe offensive.
Th~ lirst American offtnsive includcd a Sourh Pac:ifìc drive along thc north·
crn coasr of New Guinea and .1 step-h)•-srep march up the olomons lslands Jncldc:r.
Overrulintt Gen. Douglas MacArrhur. -.·ho w1shed ro command ali forces in .1 sin·
gle d r; ve (rom Ne-.· Guinea ro rhe Philtppines and so tO Japan, in November 19~ l
rheJCS .1pproved a Centrai Paci fie drive. This would hop acrossJapan's mandarcd
1slands. )O in MacArthur in thc: Philippines. an d conrinue row:uù Japan. America n
success 10 an.1d:ing from an exterior line of posirion was madt possible by increast-d
numbers of improved ships. nircmft. ordnance. training programs .• md radar. Ku·
dos is aho descrved b)• rhe leaders of rhe Fleer Marine Force nnd by su eh naval
leaders as Admtrals \'<lilliam F. Ho~lsey Jnd Raymonc.l A. Spruance and chcir (nst
carricr commander. Mare A. Mitschcr.
Wit.h the Solomons sccurcd by the end of 1943. a rwcnrymonth campaign
~gninsr Rabaul so rcducedJapanese air powcr thar it could ntl longer 1-e a scrinus
thrcar. Japan withdrew its n~ct frnm Ù1C Paci fie and ~ave rhe Untted Starcs lime
t0 build and trnin for the Centrai Pacifìc drive of l9-14. Notin~ ùw weakncss (lf
Jnpnncst· air l'""'cr m thc Philippines. ù1c JCS sct 14 Onnbcr rachcr tlmn 20 Dc·
cemher 1944 for the .1ss.wlr 110 rhc Philippin.- island nf lqtc hy jninr Suuthwc~t