The Thunder of the Guns: Battles of the Pacific War
Surface, Carrier, and Submarine Operations





The most extensive and intensive succession of naval battles together formed the Pacific War of 1941 -- 1945. All five carrier battles of history were fought in it; the largest naval battle in history was fought here, as was the first battle in which opposing surface forces never saw each other. The greatest series of night battles was fought in the two years it took the U.S. to capture the Solomons. The first cruise missile attacks ("Kamikaze") were launched during the war.

And all these superlatives and firsts will be looked at in this section, in which I am heavily supported by Vincent P. O'Hara and Philip Jacobsen, who contributed (and still contribute) immensely valuable battle descriptions.

Battles & Campaigns of
1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Relief of Wake Island
Phillipine Islands Defense

1942
Philippine Islands Defense (Cont.)
ABDA Campaign
Battle of Balikpapan
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of Badung Strait
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of the Java Sea
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Action South of Borneo
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of Sunda Strait
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Other ABDA Engagements
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Early Fast Carrier Raids
Doolittle-Raid
Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of Midway
Guadalcanal Campaign
Battle of Savo Island
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Battle of Cape Esperance
Battle of Santa Cruz
First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Battle of Tassafaronga

1943
Guadalcanal Campaign (Cont.)
Battle of Rennell Island
by Philip H. Jacobsen
"Cartwheel" Campaign
by Vincent P. O'Hara
First Battle of Kula Gulf
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Second Battle of Kula Gulf
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of Kolombangara
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle off Horaniu
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of Vella LaVella
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of Vella Gulf
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Battle of Cape St. George
by Vincent P. O'Hara
Aleutians Campaign
Battle of Komandorski Island
by Vincent P. O'Hara
7th Fleet Campaign
Gilberts Campaign

1944
Marshalls Campaign
Raid on Truk
Marianas Campaign
Battle of the Philippine Sea
Philippines Campaign
Raid on Formosa
Battle of Leyte Gulf
A New Look at the Battle of Leyte Gulf
by Irwin J. Kappes
3rd Fleet in a Typhoon

1945
Philippines Campaign (Cont.)
Iwo Jima Campaign
Final Strikes on Japan