Download Naval History of WWII

Naval History of WWII
Presented by Bruce. A. Apgar, Jr.,
CDR, USN (RET)
Naval History of World War II
• 1937-1945 in the Pacific
– Japanese invade China
• 1939-1945 in the Atlantic
– Germans invade Poland
What Caused the War
• Global Depression
• Japanese industrialization and expansionism
– Rise of Militarists in Japan and Nazis in Germany
• After-effects of the The Great War
Naval Arms Race
• Push for peace and economic realities
– Washington Naval Conference, 1922
• Limits Capital Ships of US, UK, Japan, France, Italy
• Size and numbers of Battleships and Cruisers
– 1st & 2nd London Naval Conference, 1930; 1936
• Limits on numbers of smaller combatants
– Civil War naval combat: 30-70 yds vs. WWII naval
combat 9-10 miles! (planes hundreds of miles)
Limited growth of existing Navies…prompted Japan to replace many
older generation ships. Also freed resources to the development of
Naval Aviation…a new technology that would change the nature of
Naval Warfare….Theory of Air Power: General Billy Mitchell
Tension Builds
• Japan’s growing economy demands raw
materials
– Iron, Oil, Rubber
• With these resources unavailable in the home
islands, Japanese begin to look toward the
rich resources of the island chains that
surround the Pacific
• Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere
– Similar to Manifest Destiny?
Tension Builds
• Europe’s economy in ruins after WWI
• Reparations devastated Germany
• Hitler’s rise to power
– Remilitarization and the annexation of
neighboring “German” Provinces
War Breaks out in Pacific
• 1937 Japanese invade China
– Results in a series of diplomatic actions that
culminate in US embargo of certain industrial
materials to Japan, especially oil and scrap metal.
War Breaks out in Europe
• 1939 Germany (& USSR) invades Poland
– Results in Britain and France declaring war on
Germany.
– Germany rolls over Allies and begins attempt to
starve out the Allies through naval disruption of
the military supplies to England.
• Evacuation of Dunkirk
• Germany invades Russia
in 1941
US Sits By and Watches?
• Naval War between Great Britain and
Germany neutralizes Germany’s surface fleet.
• Lend-lease program
• Submarine Warfare
• Military-industrial build-up
– George C. Marshall
– Harold R. Stark
DEC 7, 1941
• Japan decides that the time to act has come
– Massive raid on US base at Hawaii
• Devastates bulk of the US Battle Fleet
• Aircraft Carriers and fuel depots survive
• US declares war on DEC 8th
• DEC 10th Germany and Italy declare war on US
– Had signed tripartite treaty with Japan in 1940
• Only instance of Hitler honoring an int’l agreement!
Allied Strategy:“Germany First”
• Allies (Britain and US) decide to fight a holding action
in Pacific while winning the war in Europe
– Set priorities for men and material
– US really can’t ignore Japan
• Homeland feels threatened
• Territories conquered
• They wanted revenge for being
“suddenly and deliberately
attacked”
• Britain had largely eliminated German Surface Navy
which freed up the bulk of naval ship construction for
the Pacific Fleet…Bismarck, Graf Spee, Tirpitz
Battle of the Atlantic
• German Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
– Almost brings UK to her knees
– Convoys
– Escorts (air and naval)
– Destroyer Escorts
Allies
– Liberty Ships,
LOSSES
Germans
36,200 sailors
30,000 sailors
36,000 merchant
seamen
783 submarines
3,500 merchant
vessels
175 warships
Battle for the Mediterranean
• North Africa – Operation Torch US Amphibious
Assault in Morocco. French navy resistance from
Dakar, Senegal.
• Malta – 3340 Air Raids
• Sicily – Operation Husky
– Patton &/vs Montgomery
vs. Germans
• Italy - Anzio Landing
– Operation Shingle
– LST
Landing Ship, Tank (LST)
Often called the ship that won WWII
Normandy
Operation Overlord
• Largest Armada ever assembled
– 5000 ships
– Delivered over 160,000 troops to Normandy
beaches
Tomorrow
The Aftermath of Pearl Harbor
• What is left?
– 3 Carriers
– Destroyers
– Fuel Depot
Japanese Advance
• Quickly eliminate
British and French
Naval Threat
• Between January and
June 1942 Japan
overruns much of
Southeast Asia,
Philippines, South
Pacific, Guam, Wake
Japanese advance quickly
Coral Sea
4-8 May 1942
• Japan plans for invasion of Port Moresby and
Solomon Islands…eventually Australia?
Ends in relative draw, but…stops advance, sets stage for Midway
Midway
Turning Point of War… The US Navy’s
Finest Hour?
• Japan’s plan to finish off US fleet and
consolidate her expansion
• Incredible numerical advantage for Japan
– 7 Aircraft Carriers and 11 Battleships – Japan
– 3 Aircraft Carriers - US
Forces Move Into Position
The
Battle
Unfolds
Outcome
• US loses one carrier and one destroyer.
• Japan loses four carriers and two cruisers.
• Japan cannot replace the loses in manpower and
material and never again returns to the offense.
• Better intelligence…knowledge superiority…key
to victory.
US/Allies take the offensive
• Difference between building an empire and
defeating an enemy?
• Nimitz in charge of Naval and Marine Forces;
MacArthur in charge of Army Forces
• Dual pronged assault
– MacArthur works up the island chains toward the
Philippines
– Nimitz across central Pacific
Island Hopping Campaign
Guadalcanal
August 1942-February 1943
• First major amphibious assault of the Pacific
Campaign
• Hundreds of ships and hundreds of thousands
of troops
• Carriers must leave after 72 hours
• First step in securing
the Solomon Islands
Guadalcanal
August 1942-February 1943
• Iron Bottom Sound
New Guinea
1943 - 1945
• Japanese threat to Australia and Sea Lines of
Communication (SLOC) needed to neutralized.
• Huge army campaign supported by Naval Gunfire
and Air.
• MacArthur’s first step to “Returning”
Philippines
1944-1945
• Series of major land and sea engagements
Tarawa
November 1943
• First step across the Central Pacific
– Huge naval force (17 carriers)
• Horrific fighting – 3000 US casualties and 90%
of the 3600 Japanese killed.
The Battle of the Philippine Sea
“The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”
June 1944
Guam
July-August 1944
• Final Push in the Marianas Campaign
Difficult assault over coral
reefs ringing the island.
• Over 18,000 of 22,000
defenders died.
• US casualties 8000 (K/W)
of 36,000
• Became B-29 Staging Base
•
Leyte Gulf
• Largest naval battle ever
• Eliminated Japanese Navy as an effective
fighting force.
Leyte Gulf
Three Separate Japanese Attacks
• Northern Group, Draw of
Halsey and Aircraft Carrier
• Southern Group attack
through Surigao Strait and
destroy landing craft
• Central Group attack Naval
Forces off Samar and join
Southern Group
Kamikaze
“Divine Wind”
• Last desperate attempt to stem the allied
advance
Okinawa
April – June 1945
• The last gasp
• Largest amphibious assault of the war
• 1500 Kamikaze attacks sunk 20 ships and
damaged 150 others.
• Last Japanese naval attack – 7 of 10 ships
(including YAMATO) sunk by Naval Air
• To be a major staging area for Japanese
Invasion
Good Resources
• Books
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The United States Navy
Last Stand of the Tin Cans
At Dawn We Slept
Midway, Incredible Victory
The Longest Day
Run Silent, Run Deep
The Cruel Sea
Helmet For My Pillow
With the Old Breed
• Movies
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Victory at Sea
Tora, Tora, Tora
Midway
Mr. Roberts
The Sands of Iwo Jima
• Websites
– www.history.navy.mil
– www.navyhistory.org
– www.everythingworldwar2.co
m
– The Decision to Use the
Atomic Bomb
– Naval History Bibiliography