Most Interesting Pacific Battle

NOT best, I have learnt from others' mistakes :p
What is your favourite Pacific Battle to research?

I ask some people that I have a conversation with, and they dont really know, so I thought it would be interesting

Cheers!
Jess.

 

The Pacific is a area I follow even less than the African and Italian theaters so I'm affraid I can't really vote.

I think if I was to have a interest in the Far East I'd focus on British Forces.

Sorry
Andy

 

Sweeeeet as bro!

Just thought - there is a Guadal Canal thread I spotted somewhere about...

 

Nice poll Jess!! Keep focusing on the Pacific theater and you might find yourself a niche!! No one else seems to be stepping up to the plate and there is a knowledge gap on the Pacific Theater here so well done.

Voted for Midway meself although I have to say that Wake Island would be a close second.

 

Samar! Seven thin skinned destroyers and Destroyer escorts fight off the main Japanese force. The Yamato alone weighed as much as the entire US Force. This Battle also included, In my opinion as I don't think it has ever been confirmed, the only hit from the main gun of a carrier on a enemy surface unit, and she sunk her!

 

The Battle Off Samar. Those destroyers and destroyer escorts of Taffy 3 fought like bulldogs. Then to reward them for their heroism, they were left in the water for 2 days after their ships were sunk.

Just a note to our British friends. Pearl Harbor is a US possession and as such it's name is correctly spelled without the "u". This isn't a rant about US vs British spellings, but an encouragement for accuracy. To me, it is perfectly alright to refer to "the harbour at Pearl Harbor," or the "USS Arizona rests on the harbour floor." However when using harbor/harbour in a proper name, the correct spelling should be used. To me, it is the same as spelling my name Geoff.

 

Thanks Geoff.....I honestly didn't know that about the name of Pearl.

 

Can we not put Hong Kong in the pacific? Or is that stretching the point. If so Guess what...I'm going for Hong Kong.

 

What was your criteria for inclusion in this list? The Battle Off Horaniu was at best a minor interlude in the Guadalcanal campaign, especially when compared to battles like Savo Island, Tassafaronga, Cape Esperance or the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, where two US admirals were killed.

Not grousing at you, just wondering.

 

Heehee I spelt it correctly in post #5 Jeff. :p
Jess is a Kiwi anyhows.

Whew, I thought she might work for the postal service.

 

If we´re talking here only about naval battles, I would go for the duel on the Java Sea; the way the ABDA fleet fought, with all odds against it, was as magnificent as it gets.

The fact that it was a defeat, just gave it its touch of epic, as it usually happens with battles of this kind.

Close behind, if land battles are allowed, I would go for Ioribaiwa and/or Milne Bay.

 

This isn't a rant about US vs British spellings,
huhm... And NZ Spellings

 

How can one go past Guadalcanal, it had everything...naval battles, air battles and the epic land contests...and let's not forget that it was the campaign that firmly stopped the Japanese from reaching NZ or the West Island.

Macca

 

Naturally I nominate the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation, also known as Operation August Storm, which squashed the Kwantung Army of the Imperial Japanese Army in Manchukuo into wasabi paste (thin).

 

I concur with Warlord. The Battle of Java sea holds the most interest for me...

 

The Battle of Midway signaled the end of Japanese advancement.

Cheers
Paul

 

Yay. Im just glad the Japanese stopped, or else I might not be sitting here typing this - I might be in Auckland - aaahhh! Not Auckland, they have... traffic lights -

 

Samar! Seven thin skinned destroyers and Destroyer escorts fight off the main Japanese force. The Yamato alone weighed as much as the entire US Force. This Battle also included, In my opinion as I don't think it has ever been confirmed, the only hit from the main gun of a carrier on a enemy surface unit, and she sunk her!
I don't know much about the Pacific Theater, but I'm in the middle of Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors about the battle off Samar. It reads like a novel. Amazing story.