List of Pacific War campaigns

This is a list of campaigns during the Pacific War.

Flags indicate the country, or countries, winning the offensive.

Second Sino-Japanese war

Before 1942 and inclusion in the Pacific War:

1937-07-07 – 1937-07-09 Marco Polo Bridge Incident
1937-08-13 – 1937-11-26 Battle of Shanghai
1937-09-01 – 1937-11-09 Battle of Taiyuan
1937-12-09 – 1938-01-31 Battle of Nanjing
1938-03-24 – 1938-05-01 Battle of Xuzhou
1938-06-11 – 1938-10-27 Battle of Wuhan
1939-03-17 – 1939-05-09 Battle of Nanchang
1939-04-20 – 1939-05-24 Battle of Suixian-Zaoyang
1939-09-13 – 1939-10-08 Battle of Changsha (1939)
1939-11-15 – 1940-11-30 Battle of South Guangxi
1940-05-01 – 1940-06-18 Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang
1940-08-20 – 1940-12-05 Hundred Regiments Offensive
1941-01-30 – 1941-03-01 Battle of South Henan
1941-03-14 – 1941-04-09 Battle of Shanggao
1941-05-07 – 1941-05-27 Battle of South Shanxi
1941-09-06 – 1941-10-08 Battle of Changsha (1941)

After inclusion in the Pacific War:

1941-12-24 – 1942-01-15 Battle of Changsha (1942)
1942-05-14 – 1942-09-07 Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign
1943-05-12 – 1943-06-03 Battle of West Hubei
1943-11-02 – 1943-12-20 Battle of Changde
1944-04-17 – 1944-12-10 Operation Ichi-Go
1945-03-21 – 1945-05-11 Battle of West Henan–North Hubei
1945-04-09 – 1945-06-07 Battle of West Hunan
1945-04-18 — 1945-08-04 Second Guangxi Campaign

Franco-Japanese Border War

1940-09-22 – 1940-09-25 Battle of Lạng Sơn
1940-09-24 – 1940-09-26 Bombing of Hải Phòng

Franco-Thai War

October 1940 – 9 May 1941

Soviet–Japanese border conflicts

1938-07-29 – 1938-08-11 Battle of Lake Khasan
1939-05-11 – 1939-09-16 Battles of Khalkhin Gol

Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia and Pacific

1941-12-07 (12-08 Asian Time) Attack on Pearl Harbor
1941-12-08 Japanese invasion of Thailand
1941-12-08 Battle of Guam (1941)
1941-12-07 Japan declares war on the United States and the United Kingdom; 1941-12-08 The United States and the United Kingdom declare war on Japan
1941-12-08 – 1941-12-25 Battle of Hong Kong
1941-12-08 – 1942-01-31 Malayan Campaign
1941-12-10 Sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
1941-12-11 – 1941-12-24 Battle of Wake Island
1941-12-16 – 1942-04-01 Battle of Borneo (1941–42)
1941-12-22 – 1942-05-06 Battle of the Philippines
1942-01-01 – 1945-10-25 Transport of POWs via hell ships
1942-01-11 – 1942-01-12 Battle of Tarakan^[1]
1942-01-23 Battle of Rabaul (1942)
1942-01-24 Battle of Balikpapan^[2]
1942-01-25 Thailand declares war on the Allies
1942-01-30 – 1942-02-03 Battle of Ambon^[3]
1942-01-30 – 1942-02-15 Battle of Singapore
1942-02-04 Battle of Makassar Strait
1942-02-14 – 1942-02-15 Battle of Palembang^[4]
1942-02-19 Air raids on Darwin, Australia
1942-02-19 – 1942-02-20 Battle of Badung Strait^[5]
1942-02-19 – 1943-02-10 Battle of Timor^[6]^[7]
1942-02-27 – 1942-03-01 Battle of the Java Sea^[8]
1942-03-01 Battle of Sunda Strait^[9]
1942-03-01 – 1942-03-09 Battle of Java^[10]
1942-03-31 Battle of Christmas Island^[11]
1942-03-31 – 1942-04-10 Indian Ocean raid
1942-04-09 Bataan Death March begins
1942-04-18 Doolittle Raid
1942-05-03 Japanese invasion of Tulagi
1942-05-04 – 1942-05-08 Battle of the Coral Sea
1942-05-31 – 1942-06-08 Attacks on Sydney Harbour area, Australia
1942-06-04 – 1942-06-06 Battle of Midway

Allied offensives

See Atlas of the World Battle Fronts
1943-07-01	1943-12-01	1944-05-01
1944-11-01	1945-03-01	1945-08-01

South East Asian campaigns: 1941-12-08 – 1945-08-15

^[12] Burma Campaign: 1941-12-16 – 1945-08-15
October 1943 – March 1945 Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan
1945-05-15 – 1945-05-16 Battle of the Malacca Strait

New Guinea campaign

1942-01-23 – Battle of Rabaul
1942-03-07 – Operation Mo (Japanese invasion of mainland New Guinea)
1942-05-04 – 1942-05-08 Battle of the Coral Sea
1942-07-01 – 1943-01-31 Kokoda Track Campaign
1942-08-25 – 1942-09-05 Battle of Milne Bay
1942-11-19 – 1943-01-23 Battle of Buna-Gona
1943-01-28 – 1943-01-30 Battle of Wau
1943-03-02 – 1943-03-04 Battle of the Bismarck Sea
1943-06-29 – 1943-09-16 Battle of Lae
1943-06-30 – 1944-03-25 Operation Cartwheel
1943-09-19 – 1944-04-24 Finisterre Range campaign
1943-09-22 – 1944-01-15 Huon Peninsula campaign
1943-11-01 – 1943-11-11 Attack on Rabaul
1943-12-15 – 1945-08-15 New Britain campaign
1944-02-29 – 1944-03-25 Admiralty Islands campaign
1944-04-22 – 1945-08-15 Western New Guinea campaign

Madagascar Campaign

1942-05-05 – 1942-11-06 Battle of Madagascar

Aleutian Islands Campaign

1942-06-06 – 1943-08-15 Battle of the Aleutian Islands
1942-06-07 – 1943-08-15 Battle of Kiska
1943-03-26 – Battle of the Komandorski Islands

Guadalcanal Campaign

1942-08-07 – 1943-02-09 Battle of Guadalcanal
1942-08-09 Battle of Savo Island
1942-08-24 – 1942-08-25 Battle of the Eastern Solomons
1942-10-11 – 1942-10-12 Battle of Cape Esperance
1942-10-25 – 1942-10-27 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
1942-11-13 – 1942-11-15 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
1942-11-30 Battle of Tassafaronga

Solomon Islands campaign

1943-01-29 – 1943-01-30 Battle of Rennell Island
1943-03-06 Battle of Blackett Strait
1943-06-10 – 1943-08-25 New Georgia Campaign
1943-07-06 Battle of Kula Gulf
1943-07-12 – 1943-07-13 Battle of Kolombangara
1943-08-06 – 1943-08-07 Battle of Vella Gulf
1943-08-17 – 1943-08-18 Battle off Horaniu
1943-08-15 – 1943-10-09 Land Battle of Vella Lavella
1943-10-06 Naval Battle of Vella Lavella
1943-11-01 – 1945-08-21 Battle of Bougainville
1943-11-01 – 1943-11-02 Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
1943-11-26 Battle of Cape St. George

Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign

1943-11-20 – 1943-11-23 Battle of Tarawa
1943-11-20 – 1943-11-24 Battle of Makin
1944-01-31 – 1944-02-07 Battle of Kwajalein
1944-02-16 – 1944-02-17 Attack on Truk
1944-02-16 – 1944-02-23 Battle of Eniwetok

Bombing of South East Asia, 1944-45

Operation Cockpit 1944-04-19
Operation Transom 1944-05-17
Bombing of Bangkok 1944-05-20
Operation Matterhorn 1944-06-05 – May 1945
Operation Meridian 1945-01-24 – 1945-01-29

Mariana and Palau Islands campaign

1944-06-15 – 1944-07-09 Battle of Saipan
1944-06-19 – 1944-06-20 Battle of the Philippine Sea
1944-07-21 – 1944-08-10 Battle of Guam^[13]
1944-07-24 – 1944-08-01 Battle of Tinian^[13]
1944-09-15 – 1944-11-25 Battle of Peleliu^[14]
1944-09-17 – 1944-09-30 Battle of Angaur^[14]

Philippines campaign

1944-10-20 – 1944-12-10 Battle of Leyte
1944-10-24 – 1944-10-25 Battle of Leyte Gulf
1944-11-11 – 1944-12-21 Battle of Ormoc Bay
1944-12-15 – 1945-07-04 Battle of Luzon
1945-01-09 Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
1945-01-31 – 1945-02-08 Recapture of Bataan
1945-02-03 – 1945-03-03 Battle of Manila
1945-03-18 – 1945-07-30 Battle of the Visayas
1945-03-10 – 1945-08-15 Battle of Mindanao

Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign

1945-02-16 – 1945-03-26 Battle of Iwo Jima
1945-04-01 – 1945-06-21 Battle of Okinawa
1945-04-07 Operation Ten-Go

Borneo campaign

1945-05-01 – 1945-05-25 Battle of Tarakan
1945-06-10 – 1945-06-15 Battle of Brunei
1945-06-10 – 1945-06-22 Battle of Labuan
1945-06-17 – 1945-08-15 Battle of North Borneo
1945-07-07 – 1945-07-21 Battle of Balikpapan

Japan campaign

1945-07-22 Battle of Tokyo Bay
1945-08-06 – 1945-08-09 Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Soviet invasion of Manchuria

1945-08-08 – 1945-09-02 Soviet invasion of Manchuria

Command areas

The command structures of the Pacific War varied, reflecting the different roles of various belligerent nations, and often involving different geographic scopes. These included the following:

American commands:
- Pacific Ocean Areas
- South West Pacific Area
British and Allied commands:
- GHQ India, commanding the British Army in India
- Eastern Fleet
- American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
- South East Asia Command
- Far East Command, the Soviet command during the war against Japan in 1945
Japanese commands:
- Japanese Combined Fleet, the Japanese command which oversaw naval operations
- Southern Expeditionary Army Group, the Japanese army command in the South West Pacific and South East Asia

Citation

^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Tarakan Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Balikpapan, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Ambon Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The battle for Palembang, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Badung Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31.
^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Dutch West Timor Island, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The fighting on Portuguese East Timor, 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Java Sea Battle, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ Visser, Jan (1999–2000). "The Sunda Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2014-12-03.
^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The conquest of Java Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ "Pacific Star - Veterans Affairs Canada". 21 January 2020.
^ ^a ^b Potter & Nimitz, 1960, p.770
^ ^a ^b Ofstie(1946)p.275

References

L, Klemen (2000). "Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942".

[1] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Tarakan Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[2] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Balikpapan, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[3] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Ambon Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16.

[4] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The battle for Palembang, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[5] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Badung Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31.

[6] Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Dutch West Timor Island, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[7] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The fighting on Portuguese East Timor, 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[8] Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Java Sea Battle, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[9] Visser, Jan (1999–2000). "The Sunda Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2014-12-03.

[10] Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The conquest of Java Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[11] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[12] "Pacific Star - Veterans Affairs Canada". 21 January 2020.

[p&n770-13] Potter & Nimitz, 1960, p.770

[ussbs275-14] Ofstie(1946)p.275

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