Stille, Mark/Laurier, Jim (Illustr.) US Navy Pacific Fleet 1941-42

Striking back in the months to Midway

Despite the devastating damage at Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet remained capable of striking back. In this book, U.S. naval expert Mark Stille explains and assesses the fleet's response to the apparent catastrophe and how its actions led to the decisive victory at Midway. He explains how, although unable to launch a large-scale offensive in the Central Pacific as planned before the war, the Pacific Fleet carried out several aircraft carrier attacks, while the U.S. submarine fleet, albeit plagued by technical problems, also went on the offensive. Crucially, the Pacific Fleet secured the sea lanes between the U.S. and Australia and subsequently halted the Japanese advance in the South Pacific, leading to the first carrier battle of the war in the Coral Sea. Stille examines the pre-war intelligence and logistics capabilities that were among the Navy's most important resources as it sought ways to counter Japan's superiority. Illustrated with drawings, maps, and 3D diagrams, this book analyzes the operations and capabilities of the Pacific Fleet during this critical period, as well as the strengths and weaknesses it still had to overcome. Remarkably, within six months of Pearl Harbor, the "weakened" Pacific Fleet had definitively turned the tide against the Imperial Japanese Navy.