Pacific war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pacific war - Essay Example However control of the sea was practicable only after island territories had been secured as bases for air and logistics sustenance. This dictated equity in employment of land and air forces in conjunction with combat ships. This created intense service rivalries primarily between the land and sea force commanders. At the tactical level allotment of forces for operations was on a task force basis and overcame the service biases to an extent. The key personalities involved were of great significance. On one hand we have Douglas MacArthur, who has been referred to as the American Caesar an Army general with impeccable professional reputation. Decorated in the First World War, he had the distinction of being recalled on active service on the outbreak of the Second World War and then placed in command of American forces in the Philippines.2 Overwhelmed by the Japanese in the Philippines, MacArthur was determined to return, an obsession to some extent which dictated some of his strategic proclivities in the years ahead. His reputation as a military commander survived his failure in the Philippines. ... He was considered the fore most authority on submarines in the US Navy. He is credited to have successfully halted the Japanese advance after the initial disaster of the Pearl Harbor and led the counter offensive in the Pacific overcoming the deficiencies in supplies and ships by successive victories in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway and the Campaign in the Solomon Islands.3 The US Navy considered Nimitz as their mascot in the Pacific and despite the seniority differential felt that he was the most suited for a joint command with quantitative superiority with the Navy. Victory as is commonly said has many fathers. The controversy of ascribing success of Allied victory in the Pacific to Nimitz or MacArthur is contained in a number of factors as inter service rivalry, lack of unity of command, the concomitant success of the forces under each commander, strategic outlook and the personalities themselves. While each of these issues is important, the strategy ascribed to Nimitz and MacArthur would be a prime consideration which is being discussed along with other factors herein. The Strategic Backdrop With the tide of success having turned in favor of the Allies, at the Quadrant Conference at Quebec in August 1943, it was decided that two lines of approach for subjugation of the Japanese be undertaken. In South West Pacific, General MacArthur was placed in command of the forces to undertake an offensive in Eastern New Guinea to include Wewak, the Admirality Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago, neutralize Rabaul and advance along the New Guinea coast to the Vogelkop peninsula. The second approach was to be through the Central