List of Pacific War campaigns explained

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 and
• 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

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

References

• Web site: Klemen . L . 2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Klemen . L . The capture of Tarakan Island, January 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726052724/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/tarakan.html . 2011-07-26 .
2. Web site: Klemen . L . The capture of Balikpapan, January 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726051615/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/balikpapan.html . 2011-07-26 .
3. Web site: Klemen . L . The Japanese Invasion of Ambon Island, January 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210416141746/http://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/ambon.html . 2021-04-16 .
4. Web site: Klemen . L . The battle for Palembang, February 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
5. Web site: Klemen . L . The Badung Strait Battle . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150331201608/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/BadungStrait.html . 2015-03-31 .
6. Web site: Klemen . L . The Japanese Invasion of Dutch West Timor Island, February 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
7. Web site: Klemen . L . The fighting on Portuguese East Timor, 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
8. Web site: Klemen . L . The Java Sea Battle, February 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726052834/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/java_sea.html . 2011-07-26 .
9. Web site: Jan . Visser . The Sunda Strait Battle . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141203155704/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/SundaStrait.html . 2014-12-03 .
10. Web site: Klemen . L . The conquest of Java Island, March 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726052648/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/java.html . 2011-07-26 .
11. Web site: Klemen . L . The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942 . 1999–2000 . Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
12. Web site: Pacific Star - Veterans Affairs Canada. 21 January 2020.
13. Potter & Nimitz, 1960, p.770
14. Ofstie(1946)p.275