Microsoft Close Combat - Manual (Page 138)

Chapter 7 The Big Picture: A Short History of World War II 137
perform holding actions while the Germans develop a new generation of
submarines.
The victory in the Battle of the Atlantic is critical to the success of Operation
Overlord. The buildup of men, machines, and materiel necessary to launch the
Second Front can now be marshaled in Great Britain, with relative impunity from
the U-boat threat.
Germany Blitzes East Again
By March 1942, the German High Command estimates that the German Army has
suffered 1,500,000 casualties in Barbarossa, and more than 250,000 in the first
twelve weeks of 1942. The Germans are able to make up some of the loss; in
The War in the Pacific
Although the Pacific Theater takes a back seat
to the efforts against Germany, America’s initial
battles are fought against the Japanese. One
factor in America’s favor is sea power; the size
of the theater makes naval superiority a must
for the victor.
When the Japanese fail to destroy the Pacific
Fleet’s aircraft carriers at Pearl Harbor, they
seek a decisive battle to finish off the U.S.
Navy. In early June 1942, the Japanese navy
gets the decisive battle it seeks

and is dealt a
vicious blow when it loses four heavy aircraft
carriers (
Akagi , Kaga , Soryu , and Hiryu ) in one
day during the Battle of Midway. The Americans
lose the carrier
Yorktown , but the American
victory at Midway marks the beginning of the
end for Japanese dreams of an empire in the
Pacific.
By August 1944, the Americans have regained
control of much of the territory lost to the
Japanese in the first months of the war. New
Guinea, the Solomon Islands (including
Guadalcanal), Gilbert Islands (including
Tarawa), Marshall Islands (including Kwajalein),
Guam, and Saipan are all retaken. The
Americans learn a great deal about amphibious
landings in the process, primarily the value of
pre-invasion bombardment from the sea and
air. They will use this knowledge during
Operation Overlord.
Guadalcanal is noteworthy because it is one of
the first places American troops see combat in
World War II. The battle proves quickly that the
Americans can fight

and fight well. It is also a
proving ground for many American weapons.
The Garand rifle rapidly becomes a favorite
among GIs and Marines alike. The Browning
Automatic Rifle (BAR) reestablishes itself as a
favored weapon; its mobility and rate of fire
make it an excellent assault rifle. Air-cooled
machine guns are found to be much easier to
move and maintain than water-cooled models.
However, the Americans gain little tactical
experience beyond amphibious landings; the
nature of the terrain throughout the theater and
the radical contrast between Japanese and
German combat tactics makes many lessons
learned in the Pacific meaningless when
applied in North Africa, Italy, and Normandy.