United States theaters of operations in World War II

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During World War II, the United States Army divided its operations around the world into four theaters. Forces from many different Allied nations fought in these theaters. Other Allied countries have different conceptions of the theaters and/or different names for them.

Contents

European Theater of Operations campaigns

US Army

The 16 officially recognized US Army campaigns in the European Theater of Operations are: [1]

US Navy

The nine officially recognized US Navy campaigns in the European Theater of Operations are: [2]

Pacific Theater of Operations

Operational commands were the Pacific Ocean and South West Pacific.

US Army

The 16 officially recognized US Army campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations are: [3]

US Navy campaigns

The 43 officially recognized US Navy campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations are: [4]

China Burma India Theater

The China Burma India Theater served more as an Administrative Command rather than a Theater of Operations and lacked any true Operational Command. The Operational Command was joint Allied South East Asia Command in the South-East Asian Theater. The American General Joseph Stilwell commanded the operational Northern Combat Area Command and used his other positions to communicate directly with Joint Chiefs of Staff about operational matters.

The officially recognized US Army campaigns in the China Burma India Theater are: [5]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Theater of Operations, United States Army</span> Major formation of the United States Army in the Western Front of World War II

The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground Forces (AGF), United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), and Army Service Forces (ASF) operations north of Italy and the Mediterranean coast. It was bordered to the south by the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), which later became the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asiatic-Pacific Theater</span> Area of U.S. Pacific operations in World War II

The Asiatic-Pacific Theater was the theater of operations of U.S. forces during World War II in the Pacific War during 1941–1945. From mid-1942 until the end of the war in 1945, two U.S. operational commands were in the Pacific. The Pacific Ocean Areas (POA), divided into the Central Pacific Area, the North Pacific Area and the South Pacific Area, were commanded by Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief Pacific Ocean Areas. The South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was commanded by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander South West Pacific Area. During 1945, the United States added the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific, commanded by General Carl A. Spaatz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific War</span> Theater of World War II

The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in eastern Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast Pacific Ocean theater, the South West Pacific theater, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the Soviet–Japanese War.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1943:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal</span> American campaign medal

The Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal is a United States military award of the Second World War, which was awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945. The medal was created on November 6, 1942, by Executive Order 9265 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was designed by Thomas Hudson Jones; the reverse side was designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman which is the same design as used on the reverse of the American Campaign Medal and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South-East Asian theatre of World War II</span> Campaigns of the Pacific War in Southeast Asia

The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II consisted of the campaigns of the Pacific War in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Indochina, Burma, India, Malaya and Singapore between 1941 and 1945.

The European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by Executive Order 9265 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had performed military duty in the European Theater during the years of the Second World War.

Battle Honours are awarded by the Sovereign to Royal Air Force squadrons to commemorate the squadron's role in a particular operation.

USS <i>Trever</i> Clemson-class destroyer

USS Trever (DD-339/DMS-16/AG-110) was a Clemson-class destroyer of the United States Navy in commission from 1922 to 1923 and from 1930 to 1945. Converted to a destroyer minesweeper in 1940, she served in the Pacific throughout World War II, including during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Guadalcanal campaign, and the New Georgia campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Islands campaign</span> Major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II

The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and capture of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military history of the United States during World War II</span> American military actions taken leading up to and during the Second World War

The military history of the United States during World War II covers the nation's role as one of the major Allies in their victory over the Axis Powers. The United States is generally considered to have entered the conflict with the 7 December 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan and exited it with the 2 September 1945 surrender of Japan. During the first two years of World War II, the US maintained formal neutrality, which was officially announced in the Quarantine Speech delivered by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937. While officially neutral, the US supplied Britain, the Soviet Union, and China with war materiel through the Lend-Lease Act signed into law on 11 March 1941, and deployed the US military to replace the British forces stationed in Iceland. Following the 4 September 1941 Greer incident involving a German submarine, Roosevelt publicly confirmed a "shoot on sight" order on 11 September, effectively declaring naval war on Germany and Italy in the Battle of the Atlantic. In the Pacific Theater, there was unofficial early US combat activity such as the Flying Tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West Pacific theatre of World War II</span> Theatre of World War II

The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of New Guinea and the western part of the Solomon Islands. This area was defined by the Allied powers' South West Pacific Area (SWPA) command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Ocean theater of World War II</span> Major area of military events, 1942–1945

The Pacific Ocean theater of World War II was a major theater of the Pacific War, the war between the Allies and the Empire of Japan. It was defined by the Allied powers' Pacific Ocean Area command, which included most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, while mainland Asia was excluded, as were the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Borneo, Australia, most of the Territory of New Guinea, and the western part of the Solomon Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Dexterity</span> Military operation in the South West Pacific by the Allies between December 1943 and February 1944

Operation Dexterity was a military operation, part of Operation Cartwheel in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) for the Allies in the Pacific theater of World War II. The operation was directed by the Supreme Allied Commander in the SWPA, General Douglas MacArthur. Dexterity included amphibious landings at Arawe on 15 December 1943, and Cape Gloucester on 26 December 1943 in the northwest of New Britain, the capture of the Imperial Japanese held Tuluvu aerodrome on the 30 December 1943 and the amphibious landing at Saidor on 2 January 1944. The final battle was the landing at Talasea in March. The operation ended on 9 March 1944.

This is a Bibliography of World War II battles and campaigns in East Asia, South East Asia, India and the Pacific. It aims to include the major theaters, campaigns and battles of the Asia-Pacific Theater of World War II. It is part of Wikipedia's larger effort to document the Bibliography of World War II. Its counterpart for the European, North African and Middle Eastern theater is the Bibliography of World War II battles and campaigns in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

References

  1. "Listing of the Campaigns of the U.S. Army". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  2. "World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. "Listing of the Campaigns of the U.S. Army". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  4. "World War II-Asiatic-Pacific Theater 1941-1946". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  5. "Listing of the Campaigns of the U.S. Army". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 23 May 2020.