List of Pacific War campaigns

This is a list of campaigns during the Pacific War.

Flags indicate the country, or countries, winning the offensive.

Second Sino-Japanese war[edit]

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[edit]

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 HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
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[edit]

See Atlas of the World Battle Fronts
1943-07-01	1943-12-01	1944-05-01
1944-11-01	1945-03-01	1945-08-01

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[edit]

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

Citation[edit]

^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Tarakan Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Balikpapan, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Ambon Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The battle for Palembang, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Badung Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31.
^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Dutch West Timor Island, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The fighting on Portuguese East Timor, 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Java Sea Battle, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ Visser, Jan (1999–2000). "The Sunda Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2014-12-03.
^ Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The conquest of Java Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.
^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
^ "Pacific Star - Veterans Affairs Canada". 21 January 2020.
^ ^a ^b Potter & Nimitz, 1960, p.770
^ ^a ^b Ofstie(1946)p.275

References[edit]

L, Klemen (2000). "Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942".

[1] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Tarakan Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[2] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Balikpapan, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[3] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Ambon Island, January 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16.

[4] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The battle for Palembang, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[5] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Badung Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31.

[6] Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Japanese Invasion of Dutch West Timor Island, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[7] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The fighting on Portuguese East Timor, 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[8] Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The Java Sea Battle, February 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[9] Visser, Jan (1999–2000). "The Sunda Strait Battle". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2014-12-03.

[10] Klemen, L (1999–2000). "The conquest of Java Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26.

[11] L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.

[12] "Pacific Star - Veterans Affairs Canada". 21 January 2020.

[p&n770-13] Potter & Nimitz, 1960, p.770

[ussbs275-14] Ofstie(1946)p.275

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