Japanese sealift capabilities were greatly depleted during the course of World War II in the Pacific.   More »

On deceptively beautiful Saipan, hard-bitten Japanese regulars prepared a defense to the last man—soldier or civilian—rather than surrender.   More »

By Nathan N. Prefer
He organized, trained, and commanded the 4th Marine Division in the Marshall Islands and Saipan campaigns before taking command of the Fifth Amphibious Corps and leading it against Tinian and Iwo Jima. He was on the short list for commandant of the Marine Corps after World War   More »

By Gene E. Salecker
The first explosion came as a complete surprise to everyone around Pearl Harbor. The Sunday had started out clear and bright, but the sky quickly darkened as great clouds of thick black smoke rose high above the burning ships.
Fuel oil spilled atop the water and caught fire,   More »

By Sam McGowan
 Undoubtedly, the World War II aircraft type that attracts the most attention is the fighter plane. Yet, before the war, the U.S. Army Air Corps paid little attention to fighter development and tactics because its senior officers, with certain exceptions, would later lead the Army Air Forces with   More »

The Douglas C-54 Skkymaster served around the globe during World War II and accelerated the growth of peacetime air travel.   More »

The United States 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine divisions faced their sternest trials by fire in the month long battle to take the island of Iwo Jima.   More »

Relics of the fierce World War II battle lie underwater, waiting for exploration.   More »

Capturing an important airfield was why two Marine divisions, along with a U.S. Army division, were landed on the island of Saipan.   More »

The heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis meta tragic fate during the last days of World War II.
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