The Pacific War - week by week

- 26 - Pacific War - Evacuation of Burma, May 17-24, 1942

In the last couple of weeks, there were quite a handful of very important events that managed to drastically shake the course of the Pacific War, including the Fall of the Philippines and the Battle of the Coral Sea. Today, we are going to see the direct aftermath of these events, as the Japanese recover from their losses in the New Guinea region and the Americans prepare to avenge their Filipino compatriots. And primarily, we are also going to cover the final retreat of the British and Chinese forces in an effort to safely get out of Burma. Join us as we plunge into a new episode of the Pacific War.

- 25 - Pacific War - Fall of the Corregidor, May 10-17, 1942

Last week, we covered the first carrier battle in history, one of the most important events of the Pacific War which directly tied with the American victory at Midway. Thus, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the downfall of Operation MO were such important events that they warranted their own episode, but in that week, other developments were also unfolding as well. The most important one was the Battle of Corregidor, leading up to the events of this week in which the whole of the Philippines was finally taken. So join us as we look at General Homma’s last offensive and the final surrender of the Filipino defenders.

 

- 24 - Pacific War -Battle of the Coral Sea , April 26-May 10, 1942

After our last episode, all the main players were ready for the first carrier engagement of history, a battle that would plant the seeds for one of the most decisive engagements of the Pacific War. The set is staged for the battle that would change the course of the war, so join us as we turn back to the island of New Guinea to cover the Battle of the Coral Sea and the attempted Japanese invasion of Port Moresby.

- 23 - Pacific War Special - The battles of Alligator Creek & Bloody Ridge with Dave Holland

- 22 - Pacific War -Advance on Burma Road , April 19-26, 1942

In the last few weeks, we’ve been covering a wide range of events that were happening in the Pacific War, from Ceylon in the Indian Ocean to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. But one of the regions that we have neglected during this time is none other than Burma, which saw heavy fighting during these last few weeks as the victorious Japanese advanced towards the Burma Road, the Chinese forces tried to stop them in their tracks and the decimated British soldiers took new positions in defense of India. So today, we are going to cover the developments in the Burma Road campaign, as well as the decisive actions of General Joseph Stilwell. 

- 21 - Pacific War -Doolittle Raid , April 12-19, 1942

Last week, the Japanese had scored an amazing victory with the ultimate fall of the Bataan Peninsula. For three months, those Battling Bastards had resisted against the full might of a Japanese army, successfully holding their ground and inflicting heavy casualties on the invaders. But now, with the peninsula firmly under his control, General Homma finally started to look south towards the Manila Bay and the Southern Islands. On the Indian Ocean, there was also a great concern because of the Japanese raid that took place in the last two weeks, which left the British afraid of a possible follow-up invasion of Ceylon. But this week, it was the turn of the Americans to launch a devastating raid against the heart of the Japanese Empire, an operation that would foreshadow the key cooperation of the US Army and Navy in the future. So join us as we take a look at the Doolittle Raid, the first Japanese incursions against the Visayas, and more.

- 20 - Pacific War - Fall of Bataan & the Bataan Death March , April 5-12, 1942

Four months have passed since the start of the Pacific War, and of all the initial objectives of the Japanese Empire, only one remained unachieved. The invaders had up until now conquered the Dutch East Indies, advanced down the Malayan Peninsula to capture Singapore, expanded through a series of islands in the Pacific Ocean, and achieved important air and naval attacks that caused havoc on the Allied fleets. Furthermore, with the fall of Rangoon, the Burma operation was on good track, so Tokyo was planning to shift to phase two of operations, looking east towards Midway and the US, south towards Australia and New Guinea and west towards Ceylon and India. But despite the early capture of Manila, still there was a huge thorn on the Japanese side that hadn’t been vanquished by the invaders. Thus, today we’ll continue to cover the Battle of Bataan as the Japanese get reinforced and prepare for a final assault against the Filipino defenders.

- 19 - Pacific War - Indian Ocean Raid, March 15 - April 5, 1942

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve been covering some special topics about the Pacific War since there wasn’t much happening during this time. But today, we come back for the main series with an episode looking forward towards the Indian Ocean. After the fall of the Dutch East Indies, Malaya, Singapore, Manila and Rangoon, the Japanese Empire had achieved all of its initial objectives for the start of the war. Now, they seek to probe the strength of the Allies outside of the Pacific with a deadly raid aimed towards the island of Ceylon and the coast of India. Brace yourselves as we plunge into the Indian Ocean Raid and other Japanese offensives in the waters south of the Indian subcontinent.

- 18 - Pacific War Special - The Battle of Hong Kong with Brad St Croix

This interview featured Brad St Croix a Canadian Military historian who did his PhD dissertation on the Battle of Hong Kong. The podcast explains why the battle occurred, what happened during the battle, dispels many misconceptions and myths about the event and its long lasting effect on Canadian veterans. Brad St Croix also runs the Youtube channel OTD Canadian Military History

- 17 - Pacific War Special - Interview on General Rupertus

This interview is about General William Henry Rupertus, a commander during the Pacific War and author of the Rifleman's creed. Craig is speaking with Amy Rupertus Peacock, granddaughter of General Rupertus and her co-author Don Brown (author of over 15 books, including the Last Fighter Pilot) for their new book "Old Breed General". General Rupertus is one of the longest-serving members of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) at 37 years of service. General Rupertus served during WW1, the Haiti occupation, commanded the China Marines during the Battle of Shanghai, and commanded USMC forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Cape Gloucester, the Mariana, and Palau Islands Campaign, and the battle of Peleliu.