The war in the Pacific against Japan was a savage hand-to-hand, island-to-island struggle, fought by new specialist fighting units like the valiant Chindits. By the spring of 1943, the Pacific war had reached a turning point. The United States had stopped the Japanese advance, now it launched a two-pronged attack to drive it back. To achieve this, the U.S. Navy had to pioneer new forms of warfare.

With Germany beaten, the Allies turned their attention to Japan, who made them pay for every inch of gained ground. How was this last, great foe overcome?