World War II Key Battles: North Africa and Pacific Campaigns
North African Campaign
The North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the deserts of North Africa from June 10, 1940, until May 16, 1943. This campaign included battles in Libya, Egypt (Western Desert), Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps arrived to support their Italian allies who were retreating from British attacks. The Allied forces reorganized as the 8th Army, comprising units from the British, Australian, Indian, South African, New Zealand, and Free French armies. This new formation launched an offensive, regaining territory previously captured by Rommel. After receiving supplies in Tripoli, Rommel struck back, defeating the Allies and capturing Tobruk, pushing into Egypt where he was stopped at the First Battle of El Alamein. Bernard Montgomery then took command of the Allied forces in North Africa. After victories at Alam Halfa and El Alamein, Montgomery pushed back the Axis forces and captured Tripoli.
Pacific Theater Battles
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was executed by the Japanese Imperial Navy on the morning of December 7, 1941. This surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, targeted the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Air Force. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto planned the attack to initiate the Pacific campaign of World War II. Led by Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, the aim was to neutralize the U.S. fleet, allowing Japan to occupy Southeast Asian colonies and break the economic embargo imposed on them. Although the attack destroyed 13 warships and 188 aircraft, and killed 2,403 soldiers and 68 civilians, the three U.S. aircraft carriers were not in port. The U.S. Pacific Fleet recovered within six months to a year. Japan lost 64 soldiers.
Battle of Guadalcanal
The Battle of Guadalcanal occurred between August 7, 1942, and February 9, 1943, on and around Guadalcanal Island in the Pacific Theater. Allied forces, outnumbering the defenders who had occupied the islands in May 1942, captured Tulagi, Florida, and an airfield under construction on Guadalcanal (later renamed Henderson Field). Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made several attempts between August and November 1942 to retake Henderson Field. Three major land battles, five large naval battles, and daily dogfights culminated in the decisive naval battle of Guadalcanal in early November 1942, where the Japanese failed to land troops and capture Henderson Field. In December 1942, the Japanese abandoned their efforts to retake Guadalcanal, evacuating their remaining troops by February 7, 1943. The Guadalcanal campaign was the first strategically important victory for the Allies in the Pacific Theater, marking a turning point. It signaled the transition from defensive to offensive operations for the Allies, while Japan shifted to a defensive strategy.
Campaign Details
- Dates: August 7, 1942 – February 9, 1943
- Location: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
- Result: Allied Victory
- Belligerents:
- Allied Forces: United States, Australia, New Zealand, British Solomon Islands
- Japanese Forces
On August 7, 1942, Allied forces, mainly American, landed on Guadalcanal to prevent the islands from being used as bases to threaten supply routes between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies also sought to use Guadalcanal as a base to support a campaign to capture or neutralize major Japanese bases in New Britain.