The LCVP

Amphibious Invasions in the Pacific

Japan’s ultimate goal was to seize an Asian empire. Their war plan, known as the “Centrifugal Offensive,” extended a perimeter south and east from the island nation in an effort to acquire islands rich in valuable natural resources. The December 7, 1941 attack at Pearl Harbor was part of a series of attacks on U.S. and Allied bases which were meant to cripple the U.S. Pacific fleet and prevent the Allied nations from retaliating. However, the attack did not force the Allies to seek a negotiated settlement as the Japanese had hoped. Instead, the attack sparked public outrage and the U.S. and its allies mobilized the means to strike back and wage a total war in the Pacific.

The Allied plan in the Pacific was to halt the Japanese advance and dismantle this defensive perimeter. As strategy developed, the U.S. engaged in a series of naval, air, and island battles moving across two paths of Japanese-held territory. The first route was through the Central Pacific by way of the Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, Carolines and Palaus toward the Philippines or Formosa. The second route was from Australia through the Southwest Pacific by way of New Guinea and the southern Philippines. The objective for both routes was initially the Luzon-Formosa-China coastal area, but became Japan itself.

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