U.S. Navy at War
1941-1945

Official Reports to the Secretary of the Navy
by
Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, U.S. Navy

Commander in Chief, United States Fleet
and Chief of Naval Operations

 

Washington
United States Navy Department
1946

 

This volume is "under development" and will be completed as time allows...


Table of Contents

Chapter   Page
First Report
Letter of Transmittal 2
Introduction 3
I. The Peacetime Navy 4
  Prior to the War in Europe 4
  As Affected by the War in Europe 7
II. The Wartime Navy 12
  Fighting Strength 12
  Personnel 20
  The Marine Corps 26
  The Coast Guard 27
  The Seabees 29
  The WAVES 29
III. Combat Operations 31
  General 31
  Strategy 37
  The Pacific Theater 39
    The Defensive 39
  The Defensive-Offensive 47
  The Offensive-Defensive 49
  The Offensive 70
  Supporting Operations 74
  The Atlantic Theater 77
  The Mediterranean Theater 82
  Landings in North Africa 82
  Landings in Sicily 86
  Landings in Italy 88
IV. Teamwork 89
  The Navy Team 89
  The Army and Navy Team 89
  The Allied Team 90
V. Conclusion 92
Second Report
Letter of Transmittal 96
I. Introduction 97
II. Command and Fleet Organization 100
  United States Fleet 100
  Organization of United States Naval Forces in the Pacific 100
  Organization of United States Naval Forces in the Atlantic-Mediterranean 101
III. Combat Operations: Pacific 103
  Hollandia and Fast Carrier Task Force Covering Operations 104
  Marianas Operations 106
  Progress along New Guinea Coast 112
  Western Carolines Operations 114
  Reoccupation of Philippine Islands 117
  Assault on Inner Defenses of Japan 129
  Continuing Operations 132
IV. Combat Operations: Atlantic-Mediterranean 134
  United States Atlantic Fleet 134
  United States Naval Forces in Europe--The Normandy Invasion 135
  Eighth Fleet--Italy 143
  Eighth Fleet--Invasion of Southern France 143
V. Fighting Strength 146
  Ships, Planes and Ordnance 146
  Personnel 152
  Supply 155
  Health 157
  The Marine Corps 159
  The Coast Guard 159
VI. Conclusion
Third Report
Letter of Transmittal 166
I. Introduction 167
II. Combat Operations: Pacific 173
  The Capture of Iwo Jima 173
  Assault on Okinawa and its Capture 175
  Fast Carrier Force Operations in Support of Okinawa Invasion 180
  Joint Operations in the Philippines and Borneo 183
  Fast Carrier Force Pre-Invasion Operations against Japan 188
  Contributory Operations 190
  The Surrender and Occupation of Japan 192
III. Logistics and Bases--Pacific 196
IV. Submarine Operations 201
  Attacks on Merchant Shipping 201
  Attacks on Naval Vessels 202
  Special Missions 203
V. Atlantic Operations 205
  Antisubmarine Operations 205
  Tenth Fleet 206
  U.S. Naval Forces in Europe 207
  U.S. Atlantic Fleet 211
VI. Ships, Aircraft and Personnel 213
  Shipbuilding Program 213
  Aircraft 214
  Personnel 216
  Health 219
  The Marine Corps 221
  The Coast Guard 222
VII. Naval Research and Development during World War II
VIII. Conclusion
Appendix A: Status of major combatant ships of Japanese Navy at the conclusion of hostilities 233
Appendix B: Major combatant ships added to United States Fleet, 7 December 1941--1 October 1945 252
Appendix C: Losses of United States naval vessels from all causes, 7 December 1941--1 October 1945 287


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation