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The Pacific War in Color
The Pacific War in Color

The Pacific War in Color

—The Pacific War was unlike any other conflict. Witness the scale and scope of it and the savagery used by the varying parties. Attacks such as Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki that were the major pieces of the war to all the smaller conflicts in between. Viewers see color combat footage from those who experienced it firsthand-- marines, airmen, and sailors. Footage also reveals the brutal reality of life on the frontline during this major conflict.
1 seasonDocumentary, HistoryTV-14
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Season 18 of 8 Episodes

  • A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

  • Months after the Pearl Harbor attack, shock waves reverberate in every corner of the Pacific; Americans deploy to stem the enemy's advance; after culture clashes, Allied forces later bond over efforts to thwart Japan's move to control New Guinea.

  • In 1943, the United States engages in a new series of island-hopping invasions; the first stop is the Tarawa Atoll, where troops embark upon the largest amphibious invasion ever staged in the Pacific to fight one of the costliest battles of the war.

  • By the summer of 1944, the United States is gaining the upper hand in the Pacific War with better training, troop numbers and supply lines; it aims for the heart of Japan's inner defense ring, engaging in a naval battle for Saipan in the Marianas.

  • Allied forces move to take the valuable islands of Tinian and Guam that threaten American air operations; meanwhile, Gen. Curtis LeMay is tasked with planning and executing a firebombing campaign against Japan.

  • Allies slug it out on the island of Peleliu in a campaign to pave the way for Gen. MacArthur's return to the Philippines; footage shows troops enduring the muddy muck in the Philippines; Japan unveils a devastating new tactic, the kamikaze.

  • By the spring of 1945, the United States begins to take back the Philippines; on Borneo, the Australians invade Labuan; when the United States invades Okinawa, Japan makes a strong stand and launches the biggest kamikaze attacks of the war.

  • President Harry Truman decides to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Emperor Hirohito surrenders, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrives to oversee the country's occupation; mortal enemies must now become partners in Japan's rebirth.
The Pacific War in Color

More about The Pacific War in Color

The Pacific War was unlike any other conflict. Witness the scale and scope of it and the savagery used by the varying parties. Attacks such as Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki that were the major pieces of the war to all the smaller conflicts in between. Viewers see color combat footage from those who experienced it firsthand-- marines, airmen, and sailors. Footage also reveals the brutal reality of life on the frontline during this major conflict.

Starring

Jeff Wilburn

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