ABSTRACT
Prior to the invasion of Java, the first surface-to-surface naval battle of the war in the Pacific was fought off Surabaya on February 27, 1942, between Japanese and British, Dutch, and American warships. A liaison conference was held in March 1942, and it was decided that Japan must now consolidate its control over the newly won areas and strengthen its defense against an anticipated American counteroffensive. Collective leadership characterized the Japanese political scene even in wartime. By the end of the war the United States would have 40,893 first-line planes and sixty aircraft carriers. In May 1943 the United States and Britain formulated a strategic plan for the defeat of Japan that encompassed three offensives. One offensive would recapture Japanese-held bases in the Aleutian Islands close by Alaska. A second offensive would drive through the South and Southwest Pacific. The third offensive would be largely naval and would strike through the Central Pacific islands.
