TURNING THE TIDE - Q&A WITH HISTORIAN JOHN WUKOVITS

Though Imperial Japan began on the front foot in 1941, several critical battles sealed victory for the Allies in 1945

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What do you consider the turning points in the Pacific War?

The American victory at the Battle of Midway was certainly a turning point. American dive bombers sank four Japanese aircraft carriers and forced the Japanese to abandon their effort to occupy Midway. Had they been successful, the Japanese threat to Hawaii would have been much more viable.

The complex plan that Admiral Yamamoto had devised was compromised from the start and the Japanese sustained losses that were irreplaceable in wartime, not only in aircraft carriers but also in trained pilots and aircrews. After Midway, the US Navy continued to grow in strength while the Japanese struggled with limited resources. The defence of their perimeter in the Central Pacific, rather than the extension of it, became a priority for the Japanese.