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By Captain Tim Wooldridge, USN (Ret.) - View slideshow.

U.S. carrier forces began 1944 with a strike against the Japanese base at Truk, the so-called Gibralter of the Pacific, on February 17-18, sinking 37 ships and heavily damaging shore installations.  Plans for the remainder of the year committed Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Forces to advance along the north coast of New Guinea and, in mid-November, invade the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.  In June, the Central Pacific Forces, Marc Mitscher's TF 58, would occupy Saipan, Tinian, and Guam in the Marianas, and in September begin seizing bases in the Palaus.  Finally, in November, they would support the invasion of the Philippines.  In so doing, U.S. carriers would participate in the last carrier battles of the war—the battle of the Philippine Sea and the battle of Leyte Gulf.

Throughout 1945, the Halsey/McCain team continued to alternate with the Spruance/Mitscher team in pounding enemy installations in Indochina, Hong Kong, Formosa, and Tokyo.  Iwo Jima fell in March, as did Okinawa in June, the last and most violent of the major amphibious campaigns of the war for the Navy.  From July 10, 1945, until the cease fire on August 15, the Third Fleet operated against the Japanese homeland.  The second strike of the day against Tokyo was approaching the coastline of Japan on August 15 when Admiral Halsey ordered the end of offensive actions.