Donald A Bertke

Volume 27 is designed to be used with WORLD WAR II SEA WAR, VOLUME 10: IL DUCE DEPOSED (September 1943) and VOLUME 11: BOUGAINVILLE, TARAWA & CAPE GLOUCESTER (October 1943). As in previous Additions & Corrections volumes, Volume 27 adds data acquired after the publication of Volumes 10 and 11, corrects old data entries, and adds information to the general background sections to help form the context of the war, especially how world leaders made decisions. Major additions in this volume expand on the following events: * The German Navy's reallocation and deployment of U-boats. * The Allied Liberation of Italy. * USN PT-boat deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. * Updates to Allied activities in Burma. * Japanese efforts to fortify the Andaman Islands. * Major updates to Japanese movements as they abandoned the Solomon Islands and made preparations to defend New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. * USN advances in the Solomon Islands. * USN PT-boat engagements with Japanese supply efforts.

Volume 25 should be used with World War II Sea War, Volume 9: WOLFPACKS MUZZLED (March through June 1943). As in previous Additions & Corrections volumes, Volume 25 provides a massive amount of new data on Japanese ships, corrects old data entries from Volume 9, and adds new General Background data to help form the context of the war, especially how the world leaders made decisions. We have also added new data on the Royal Indian Navy, German U-boats and the Royal New Zealand Navy. Of particular note, we expanded the data on the following events: - The German U-boat withdrawal from the North Atlantic. - The Japanese loss of Attu Island and the beginning evacuation of Kiska Island. - The US advance to New Georgia Island. - USN PT-boat movement into the Mediterranean Sea. In all, we processed an estimated 4,000 new or expanded entries per month. We hope you find the corrections and additional information useful. The Japanese data provides additional information of the Imperial Japanese Navy ship movements as Japan tried to consolidate her newly acquired Pacific empire.

World War II Sea War, Volume 23: Additions & Corrections October - December 1942 should be used with VOLUME 7: THE ALLIES STRIKE BACK covering September 1942 through November 1942 VOLUME 8: GUADALCANAL SECURED covering December 1942 through February 1943 As in previous Additions & Corrections volumes, Volume 23 corrects old data entries and adds new data to the months of October, November and December in Volumes 7 and 8. Background information in the corresponding three "General" sections has also been expanded to help form the context of the war, especially how world leaders made decisions. Additional data is provided for the Royal Indian Navy, German U-boats and the Royal New Zealand Navy. The expanded Japanese data provides additional information on Imperial Japanese Navy ship movements as Japan tried to consolidate her newly acquired Pacific empire, In particular, Volume 23 expands the data on the following events: Allied preparations for the Invasion of North Africa in Operation TORCH. The Allied landings in North Africa. Moving supplies to Malta. The Battle of the Barents Sea. Allied planning for an offensive in Burma. The many sea battles around Guadalcanal and New Guinea. USN PT-boat actions off Guadalcanal. US Army replacements arriving on Guadalcanal to relieve the US 1st Marine Division

Covering July through September 1942, this volume supplements and corrects data found in Volumes 6 and 7 of the WORLD WAR II SEA WAR series. As in Volumes 18-21, Volume 22 provides expanded data on Japanese ships, corrects old data entries. and adds new information in the General background sections to help form the context of the war, especially how the world leaders made decisions. This volume also adds new data on the Royal Indian Navy, German U-boats, and the Royal New Zealand Navy. Data on the following events has also been expanded: Japanese Fleet reorganization and the Japanese movements into New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Greatly expanded information on the Battle of Savo Island. Operation PEDESTAL, the British re-supply of Malta. NEW information on Axis convoys between Italy and Libya and between Greece and Libya. The US preparations to secure its position in the Solomon Islands and on New Guinea Island. The US attacks on the Japanese troops on Attu and Kiska Islands. The Japanese planning for and the cancellation of a second attack in the Bay of Bengal. The British and Canadian attack on the port city of Dieppe, France.

Volume 18 corrects some old data entries in previous volumes, provides additional ship movement data and adds new information in the "General" sections to help clarify the context of the war--especially important here in these early months. The bulk of the new material concerns Imperial Japanese Navy ship movements as Japan consolidates her hold on Chinese ports and eliminates French Indochina as a source of supplies for the Nationalist Chinese. Japan begins an extensive initial buildup of naval vessels as she prepares for the fateful move to attack the US Navy and extend the Japanese Empire into Malaya, Borneo and the Dutch East Indies. In addition, we add new data on the Royal Indian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy, and we expand the data on the following events: The Battle of the River Plate, Fleet Air Arm actions off Norway, and naval events off Ethiopia and Somalia.

In Europe, the RAF attacked German battleship TIRPITZ in Norway, and we see the effects of the Battle of the Bulge (aka the German Ardennes Offensive). Most naval activity is between the US and Imperial Japanese Navies for the Philippines. In China, Burma and India, the US bombed Japan for the first time using B-29s staged throughout China, and the Japanese responded by advancing deeper into China to capture the US airfields. Allied forces drove into Burma, and the Japanese moved troops and resources out of Burma for the defense of Japan. In the Pacific, the Japanese initiated Operation SHO GO, leading to the land battle for Leyte plus the Sea Battles of Palawan Passage, Sibuyan Sea, the Sulu Sea, Surigao Strait, Sumar, and Cape Enga o. The US landing on Mindoro Island forced the Japanese into their last warship sortie in the Philippine Islands and an epic battle with US PT-boats. Japanese kamikaze inflicted losses on the US Seventh Fleet in Lingayen Gulf to begin the epic battle for Luzon.

The Allies advance against the Germans and the Japanese. Major events during this period: The continuing naval battle in the English Channel; attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler in East Prussia; arrival of Brazilian Expeditionary Force to join the Allies in Italy; the landing in southern France by US and French troops; the surrender of Finland and Bulgaria; liberation of French ports along the Atlantic and Mediterranean; the liberation of Guam by US Army and Marine troops; capture of Tinian Island by US marines; landing on Morotai Island by US troops; capture of Peleliu, Angaur Island and Ulithi Atoll by US forces; withdrawal of the defeated Japanese Army from Kohima and Imphal, India, back to Burma; the landing at Noemfoor, New Guinea, by US and Australian troops; resignation of the Tojo government in Japan; operations of USN Wolfpacks in the Pacific Ocean; USN air attacks on the Philippine Islands.

In April, May and June 1944, there were three major areas of naval conflict: In New Guinea: United States (US) and Australian forces landed at Aitape and Hollandia, then at Arare, Wakde and Biak Island. In Europe: The battle for the control of the English Channel heated up. The German navy attacked what they thought was an Allied convoy along the English southwestern coast. They had actually stumbled upon Operation TIGER, the Allied training exercise for the upcoming Normandy landing. RAF Bomber Command mined Biscay, Bretagne, La Pallice, Lorient, Brest, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Den Helder, Texel, the Friesian Islands, the German Bay, Kattegat, Kiel, Swinem nde, Gotenhafen, and Pillau. The Allies initiated Operation NEPTUNE to conceal the real Allied landing location from the Germans. All this culminated in the Allied landing in Normandy, France, in Operation OVERLORD. In the Pacific: The US landed on Saipan, considered Japanese territory, in Operation FORAGER, which caused the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

Volume 12 covers all naval engagements during the first three months of 1944. In the Pacific, US Operation Cartwheel successfully isolates the strong Japanese force at Rabaul. US and Australian forces advance along the New Guinea coast toward the Philippines. The US Navy wages the air attack on Truk, then captures the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. Meanwhile in Europe, the Allies invade Italy at Anzio and prepare for their landing at Normandy, France.