The Pacific War in Colour

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

The shock waves following the Pearl Harbor attack are present in every corner of the Pacific; Allied forces bond over the overall goal to thwart Japan's moves.

In 1943, the United States begins a series of island-hopping invasions toward Japan. The first stop is the Tarawa Atoll, where troops embark upon the largest amphibious invasion ever staged in the Pacific.

Through better training, supply lines and troop numbers, the United States gains the upper hand by mid-1944, and targets the heart of Japan's inner defence ring, fighting to gain control of Saipan in the Marianas.

Allied forces move to take the valuable islands of Tinian and Guam that threaten American air operations; General Curtis LeMay is tasked with planning and executing a fire bombing campaign against Japan.

Allies fight on the island of Peleliu to pave the way for MacArthur's return to the Philippines; Japan shows a devastating new move, the kamikaze.