Pacific Breakthrough

The fate of the world rested on their shoulders. It's April 1944, half a dozen B-29 Superfortress planes have just landed in China to join the new US 20th Air Force, and the war in the Pacific is about to turn. The plan is to begin the first systematic bombing of Japan, but the path between here and there is littered with Japanese fighter planes and anti-aircraft guns, and such a mission is surely suicide. The solution? Take the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Guam from the Japanese and use them as US force bases instead. No mean feat. Especially when the enemy forces are determined not to give up without a fight. But with the faith of Admiral Nimitz, time running out and no other options, everything rested on perfect planning and bravery and resilience of those involved ... In Cortesi's trademark style, Pacific Breakthrough tells the true story of 'Operation Forager' through clever novelisation. This World War II US offensive mission to take essential islands in the Pacific Ocean would call for nearly 1000 navy bombers and fighters as well as over 60 destroyers, 21 cruisers and 6 battleships, with 50,000 troops and another 50,000 support troops required just for the Saipan stage of the mission alone. Operation Forager would mean the largest journey for an invasion fleet in the entire history of amphibious warfare. Praise for Lawrence Cortesi "A HYBRID OF HISTORY AND DOCUDRAMA... INFORMATIVE, DETAILED AND INVOLVING" - LibraryThing Lawrence Cortesi was an American school teacher and prolific writer, who published multiple books, often telling history as a story in his trademark style. Born on August 6, 1923, he married Frances Barringer and had four children. He died on October 12, 1987.