Whether air power has been truly decisive in any war is always a hotly debated issue. However, for the conflict that raged in the Pacific from 1941 to 1945 there can be no such dispute. The employment of land or carrier-based airpower was key to the strategic operations of all adversaries. These are pictorial studies of the Allied air offensive that defeated Japanese air forces in the vast Pacific Ocean region, destroyed Japan's navy and its supply lines, and finally devastated the war making potential of the Japanese homeland. The photos come from official archives as well as from the private collections of veterans. Thecaptions reflect painstaking research to supply date, place, and units engaged. Volume Three describes the final air assault on the Japanese homeland by Marianas-based B-29s; tactical air forces based on Okinawa, Ie Shima, and Iwo Jima; and by the aircraft carrier armada of Task Force 38. 200 + b/w photographs
