Name: Crusade in the Pacific
Genre: Documentary, War & Politics
Released: 2004-01-01

Overview

This richly detailed, visually stunning documentary series covers the entire dramatic saga of World War II in the Pacific. From Manchuria to Hiroshima, the people, armaments, locations and battles of the epic conflict are covered in 20 unforgettable episodes. The Allies' crusade to defeat imperial Japan's bloody expansion featured difficult, heroic fighting at sea, in the air, and on innumerable jungle islands.

Seasons

Season 1

20 Episodes

2004

E01

The Rise of the Japanese Empire

1/1/2004·25m

Japan's armies surge into Manchuria. There, the Chinese must labor to exploit their own nation's resources and infrastructure to the invaders' benefit. Meanwhile, the Japanese militarists eagerly plan their next conquests. America goes to war after a surprise bombing raid spectacularly pulverizes the U.S fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

E02

America Goes to War in the Pacific

1/8/2004·22m

Allied and Japanese films bring home the ferocity of Japan's lightning-fast attacks all across the vast Pacific. Meanwhile, American troops are put their paces training for the innumerable landing soon to come. Rarely seen footage shows combat exercises simulating movement under fire with live ammunition.

E03

The U.S and the Philippines

1/15/2004·24m

The war begins badly for America a the Philippines fall prey to Japanese invasion. A thorough study of the archipelago's politics and armed forces sets the stage for gripping scenes of heavy combat. Japan attacks first with air raids, then troop landings. After heroic defense at Corregidor, General Wainwright is forced to surrender.

E04

The Navy Holds - 1942

1/22/2004·24m

Stirring film footage, animation, and maps are combined to vividly illustrate a carrier- based bombing raid on Tokyo and battles of the Coral Sea and Midway. Dizzying aerial dogfights, air attacks on ships, and spectacular naval gunfire feature prominently in this coverage of America's early successes in the Pacific. Admiral Nimitz explains difficulties of fighting a war across the Pacific's vast area

E05

Guadalcanal: America's First Offensive

1/29/2004·24m

At the south end of the Solomon Islands, Japan's presence on Gaudalcanal threatens the America-Australia supply lines. Extensive footage of naval, air, and land fighting documents the fierce combat as U.S. forces sieze control Gaudalcanal and other key islands in the Solomon chain. American troops learn the hard way how to beat a determined enemy at jungle warfare.

E06

War in the North: The Aleutians

2/5/2004·24m

To avoid a Japanese march along the Aleutian chain to Alaska, American forces mount blistering air and artillery attacks on two islands lost to the enemy. A wealth of U.S. film footage tells the story of the strategically significant North Pacific campaign. Troops and pilots must contend not only with a human foe, but also with awful terrain and even worse weather.

E07

The Road Back: New Guinea

2/12/2004·24m

American and Australian forces see repeated combat as the Japanese strive to take New Guinea. The campaign is presented in a way that places the audience right alongside the soldier in the field - inching through jungles, trudging up impressive mountain peaks and engaging a determined enemy. Air power, infantry fighting and paratroop operations feature in an arduous campaign.

E08

Up the Solomons' Ladder: Bougainville

2/19/2004·24m

A compelling blow-by-blow account of the taking of a fortress island! Reconnaissance planes identify targets for American bombers. U.S. warships unleash their ordnance upon the island's defenses. Heavily armed marines storm ashore, working in concert with tanks to root out a stubbornly entrenched adversary. A U.S. victory is won, but at a high price in casualties.

E09

Attack in the Central Pacific: Makin and Tarawa

2/26/2004·24m

Facing a fantastically committed and well prepared enemy, the Allies intensify their offensive. Amphibious assaults on the central Pacific atolls of Makin and Tarawa are shown in detail, from the front lines. At Tarawa, over 99% of the Japanese defenders fight to their death, giving U.S. Marines their most arduous combat experience to date.

E10

The War at Sea

3/4/2004·24m

Aircraft carriers and submarines played a particularly significant role in the Pacific war. Dramatic re-creations and other footage offer a fascinating glimpse of life on board these impressive vessels. From torpedo and depth charge attacks to fighter plane crashes and deck launch/recovery procedures, this exciting episode features an array of high adrenaline events.

E11

Speeding Up the Attack: The Marshalls

3/11/2004·24m

On diminutive coral islands of the Marshalls group, fortified Japanese positions offer stiff resistance. American combat cameramen bring back astounding images of the battles at Kwajalein and Eniwerok, as well as images of the smoking rubble left behind. Naval Construction Battalions routinely work miracles as they speedily transform battlefields into viable new bases.

E12

Stepping Stones to the Philippines

3/18/2004·24m

A series of occupied islands stood in line between the recently liberated Soloman Islands and the Philippines. Spectacular footage details Allied and Japanese forces' slugging matches over New Britain, New Guinea, and Admiralty Islands. Reconnaissance missions and naval/air bombardments are particularly well covered.

E13

Battle for the Marianas

3/25/2004

North of New Guinea, the small Mariana Islands lie in a string leading toward Tokyo. A marine Private offers his recollections of amphibious landings, while wartime footage shows troops and ordnance poring ashore under heavy opposition. Intensive naval, air, tank battles, and urban combat ensue as Japan's armies are repulsed from the Marianas.

E14

The War in the China-Burma-India Theater

4/1/2004·24m

A crucial Allied supply line from India into China is lost when Burma falls to the enemy. Ingenious deploying all the scarce available resources, the Allies construct a new overland route and fight to retake Burma. This is the stirring tale of the bold military and engineering feats undertaken to assist beleaguered China, and expand allied control on the Asian mainland.

E15

Palau: The Fight For Bloody Nose Ridge

4/8/2004

Footage of underwater demolition teams at work provides a unique prelude to the memorable story of Palau's invasion. During the campaign, U.S. troops face a hideous fight over Bloody Nose Ridge, a rocky mountain honeycombed with well defended caves. Astonishing film offers a soldier's eye view of some of the most horrendously tough ground warfare ever encountered in the Pacific

E16

MacArthur Returns to the Philippines

4/15/2004

General MacArthur's solemn promise to return to the Philippines is fulfilled in ground style. At Leye Gulf, American warships and planes deal a spectacular defeat to a counterattacking Japanese navy. Animated maps and front line footage shot by both sides illustrate the full story of the Philippines liberation. Includes coverage of devastating urban combat in in Manila.

E17

Bloody Iwo

4/22/2004

Potentially invaluable as forward U.S. airbase, Iwo Jima becomes the scene of earthshaking bombardments and an epic, bloody battle. A mountain redoubt, kamikaze attacks and loose sand that bogs down troops and vehicles complicate the assault. A steady stream of casualties leaves the fortress island as American firepower pounds the fanatical Japanese defenders for five weeks.

E18

At Japan's Doorstep: Okinawa

4/29/2004

American and Japanse footage provides a close-up view of another intense island battle. A U.S. amphibious landing of unprecedented size seeks to claim a new base from which to disrupt the enemy's supply lines. Ferocious combat sequences tell the whole story of the Okinawa offensive step by step including Kamikaze raids and infantry action in atrociously difficult weather.

E19

The Air War on Japan

5/6/2004

From the Asian mainland and newly liberated islands, American airborne firepower hammers at Japan. Dizzying film sequences capture the awesome sights of bombing missions and aerial dogfights. America fields a new and incredibly destructive weapon - the atom bomb. Footage demonstrates the raw power of the weapon in testing and at Hiroshima. Japan surrenders.

E20

The Surrender and Occupation of Japan

5/13/2004

Extensive footage documents military and social events in Japan following the war's conclusion. Sequences include: Japan's historic formal surrender abroad the battleship Missouri; a war crimes tribunal sentencing Premier Tojo to death for his pivotal role in Japan's aggressive war; the extensive changes in Japanese politics and women's rights; warm new acceptance of the American people and culture.

Crusade in the Pacific(2004)

Overview

Seasons

Season 1

The Rise of the Japanese Empire

America Goes to War in the Pacific

The U.S and the Philippines

The Navy Holds - 1942

Guadalcanal: America's First Offensive

War in the North: The Aleutians

The Road Back: New Guinea

Up the Solomons' Ladder: Bougainville

Attack in the Central Pacific: Makin and Tarawa

The War at Sea

Speeding Up the Attack: The Marshalls

Stepping Stones to the Philippines

Battle for the Marianas

The War in the China-Burma-India Theater

Palau: The Fight For Bloody Nose Ridge

MacArthur Returns to the Philippines

Bloody Iwo

At Japan's Doorstep: Okinawa

The Air War on Japan

The Surrender and Occupation of Japan

Where to Watch

Stream

Where to Watch

Stream

Season 1

The Rise of the Japanese Empire

America Goes to War in the Pacific

The U.S and the Philippines

The Navy Holds - 1942

Guadalcanal: America's First Offensive

War in the North: The Aleutians

The Road Back: New Guinea

Up the Solomons' Ladder: Bougainville

Attack in the Central Pacific: Makin and Tarawa

The War at Sea

Speeding Up the Attack: The Marshalls

Stepping Stones to the Philippines

Battle for the Marianas

The War in the China-Burma-India Theater

Palau: The Fight For Bloody Nose Ridge

MacArthur Returns to the Philippines

Bloody Iwo

At Japan's Doorstep: Okinawa

The Air War on Japan

The Surrender and Occupation of Japan