How One American Destroyer Changed the Course of World War II in the Pacific
For their outstanding combat performance, the men of the USS England were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, making them one of only three destroyer escort crews in World War II to be so recognized.
Here s What You Need to Know: Historian W.H. Holmes considers England’s 12-day battle as “the most brilliant antisubmarine operation in history.”
Admiral Soemu Toyoda needed answers. The newly appointed commander in chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet, Toyoda found himself facing several unpleasant facts. By May 1944, Allied naval and air strength in the Pacific Ocean was growing at an alarming rate. Already, fast-moving enemy forces had advanced far across northern New Guinea and into the Admiralties and through the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific.