Winston Churchill and the Third Front
Abstract
In September 1944, the two leaders of the western alliance met at Quebec for the second time, the 'Octagon' conference. A major item on the agenda was British naval participation in the war against Japan. At 'Octagon' these matters were to be decided, and decided they were. At the first plenary session, Churchill offered the services of a British fleet 'in the main operations against Japan.' Roosevelt replied that the British fleet was 'no sooner offered than accepted.' And that was how the British fleet came to play a part in the war against Japan. Today, the British Pacific Fleet is most remembered for its service during the Okinawa campaign. Unlike their American counterparts, British aircraft carriers, with their armoured flight decks, withstood kamikazes as they held the Allied flank closest to Formosa. This paper addresses the question of how this British Pacific Fleet came to be, especially the role of Winston Churchill in the war against Japan. At the time, British conduct of the war provoked despairing comment from many who played a central part.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA195340
Entities
People
- M. H. Jacobsen