War Plan Orange: "Powerful Stuff"

Authors

Harry D. Train II

Abstract

Though Churchill called the battle of the Atlantic "the dominating factor all through the war," the dramatic struggle in the Pacific became the focus of attention for many of the war correspondents and of naval historians of World War II. War Plan Orange (Orange meant Japan), was the name given by the U.S. Navy to its long planning efforts for a war at sea against Japan . As the plan evolved from 1907 through 1941, it became the front-stage-center upon which the Battle of the Pacific was played. As Edward S. Miller observes, "the Navy painted Orange Plans on canvases of heroic size." Planning the path to victory in the Pacific was interrupted-but not ended-by the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Recommended Citation

Train, Harry D. II (1993) "War Plan Orange: "Powerful Stuff"," Naval War College Review: Vol. 46: No. 1, Article 8.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol46/iss1/8