BA.110 - LA CAMPAGNE DES MARIANNES - VI

THE MARIANAS CAMPAIGN - VI - The Philippine Sea air and sea campaign (1)

Editorial

As we assumed from your comments and letters, the impressive Battle of the Marianas is a discovery. Of course, the Marianas are located far from our country, France, and this is perhaps why many of you are unaware of what happened in the Pacific. While Pearl Harbor and Midway are relatively well-known names to the public, New Guinea, the Marianas and other names remain unknown. This extraordinary series by Bernard Baéza (yes, it really is extraordinary) on the Marianas, the battle that ultimately condemned Japan to suffer the war it had started in December 1941, is therefore a unique opportunity for many of our readers to discover (or rediscover) this major event of the Second World War. Having become interested in the subject a few years ago but only from the Japanese side, I can say that I have never read such a detailed text on the fighting of this imposing battle, literally examined under a magnifying glass from both sides. This part, the sixth, will of course be followed by the issue reporting the fighting of June 20 covering the American air attack on the Japanese fleet. Enjoy reading.

Michel Ledet.