History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
Encyclopedia
The History of United States Naval Operations in World War II is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy
in World War II
, written by eminent historian
Samuel Eliot Morison
and published by Little, Brown and Company
between 1947 and 1962.
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Morison, already convinced of the value of personal involvement as a result of sailing
experience while writing his biography of Christopher Columbus
, wrote to President Roosevelt suggesting the preparation of an official history of the Navy in the war, and volunteering for the task. Both President Roosevelt and the Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox
agreed, and in May 1942 Morison was commissioned as a Lieutenant Commander
in the United States Naval Reserve, and assigned a staff of assistants, with permission to go anywhere and to see all official records. Morison's reputation as a knowledgeable sailor (based on his analysis in the biography of Christopher Columbus) preceded him, and he was welcomed on a number of ships, eleven of them in all by the end of the war.
The result was a normal historical work, not a prescribed official history
. Limitations of the History of U.S. Naval Operations are mostly due to its shortened period of publication. some material, especially related to codebreaking, was still classified
, and later in-depth research into particular occurrences in the war did clarify points that had been passed over rather lightly. Some rewriting was incorporated in the later printings of this series. This History of U.S. Naval Operations also intentionally avoided a certain amount of analysis, for instance deferring to other works for the causes of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
. The intended audience for the work, to quote from the preface, "the general reader rather than the professional sailor".
The volumes:
An abridgement of the fifteen-volume work entitled The Two-Ocean War; A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War was written by Morison and published in 1963.
This History of U.S. Naval Operations also played an indirect role in the history of television
. One of Morison's research assistants in the project, Henry Salomon, was inspired to create an ambitious documentary TV
series on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps warfare in World War II. Several years after the war, the National Broadcasting Company TV network bought Salomon's idea, and the eventually became the TV series, Victory at Sea
. The success of this TV series played a major role in establishing the historic documentary as a viable television genre.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, written by eminent historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Samuel Eliot Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison, Rear Admiral, United States Naval Reserve was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history that were both authoritative and highly readable. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and taught history at the university for 40 years...
and published by Little, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
between 1947 and 1962.
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Morison, already convinced of the value of personal involvement as a result of sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
experience while writing his biography of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
, wrote to President Roosevelt suggesting the preparation of an official history of the Navy in the war, and volunteering for the task. Both President Roosevelt and the Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox
Frank Knox
-External links:...
agreed, and in May 1942 Morison was commissioned as a Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in the United States Naval Reserve, and assigned a staff of assistants, with permission to go anywhere and to see all official records. Morison's reputation as a knowledgeable sailor (based on his analysis in the biography of Christopher Columbus) preceded him, and he was welcomed on a number of ships, eleven of them in all by the end of the war.
The result was a normal historical work, not a prescribed official history
Official history
An official history is a work of history which is sponsored, authorised, or endorsed by its subject. The term is most commonly used for histories which are produced at a government's behest....
. Limitations of the History of U.S. Naval Operations are mostly due to its shortened period of publication. some material, especially related to codebreaking, was still classified
Classified information in the United States
The United States government classification system is currently established under Executive Order 13526, the latest in a long series of executive orders on the topic. Issued by President Barack Obama in 2009, Executive Order 13526 replaced earlier executive orders on the topic and modified the...
, and later in-depth research into particular occurrences in the war did clarify points that had been passed over rather lightly. Some rewriting was incorporated in the later printings of this series. This History of U.S. Naval Operations also intentionally avoided a certain amount of analysis, for instance deferring to other works for the causes of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. The intended audience for the work, to quote from the preface, "the general reader rather than the professional sailor".
The volumes:
- The Battle of the Atlantic, September 1939 - May 1943
- Operations in North African Waters, October 1942 - June 1943
- The Rising Sun in the Pacific, 1931 - April 1942
- Coral Sea, Midway, and Submarine Actions, May 1942 - August 1942
- The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 - February 1943
- Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier, 22 July 1942 - 1 May 1944
- Aleutians, Gilberts, and Marshalls, June 1942 - April 1944
- New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944 - August 1944
- Sicily - Salerno - Anzio, January 1943 - June 1944
- The Atlantic Battle Won, May 1943 - May 1945
- The Invasion of France and Germany, 1944–1945
- Leyte, June 1944 - January 1945
- The Liberation of the Philippines: Luzon, Mindanao, the Visayas, 1944–1945
- Victory in the Pacific, 1945
- Supplement and General Index
An abridgement of the fifteen-volume work entitled The Two-Ocean War; A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War was written by Morison and published in 1963.
This History of U.S. Naval Operations also played an indirect role in the history of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. One of Morison's research assistants in the project, Henry Salomon, was inspired to create an ambitious documentary TV
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
series on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps warfare in World War II. Several years after the war, the National Broadcasting Company TV network bought Salomon's idea, and the eventually became the TV series, Victory at Sea
Victory at Sea
Victory at Sea is a documentary television series about naval warfare during World War II that was originally broadcast by NBC in the USA in 1952–1953. It was condensed into a film in 1954. The music soundtrack, by Richard Rodgers and Robert Russell Bennett, was re-recorded and sold as record albums...
. The success of this TV series played a major role in establishing the historic documentary as a viable television genre.