1. Battle of Midway (June 4–7, 1942):
- Outcome: Decisive American victory, turning point of the war in the Pacific.
- Main Commanders:
- US: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet)
- Japan: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet)
2. Battle of Guadalcanal (August 7, 1942 – February 9, 1943):
- Outcome: Allied victory, secured control of the Solomon Islands.
- Main Commanders:
- US: Lieutenant General Alexander Vandegrift (Commander, I Marine Amphibious Corps)
- Japan: General Hitoshi Imamura (Commander, Eighth Area Army)
3. Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19 – March 26, 1945):
- Outcome: American victory, strategic importance for airfields.
- Main Commanders:
- US: General Holland Smith (Commander, Fifth Amphibious Corps)
- Japan: General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Commander, 109th Division)
4. Battle of Okinawa (April 1 – June 22, 1945):
- Outcome: American victory, last major battle of World War II in the Pacific.
- Main Commanders:
- US: General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. (Commander, Tenth Army)
- Japan: General Mitsuru Ushijima (Commander, 32nd Army)
Main Commanders on Both Sides:
Japan:
- Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto: Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, architect of the Pearl Harbor attack.
- General Hideki Tojo: Prime Minister and Minister of War, proponent of aggressive expansionist policies.
- General Tomoyuki Yamashita: Nicknamed the "Tiger of Malaya," known for his victories in Southeast Asia.
United States:
- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz: Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, masterminded the "island-hopping" strategy.
- General Douglas MacArthur: Supreme Commander for the Southwest Pacific Area, led the liberation of the Philippines and oversaw the occupation of Japan.
- Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.: Commander of the Third Fleet, known for his aggressive tactics and leadership in several major naval battles.
- General George S. Patton: Commander of the Seventh Army, renowned for his leadership and success in the European theater, later contributed to the planning for the invasion of Japan.