United States theaters of operations in World War II

During World War II, the United States Army divided its operations around the world into four theaters. Forces from many different Allied nations fought in these theaters. Other Allied countries have different conceptions of the theaters and/or different names for them.

European Theater of Operations

Operational command SHAEF

• Normandy Campaign June 6, 1944–July 24, 1944
• Northern France Campaign July 25, 1944–September 14, 1944
• Rhineland Campaign
  • Lorraine Campaign (unofficial) September 1, 1944–December 18, 1944
• Ardennes-Alsace Campaign December 16, 1944–January 25, 1945
• Central Europe Campaign March 22, 1945–May 11, 1945

Mediterranean Theater of Operations

Operational command AFHQ

• Algeria-French Morocco Campaign November 8, 1942–November 11, 1942
• Anzio Campaign January 22, 1944–May 24, 1944
• Egypt-Libya Campaign June 11, 1942–February 12, 1943
• Naples-Foggia Campaign
• North Apennines Campaign
• Po Valley Campaign
• Rome-Arno Campaign
• Sicily Campaign
• Southern France Campaign (One month after the invasion, command was passed to SHAEF and the European Theater of Operations)
• Tunisia Campaign

Pacific Theater of Operations

Operational commands were the Pacific Ocean and South West Pacific.

Pacific Ocean Areas (command) - Chester W. Nimitz

• Pearl Harbor
• Doolittle Raid
• Coral Sea
• Midway
• Solomons
• Aleutians
• Gilberts & Marshalls
• Marianas & Palau
• Volcano Is & Ryukyu Is

South West Pacific Areas (command) - Douglas MacArthur

• Guadalcanal Campaign 1942–43
• New Guinea Campaign 1942-45
• Philippines Campaign 1941-42
• Dutch East Indies campaign 1941-42
• Solomon Islands campaign 1943–45
• Guadalcanal Campaign 1942–43
• Battle of Timor 1942-43
• Philippines Campaign 1944–45
• Borneo campaign 1945

China Burma India Theater

The China Burma India Theater served more as an Administrative Command rather than a Theater of Operations and lacked any true Operational Command.

The Operational Command was joint Allied South East Asia Command in the South-East Asian Theater The American General Joseph Stilwell commanded the operational Northern Combat Area Command and used his other positions to communicate directly with Joint Chiefs of Staff about some operational matters.

• Burma Campaign
  • Burma 1942 Campaign January 1942 – May 1942
  • Central Burma Campaign
  • China Defensive Campaign July 4, 1942 – May 4, 1945
  • China Offensive Campaign May 5, 1945 – September 2, 1945

References