The first book to examine the Pacific Fleet in 1941, as it was meant to fight. Richly illustrated, this study explains how the American Naval Station envisioned the forthcoming war unfolding. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet was the most powerful in the American Navy.

At the time, battleships dominated, but from the late 1930s, naval aviation was developing and sought integration with the dominant battleship doctrine. This book is the first to examine the Pacific Fleet as it was intended to fight and how it was preparing in the months before December 7, 1941. Naval historian Mark Lardas explains how, contrary to modern assumptions, it was not exclusively tied to battleships but chose a strategy investing in both the development of naval aviation and battleship power.

The most crucial point is that it had built and perfected a vast naval supply chain, allowing the Pacific Fleet to operate thousands of miles away from its homeland. This base allowed it to quickly adapt to the new world of naval warfare dominated by air power, and manage to challenge and ultimately defeat the IJN. With artworks, photographs, and diagrams, this is a portrait of the 1941 Pacific Fleet, the last time and place where battleship doctrine dominated.

Pearl Harbor would smash this doctrine and mark the beginning of the carrier era. The blow was heavy for the American Pacific Fleet, but it and its successors would emerge stronger than ever.