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Although the United States of America contains a vast area of land, almost all of its allies and trading partners are overseas, and those interests require a powerful navy to support them. The US Navy possessed some of the largest and most modern battleships in the world at the outbreak of World War Two, and despite losses during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, was able to maintain a powerful presence in the Pacific. However, in the vast reaches of that ocean, the battleship was no longer the king of battle. It was fortunate for the Americans that the handful of aircraft carriers then in service with the US Navy escaped destruction; given later events, it is doubtful that a pure battleship force could have defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy. The aircraft carrier became the main US naval asset during the war in the Pacific, which was very much a conflict between the air assets of opposing fleets. US carrier forces were hard-pressed early on but as the industrial might of the US was brought to bear, new carriers and air groups for them were deployed in such numbers that the enemy simply could not match their strength. US naval forces were primarily engaged in the Pacific, but some capital ships and larger numbers of destroyers were deployed to the Atlantic theatre where their primary opponents were German U-boats.

The Battle for the Pacific was only the beginning. Victory at Sea is the game of naval combat during the Second World War. Throughout 1939-45, the nations of the world duelled across the oceans across the globe, only to discover the fundamental nature of naval warfare changing in the face of rapidly developing technologies. Now you can play out these confrontations on the tabletop with entire fleets drawn from the Royal Navy, US Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy, German Kriegsmarine or any of the other nations featured in Victory at Sea. From skirmishes involving single destroyers hunting down merchantmen to the clashing of massive battleships, from invasions of islands across the Pacific to mastering waves of dive bombers, Victory at Sea enables you to fight exciting battles that take place on the oceans of World War II.

Submarines:
The Gato-class of submarine was the first mass production US submarine class of the Second World War, forming the majority of the United States Navy's submarine fleet of the war. It was the Gato-class, and the successors of her design that were largely responsible for the disruption of the Japanese merchant fleet. Individual Gato-class vessels were given names of marine creatures, with the lead of her class named for a type of small catshark.

MTBs:
The Elco mounted four torpedo tubes which, combined with its speed, made it a serious threat to larger ships. The largest PT boat used by the US Navy, the Elco is also notable for future President Kennedy commanding one. Crews of these boats relied on their smaller size, speed and manoeuvrability - and darkness - to survive.

USS Idaho, the third of three ships of the New Mexico-class of Battleship, was the fourth vessel to bear the name. She was launched in June 1917 and commissioned in March 1919. She was armed with a battery of twelve 14? guns in four turrets and was protected with heavy armour plate (13.5? thick in the main belt). During the 20s and 30s, Idaho spent the majority of her time as part of the Pacific Fleet, conducting routine training exercises. She was modernised in the early 30s. During World War II, but before the United States? entry into hostilities, she was assigned to join the Neutrality Patrols that protected American shipping during the Battle of the Pacific. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour, she was redeployed to the Pacific Theatre, along with her sister ships. For the remainder of the war she supported amphibious operations in the Pacific, shelling Japanese forces during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands and Philippines campaigns. She also supported the invasions of Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Idaho was present in Tokyo Bay when Japan formally surrendered on 2 September 1945. Idaho was decommissioned the next year and dismantled in 1947.

Only the mighty Yamato displaced more than the massive, yet very fast, Iowa-class battleships. The last battleship to be commissioned by the USA, USS Missouri is known as the "Mighty Mo" acted as a venue for the Japanese surrender in WWII. Iowa-class ships saw service far beyond the Second World War and were upgraded with modern electronics, weapons systems and cruise missiles, USS Missouri was finally decommissioned in 1992 after a distinguished career.

The Yorktown-class of aircraft carrier was built in a series of three. Of those, only the USS Enterprise survived the war, with the USS Yorktown sunk during the Battle of Midway, and the USS Hornet during the Battle of Santa Cruz. USS Yorktown was commissioned in 1937 and named for the battle of 1781. After Pearl Harbor, USS Yorktown transferred to the Pacific and took part in some of the first American offences of the war around the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. She also fought at the Battle of the Coral Sea where her aircraft (along with the carrier Lexington's) sank enemy light carrier Shōhō prior to engaging the main Japanese carrier force the following day (May 8th 1942). During this latter stage of the engagement, the US carriers' aircraft inflicted damage to the IJN carrier Shōkaku, but in turn, USS Yorktown suffered heavy damage. Lexington suffered worse and was later scuttled as a result. Returning to Hawaii, repairs were estimated to take two weeks, but she was put back to sea a mere 48 hours after entering drydock, in time to play a crucial part in the decisive Battle of Midway. Her aircraft were instrumental in the sinking of two Japanese fleet carriers. Her presence also drew the attention of Japanese aerial attacks away from USS Enterprise and Hornet. Though crippled by Japanese aircraft, there was optimism that she could be salvaged in part. These hopes were dashed on June 6th when torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-168 struck her twice. Further hopes of repair were abandoned, and she sank the following day.