War Plan Orange's Central Pacific campaign studies

From 1934 to mid-1937, American planners concentrated on a cautious advance as far as the central Carolines. Their studies addressed amphibious landings, naval and air operations, island selection, bypassing strongpoints and the construction of advanced bases. The idea of using Micronesia as a route across the Pacific had earlier precedents, but it repeatedly competed with plans for a rapid movement to the Philippines. In the 1928 plan, island occupations were secondary operations to protect the supply line after the main fleet had already moved west. The later studies placed those islands within the main campaign.