The significance of individual agency is often lost in the telling of large-scale historical events. Richmond Kelly Turner is one of those rare individuals to stand out in the historical narrative of World War II. He played a pivotal role in planning and executing the war in the Pacific Theater during World War II. As the Director of the War Plans Division for the Chief of Naval Operations from 1940 to 1941, Captain Turner was instrumental in developing a joint estimate to guide planning for a two-ocean war. Following his promotion in 1941, Rear Admiral Turner took an active role in planning amphibious operations in the Pacific beginning in June 1942. He conducted six consecutive, successful operations against enemy positions in the Pacific theater between 1943 and 1945. Every success and every failure in Turner’s planning served to formulate an updated doctrine for amphibious assault operations. This book identifies ten lessons learned for effective planning from his experiences during the conflict. Rear Admiral Tom Williams, the current director of Plans, Policy and Integration, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, contributed the foreword to this publication.
| Published: | July 9, 2026 |
Naval History and Heritage Command Publications Unit Association: Naval History and Heritage Command
