ADM Nimitz commanded the axis of advance in which theater?

• A. Central Pacific theater
• B. Southwest Pacific theater
• C. European Theater
• D. Atlantic Theater

Answer: (A)

In WWII, the axis of advance reflects the main line of offensive operations directed by the theater commander—the route the Allies planned to push along to reach Japan. Admiral Nimitz, as Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet, directed the central Pacific operations, guiding a sequence of island-hopping campaigns from the central Pacific—Gilbert and Marshall Islands, then the Marianas—progressing toward the Philippines and ultimately toward Japan. This established the central Pacific as the primary thrust of Allied offensives under his command. The Southwest Pacific theater was MacArthur’s arena, pushing through New Guinea toward the Philippines from Australia, not under Nimitz. The European and Atlantic theaters were separate fronts focused on Germany and its allies, outside the Pacific focus. So the central Pacific theater is the best fit for Nimitz’s axis of advance.