1992 29c World War II: Into the Battle, Set of 10 stamps

US #2697a-j
1992 1942: Into the Battle

• Second Souvenir Sheet issued to commemorate 50th anniversary of World War II
• Sheet contains 10 stamps and a world map.

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  World War II
Value:  $2.90 (ten 29¢ First Class Mail Rate stamps)
First Day of Issue:  August 17, 1992
First Day City:  Indianapolis, Indiana
Quantity Issued:  12,000,000 sheetlets
Printed by:  Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method:  offset/ intaglio
Format:  Sheetlets of 10, arranged in two strips of 5 with a world map between.  Offset printing plates of 8 sheetlets (2 across, 4 down). Intaglio printing sleeves of 16 sheetlets (2 across, 8 down)
Perforations:  11

Why the stamp was issued:  This sheetlet was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of World War II.  It was the second in a series of five that were issued over the course of five years.

About the stamp design:  There were many topics the USPS wanted to cover when commemorating World War II, but those planning the series didn’t want to issue a large number of stamps.  It was decided a sheetlet format would best highlight the main events of the war.  In order for all the sheetlets to have a uniform design, the same artist, William Bond, and art director, Howard Paine, were assigned to the entire project.

Special design details:  Though the sheet is very similar to the 1991 issue, there are some small changes.  In this sheet, the year 1942 was added to each individual stamp.  The previous sheet only had the year on the map, so if the stamps were separated it would have been difficult to identify the year the stamp was commemorating.  In addition, an explanation was added to the map which read, “Red areas controlled by enemy.”

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, which took place in Indianapolis, Indiana.

About the World War II Series:  As the 50th anniversary of World War II was approaching, the US Postal Service wanted a series that would recognize the key events of the war and the important contributions America made to the Allied victory.  Rather than issue a large number of stamps, the USPS decided to create five sheetlets, each commemorating one year of America’s involvement in the war.  Each sheetlet had 10 different stamps arraigned in two horizontal strips of 5.  In the center was a world map with Allied and neutral nations in yellow and Axis-controlled areas in red.  Notes on the map highlighted key developments that occurred that year.  The stamps each featured important events that took place during the year, as well.

History the stamp represents: 

The stamps feature the following events:

• B-25s Take Off to Raid Tokyo, April 18, 1942
  Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle led 16 US Army bombers in a raid over Japanese cities. Taking off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, they bombed Tokyo and four other cities before flying off to safety in Russia and China.  The bombing shook the Japanese, who felt their nation was divinely protected from attack.  It was a much-needed morale booster to the Americans at a time when the Japanese were advancing across the Pacific.
  
  
• Food and Other Commodities Rationed, 1942
  American manufacturing became focused on the war effort, leading to a smaller supply of consumer goods at home. The government launched the rationing program to make sure scarce items were fairly distributed.  Each family used ration coupons for grocery shopping. 
  
  
• US Wins Battle of Coral Sea, May 1942
  The Battle of Coral Sea saw the Imperial Japanese Navy face off against the US and Australian naval and air forces. It was the first battle in history where the opposing forces couldn’t see each other and didn’t fire on each other.  Instead, planes from aircraft carriers attacked enemy ships. 
  At the time of the battle, Japan was intending to invade New Guinea and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.  On May 4, the Japanese were successful in invading Tulagi, though some of its ships were destroyed.  Aware of the presence of American aircraft carriers, the Japanese advanced toward the Coral Sea.  On May 8, both sides launched attacks on each other’s carriers.  Aircraft and carriers on both sides were lost.  Though the Japanese caused greater damage to the Allied fleet, they were forced to withdraw rather than invade New Guinea.  This was the first time the Allies were able to stop a Japanese advance.
  
  
• Corregidor Falls to Japanese, May 6, 1942
  Corregidor was a fortified island protecting the mouth of Manila Bay in the Philippines. It had been a target of Japanese bombers in late 1941.  Artillery bombardment began after the fall of Bataan in early April 1942.  The shelling from artillery and aircraft continued day and night on Corregidor, as supplies within the fort were dwindling. 
  The Japanese began landing on the island on May 5 and were surprised by the strong resistance of the defenders.  Eventually the Americans and their Filipino allies could no longer hold out against the larger Japanese force.  The garrison was surrendered the next afternoon.  This defeat completed the fall of the Philippines into Japanese hands.
  
  
• Japan Invades Aleutian Islands, June 1942
  The Aleutian Islands were part of the Territory of Alaska. They became the only US incorporated territory to be invaded during the war.  The Japanese wanted control of the island chain to prevent US forces from joining with Russia in a future attack.  The US feared if the islands fell into Japanese hands, they would be able to carry out an attack on America’s West Coast. 
  The Japanese began their campaign to capture the islands on June 6, 1942.  Though they occupied a few of the islands, they faced difficulties in resupplying them and continuing their assault.  Efforts on both sides were hampered by poor weather conditions and difficult terrain.  It took over a year for the US to recapture the Aleutian Islands.
  
  
• Allies Decipher Secret Enemy Codes, 1942
  Even before America entered World War II, its cryptographers were busy breaking Japan’s secret codes. A team of Navy codebreakers were able to break a Japanese code known as JN-25, which was based on five-digit numbers.  As a result, the Allies discovered Japanese attack plans and fleet strength, giving them the advantage and surprising the Japanese.
  
  
• Yorktown Lost, US Wins at Midway, 1942
  USS Yorktown was an aircraft carrier that was the flagship of Task Force 17. During the Battle of Coral Sea, aircraft from this carrier and its sister ship, USS Lexington, sank or damaged Japanese carriers.  Meanwhile, Japanese bombers targeted the American carriers.  Lexington was so badly damaged it was later sunk by an American destroyer.  Yorktown limped back to Hawaii for repairs. 
  Because the carrier was needed for the upcoming Battle of Midway, Yorktown was patched together and was seaworthy two days later.  The attack fleet steamed toward Midway, where the Japanese were planning to attack.  In early June, the Americans found the Japanese fleet and began launching attacks.  During the assault, three of the four Japanese carriers were destroyed.  Planes aboard the fourth carrier were soon launched with their sights set on Yorktow  Though many of the enemy aircraft were intercepted by American bombers, three scored hits on the carrier.  With its boilers hit, the ship soon stopped.  Within an hour, it was repaired enough to begin moving again.  This was short-lived, as enemy planes once again attacked, this time causing irreparable damage.  The next day, a Japanese submarine torpedoed the carrier.  It later capsized and sank.
  As the Battle of Midway continued, American aircraft destroyed the fourth Japanese aircraft carrier, as well as other ships.  The Japanese force was forced to withdraw from battle.  The US victory has been called “the turning point of the Pacific.” 
  
  
• Millions of Women Join War Effort, 1942
  As young men went off to war and America’s war machine geared up, women soon found jobs that had been forbidden for them to fill in the past. Between 1940 and 1945, five million women entered the workforce.  Many worked in defense plants and factories, building ships and aircraft.  In order to recruit enough females to fill the open positions, the government created the Rosie the Riveter campaign.
  While many women worked in factories and offices, about 350,000 joined the military.  They fulfilled the duties of nurses, truck drivers, pilots, and many other positions. 
  When the war ended, most women were replaced in their jobs by men returning from war.  During their time in the workforce, women had proven they could perform difficult jobs well.  They laid the foundation for generations of women who also pioneered in fields formerly reserved for men.
  
  
• Marines Land on Guadalcanal, Aug. 7, 1942
  The Battle for Guadalcanal was the first major land offensive by Allies against Japan. US Marines landed on Guadalcanal and two other Solomon Islands on August 7, 1942.  They captured all three islands from the Japanese.  The enemy attempted to retake Guadalcanal and its airfield, which was under construction.  In spite of constant bombardment and repeated assaults, the Japanese failed.  They evacuated their last forces in February 1943, leaving Guadalcanal in Allied hands.
  
  
• Allies land in North Africa, November 1942
  On the other side of the world, Allied forces were engaged in heavy combat against Nazi Germany.  North Africa was in the hands of Vichy France, which was fighting with the Axis powers.  In a mission known as Operation Torch, the Allies invaded French North Africa beginning on November 8, 1942.  This was the first major involvement of US troops in the European- North African Theatre.  Three areas of Morocco and Algeria were targeted for assault: Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers.  Casablanca, with its large port facilities, was captured after two days. Oran was also captured by November 10.  French resistance at Algiers was light.  US forces landed on three beaches and faced little opposition.  The senior French Army officer in North Africa surrendered to the Allies the first day.  The French forces in North Africa were ordered to cooperate with the Allies.  Many joined the Allies in their fight against Nazi Germany.