1942.06.07 "That Relentless Shadow" by John H Parmelee

1942.06.07 “That Relentless Shadow”
by John H Parmelee
11.5 x 11in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

The cartoon is marked as from the Nashville Tennessee Banner. No other information about Parmelee is evident anywhere.

Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US achieved a decisive victory against Japan at the Battle of Midway. This battle, June 4-7, 1942, is widely considered a turning point in the Pacific war. The US Navy sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, all of which had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. This dealt a severe blow to Japan's naval air power, significantly crippling their offensive capabilities.

The Japanese had aimed to capture Midway Island as part of a plan to extend their defensive perimeter and lure out and destroy the US Pacific Fleet. Crucial intelligence gathered by American codebreakers allowed the US Navy to anticipate the Japanese attack and prepare an ambush, contributing greatly to the American victory.