Reading order · Pacific War
Pacific War books in chronological order
Follow War Column’s Marine infantry and tank stories through the Pacific Theater—from the opening weeks on Guadalcanal to the fighting on Okinawa.
By Matt Renner · Published October 18, 2026
War Column’s Pacific War stories follow different U.S. Marine units across the same broad historical timeline. The King 3 series tells the war from the perspective of Marine riflemen, while Able 12 follows a Marine tank crew through four major campaigns.
Each story can be read on its own and each series has its own numbered order. Readers who want to follow the events chronologically across all linked series should use the order below.
War Column Pacific War reading order
- King 3: Guadalcanal Line — Guadalcanal, August 1942
- Able 12: Guadalcanal Ambush — Guadalcanal, 1942
- Able 12: Gloucester Bunkers — Cape Gloucester, 1943
- Able 12: Peleliu Landing — Peleliu, 1944
- Able 12: Okinawa Run — Okinawa, 1945
This guide will be updated as new King 3 stories and other connected War Column series are published.
The current timeline
First chronologically · King 3 Book 1
Guadalcanal Line
Guadalcanal, August 1942
Second chronologically · Able 12 Book 1
Guadalcanal Ambush
Guadalcanal, 1942
Third chronologically · Able 12 Book 2
Gloucester Bunkers
Cape Gloucester, 1943
Fourth chronologically · Able 12 Book 3
Peleliu Landing
Peleliu, 1944
Fifth chronologically · Able 12 Book 4
Okinawa Run
Okinawa, 1945
1. King 3: Guadalcanal Line
Guadalcanal, August 1942
The earliest story in the current War Column timeline takes place during the opening weeks of the Guadalcanal campaign. Corporal Frank Cooper and the Marines of King 3 hold an unfinished defensive line east of Henderson Field while Japanese troops move through the jungle beyond it.
Guadalcanal Line introduces the infantry-focused King 3 series and comes before the first Able 12 tank story.
2. Able 12: Guadalcanal Ambush
Guadalcanal, 1942
The Able 12 series begins later in the Guadalcanal campaign. Sergeant Tom “Red” Kincaid and his inexperienced crew enter combat in an M3 Stuart light tank, where dense jungle and limited visibility turn a mission into a point-blank fight.
3. Able 12: Gloucester Bunkers
Cape Gloucester, 1943
More than a year after Guadalcanal, Able 12 returns to combat in an M4A1 Sherman. Rain, mud, jungle and concealed bunkers define the crew’s fight on New Britain.
4. Able 12: Peleliu Landing
Peleliu, September 1944
Able 12 crosses the reef during an opposed amphibious landing and drives into the battle beyond the beach. The crew faces prepared defenses, intense fire and Japanese armor.
5. Able 12: Okinawa Run
Okinawa, 1945
The current timeline ends on Okinawa. Able 12 is pressed into a dangerous shuttle mission, carrying Marines, supplies and wounded men across exposed ground under anti-tank fire.
How do King 3 and Able 12 connect?
King 3 and Able 12 follow separate Marine units and different forms of combat. King 3 stays with riflemen defending and patrolling the ground. Able 12 places readers inside the tanks supporting Marines through later Pacific campaigns.
The stories share a historical theater and timeline rather than one continuous plot. No prior reading is required when moving from one series to the other.
Should I follow chronological order or series order?
Either approach works. Readers who want to stay with one crew can read the four Able 12 stories in numbered order. Readers who want to move through the wider Pacific War timeline should begin with King 3: Guadalcanal Line and then continue into Able 12.
As more King 3 books and other connected series are released, they will be inserted here according to the date of their story.
Begin the timeline
Start on Guadalcanal
Begin with King 3: Guadalcanal Line, the earliest story in the current War Column Pacific War chronology.