Throwing this out to anyone but especially USS- I consider myself pretty well versed in the American side of the campaign in the ETO. My knowledge of the Soviet side of the war is so-so. On the Pacific campaign, I feel pretty ignorant. I've read criticisms of MacArthur, and have a general idea of the island hopping and Pearl and Midway.
In your opinion(s) was the U.S. pacific campaign well planned/executed? I'm asking because reading these accounts of the different island battles and the costs of each makes me wonder why we didn't focus more on denying the Japanese access to certain islands and bypassing some of them altogether and leaving the Japanese troops stationed there isolated. Was each island system that critical for overall success? Did we have to root them out of each fortress? I can see taking islands that were vital for projecting air power, but some battles seem like we went in killed everyone and then left never to return. What was the risk of leaving them alone but basically imprisoned and focusing on closing in on the home islands?