Fungo

The Pacific Theatre in WW2 is one of the closest things you get to sci-fi in real history. You have the Pacific Ocean, which is like the vastness of space. It's dotted with various exotic islands, full of strange flora and fauna, like little planets. The tribes of people on these islands come from wildly alien cultures compared to the two military superpowers battling over them. The military forces of each side consist of gigantic capital ships and various smaller ships supported by swarms of fighters. Sometimes individual ships get sent on their own missions, like rescuing downed airmen or scouting or whatever. An amphibious landing is like an orbital drop. Utter chaos, incredibly bloody. And the war is ended by one of the two empires unleashing a devastating secret weapon that vaporises cities, like the Death Star.