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Pearl Harbor
The attack was a suprise military strike by the Japanese Imperial Army against the U.S. naval base in Hawaii in the morning. This led to the entry of the U.S. into the war. The U.S. was unprepared and the strike was intended to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet out of Japanese affairs. American officials thought that there may be an attack. Most American fighter planes never got off the ground. Hundreds were severly damaged or destroyed where they sat. The attack lasted two hours. All eight battle -
Pearl Harbor
ships suffered damage. Four were sunk. Nearly 200 aircraft were completely destroyed, and more were damaged. Some 2,400 Americans were dead. Japan lost only a handful of submarines and fewer then 30 aircraft. Americans feered a Japanese invasion on the west coast. The president was outraged and declared war on Japan. -
Loss of the Philippines and the Bataan Death March
Japan attacked Hong Kong, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, and Burma. General Douglass MacArthur led the defense on that island chain. His troops were no match for the Japanese who came ashore in December 1941. MacArthur took his men to Bataan Peninsula where he hoped to hold off untill help came. MacAruthur left promising he would return and 10,000 American and 60,000 Philipino soldiers surrendered. Soldiers were forced to walk for five days and nights and beaten or shot if fell out of line. -
Battle of Java Sea
In this battle the Japanese caused much damage to Allied navies.The Japanese also conquered British-controlled Burma as well as a number of key positions in the South Pacific. This gave them control of rich oil reserves which were vital to their military plans. They also established strategic bases. Allies were stunned by the strength and technology and skill of the Japanese army. -
Doolittle Raid
Days after the loss of the Philippines, Army Lieutenant Colonel led a group of 16 American bombers on a daring air raid of Tokyo and several other Japanese cities. The airplanes were launched from an aircraft several hundred miles off the coast of Japan. It didnt do major damage to Japanese targets. It gave the American people something to celebrate. It also caused worry and anger in Japans leaders which would cause major military mistakes down the road. -
Island Hopping Strategy
Island Hopping was a military strategy by the allies to bypass heavily defended Japanese positions and get strategically important islands that were not well defended but capable of supporting the main drive to the Japan mainland. -
The Battle of Coral Sea
This battle featured the one part of the Pacific Fleet that had not been damaged at Pearl Harbor, the aircraft carriers. The battle took place as the Japanese forces were preparing to invade the British Port Moresby on New Guinea. Chester Mitz sent two aircraft carriers to prevent the attack. Both the Japanese and American navies suffered damage. Americans lost an aircraft carier and several dozen aircraft. They stopped the Japanese attack and for the first time Japanese advances had been halted -
Battle of Midway
Japanese military leaders tried to lure Americans into a large sea battle. They wanted to attack the Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific. They wanted to lure Americans into the area then destroy it. Naval intelligence officers had broken a code and learned about the attack. American air defences were waiting and fought off the air raid. American bombs damaged three out of the four carriers. Americans did lose one carrier but won. This changed the balance of power in the pacific -
Guadalcanal
America wanted to control the solomon Islands becasue Japanese threatened nearby Australia. An allied presence in Solomons would help protect Australia and provide a base for further efforts to puch Japaese back. The Japanese had a nearly completed airfeild there. Awful dense jungles and high tempatures. It took place in the air, on land, and in the sea. After this the Hapanese were on the run. -
Battle of the Leyte Gulf
300 ships took part in the largest naval battle ever fought. Allies had a huge advantage in the number of ships. The Japanese lost 4 carriers, 3 battleships, and a number of other vessels. This battle also saw the first major use of kamikaze attacks. Allies feared these attacks. MacArthur returned to the Philippines and gained control of the islands. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The U.S. wanted a better base for raids on Japanese cities. The volcanic island was 750 miles south of Tokyo. For the first time in the war, Japanese soldiers were fighting for land that was actually part of Japan. American troops captured Mount Suribachi but Japanese refused to surrender. Nearly 7,000 Americans died and many more were wounded. Of the 20,000 Japanese soldiers there, all but one thousand fought to death. -
Battle of Okinawa
The island was only 350 miles from Japan and was a launching pad for Japan itself. This was the bloodiest task the Americans would face. The Japanese retreated to the southern tip of the island. Over 12,000 Americans died or were wounded. The Japanese lost 110,000 troops. Thier willingness to fight amazed and dreaded Americans. Americans finally gained control in June in 1945. Okinawa would have a major impact on the final days of the war. -
Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima
The bomb was built through the Manhattan Project. Trumen meant with leaders to discuss the bomb and decided to use it without warning but did gie the Japanese one last chance to avoid it. They refused to surrender.The Enola Gay dropped the bomb. Some 80,000 died immediatly amd 35,000 were injured. 90,000 buildings were destroyed. -
Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki
Japans leaders took no action to end the war een after the attack at Hiroshima. We dropped a second bomb and the death toll was 40,000. This still did not bring an end to the war. -
VJ Day
Japanese emperor Hirohito faored surrender een while military leaders still resisted. Some een tried to oerthrow the goernment and continue the war but it failed. Hirohito announced surrender oer a radio broadcast and it was the first time many Japanese people had heard his voice.
