16.2 Japan’s Pacific Campaign Mrs. Stoffl

Tensions Rise With Japan WWI – Japan a U.S. ally 1930s: Japan reliant upon U.S. trade for natural resources Japan then became increasingly imperialist… Americans cracked a Japanese code that detailed their plans to gain U.S. controlled Philippines + Guam) in the Pacific U.S. also offered China support while Japan was attacking them in the late 30s ∴ U.S. = Threat to Japanese expansion + imperialism

Trouble in the Pacific Japanese moving into Indochina ∴ U.S. places trade embargo on Japan Restricted naval/aviation supplies (oil, rubber, steel, etc.) Japan signs Tripartite Pact in 1940 joining w/ Hitler and Stalin = FDR strengthens the embargo Slowed Jap. expansion but didn’t stop it b/c new land = new resources

Trouble in the Pacific 1941: General Hideki Tojo became Prime Minister of Japan Didn’t want to stop expanding but wanted to keep U.S. neutral Tried to negotiate for a few months w/ no success November 1941: U.S. rejects Japanese expansion demands = Tojo no longer seeking peace… Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto called for an attack on the U.S. fleet in Hawaii to deflate the U.S. navy in the Pacific

The Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor ∴ Japan sends navy towards Pearl Harbor 6 aircraft carries, 360 planes, many battleships, cruisers, subs Goal: remove all U.S. naval + air presence from the Pacific Attacked on December 7, took the U.S. by complete surprise  knew of an attack but not when specifically = devastating impact

Results of the Attack American losses: 2,500 people killed and ships/planes destroyed or damaged… 8 battleships severely damaged 160 aircraft destroyed damaged 3 destroyers unusable 3 cruisers damaged Aircraft carriers and 7 heavy cruisers were out at sea during the attack = American Pacific Fleet survived

America Declares War December 8, 1941 Congress declared war on Japan December 11, 1941 Congress declares war Germany + Italy Hitler formally declares war on U.S. (1 st formal declaration).

Fierce Fighting in the Pacific Japan needed to move fast before U.S. could regroup in the Pacific Japan quickly gained the following: British colony of Hong Kong American controlled Guam + Wake Island Thailand Japan = technologically advanced weapons, very well trained military who were highly motivated Next target: Philippines (U.S. controlled)

Japanese Forces Takes the Philippines January 1942: U.S. + Filipino forces under pressure in the Philippines Under the command of General MacArthur w/ little support Japanese hit the Philippines hard MacArthur miscalculated the strength of Jap. force Retreated to the Bataan Peninsula and fortified their position on Corregidor island  They had little supplies + suffered

U.S. Surrenders at Corregidor, the Philippines

Bataan Death March MacArthur ordered to evacuate to Australia but some forces stayed behind until May 1942 when… 76,000 Allies surrendered (12,000 Americans) Jap. forced the POWs to march in the blazing heat 55 miles up to the Bataan Pen. railway then 8 miles more = Bataan Death March 7,000 killed

Japanese Forces Advance Japan at risk for gaining ALL of the Pacific and total victory Japanese forces gained all of the areas in the map below by 1942… Controlled over 1 million square miles of Asian million ppl Japanese most notable for their horrific treatment of POW

America Strikes Back With the Doolittle Raid FDR declares that America must retaliate after Pearl Harbor The Plan: Nighttime bombing raid from USS Hornet under the command of Colonel James Doolittle Primarily American and Australian forces BUT 800 miles away  USS Hornet is detected = plans must change + they didn’t wait for the night Sent 16 B-25 bombers toward Tokyo, reached at noon 50 Japanese killed, 100 buildings destroyed, crash landed in China Minimal physical impact but boosted American morale!

The Allies Protect Their Land: May 1942: Japanese move to take Port Moresby(crucial Allied air base), New Guinea ∴ move closer to taking Australia and protect their bases in Rabaul… But the Allies intercepted the airstrike headed for Port Moresby + prevent a Japanese invasion/attack

The Battle of Coral Sea Gives Hope Battle of Coral Sea – A draw, BUT American success b/c kept Japan from New Guinea Opposing ships never saw each other b/c the airplanes attacked enemy ships first Confidence boost for U.S. and Allies who prevent the Japanese from advancing further!

Battle of the Coral Sea: May 7-8, 1942

Turning Point: Americans Triumph at Midway Japanese Admiral Yamamoto knew to gain total control of Pacific they needed to take over U.S. naval base in Midway ∴ he sent a fleet to Midway to destroy the American base there U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz – used Navy code breakers to uncover the Japanese plans of attacking Midway ∴ Concentrated all available Naval forces on Midway + put up a massive defense U.S. won very decisively and Japanese Navy took a huge hit

Battle of Midway Island: June 4-7, 1942

Japanese Navy Takes a Huge Blow U.S. Casualties 1 Carrier 1 Destroyer 98 Planes 307 Sailors Japanese Casualties 4 Carriers 1 Cruiser 322 Planes 3,057 Sailors

Turning Point: Americans Triumph at Midway Battle of Midway = Turning point of the war in the Pacific Japan now on the defensive – would never again threaten American territory

MacArthur (head of Allied forces in the Pacific) Strategy in the Pacific: Island Hopping Capturing specific Japanese held islands in the Pacific paving a direct path toward Japan Advancing in the Pacific

Guadalcanal August 7, 1942 – Americans attack the Japanese air base being constructed on the Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands Horrible place to fight + the battle lasted 6 months! Huge spiders, crocodiles, terrible humidity, jungle February 1943 the Japanese finally gave up after losing 24,000/36,000 soldiers! Called it the “Island of Death!”