The Reconquest of the Philippines Landing in Philippines – January 1945. MacArthur advances to Manila and reaches it on February 2, 1945. Manila captured sector by sector – February-March 1945. Situation of 1942 reversed – Americans captured main islands of Philippines, Japanese trying to hold Bataan and Corregidor. Japanese resistance in mountainous parts of several Philippine islands continues till August. Determining the plans to the next offensive towards Japanese islands of Iwo Jima (Iwoshima) and Okinawa.

Battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa Landing at Iwo Jima – February 19, 1945. Japanese resistance. Kamikaze factor. Capture of island – March 16, 1945. 6821 American soldiers had been killed and 20,000 wounded. Nearly all of the Japanese 21,000 defenders died during the battle. The banner hoisted on the island is considered as the Banner of Victory. Landing at Okinawa – April 1, 1945. Bombardment of the island before the landing lasted one week. Japanese strategy – allow Americans to land and then attack them with all possible forces to overthrow into the sea. Kamikaze attacks made serious damage to American fleet. The biggest Japanese battleship – Yamato has been sunk during the battle. Island seized at last – June 22, 1945. Nearly all Japanese high-ranked officers committed hara-kiri. Results of the Battle: Americans lost 12,500 soldiers, Japanese – more than 110,000 including the civilians. Only 7,400 Japanese were captured.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Air raids on Japan. Decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan. Why Hiroshima was chosen as a target? Preparations for the bombardment. Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. drops the first bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. His plane was called Enola Gay. Results of the first bombardment: nearly 80,000 died immediately, city was nearly completely destroyed. Bombardment of Nagasaki – August 9, 1945. Another 80,000 people has died. Bomb was plutonium based, so many of survivors died afterwards due to leukaemia and other diseases. Americans threatening to continue bombardment. Japanese did not know, that Americans had no nuclear bombs left.

The Soviet Entry into the War and Japanese Surrender Soviets attacking Japanese armies in Manchuria. Kwantung Army not a force of significant strength in 1945. Soviets encircling the whole Kwantung Army and defeating it in just one week – August 8-14, 1945. Japanese decision to surrender. Emperor Hirohito addresses the nation – August 15, 1945. Surrender is signed on USS Missouri on September 2, 1945 in Tokyo Bay. The Second World War is officially ended. Surrender was signed by Gen. MacArthur from American side.