WWII in the Pacific Closing the War

Island Hopping We would hop from island to island, fighting for the important ones and jumping over the unimportant ones. Each jump took us closer to the Philippines and Japan.

Our path to Japan

On the Move Guadalcanal – August 1942 19,000 U.S. troops invaded Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands Six months later, Japan abandoned the island, marking their first defeat on land.

War Atrocities in the Pacific The Japanese were incredibly brutal and some Americans became incredibly brutal as well. The Japanese were seen as less than human in much of the propaganda.

Life Magazine 1943 “Arizona war worker writes her Navy boyfriend a thank you note for the Jap skull he sent her.”

Saipan & Tinian Saipan June 15 – July 9, 1944 Tinian July 24 – Aug. 1, 1944 Both were strategic islands that were important to launch air attacks on main land Japan. In the Island Hopping campaign, islands with air strips were particularly important. Saipan U.S. Japan Strength 71,000 31,000 Dead 3,426 24,000+ 5,000 suicides Wounded 10,364 921 Prisoners Tinian U.S. Japan Strength 30,000 8,810 Dead 328 8,010 Wounded 1,571 313 prisoners

The War - It’s Killing You 1. On what day does the segment begin? 2. What is the smell on the beach? 3. When did the final bonzai charge come on Saipan? 4. Where did the civilians on Saipan retreat too? 5. How many civilians committed suicide on Saipan?

Fighting for the Philippines Leyte Gulf, Philippines – Oct. 23-26, 1944 General MacArthur waded ashore and announces “I have returned”

Leyte Gulf 10/23-10/26/44 178,000 U.S. Troops and 738 ships converged on Leyte. Japan threw everything they had at Leyte. 424 Kamikaze planes sunk 16 ships and damaged 80 others Losses U.S. Japan Dead 3,000 10,500 Lost Ships & Planes 1 Light Carrier 2 Escort Carriers 2 Destroyers 200+ Planes 1 Fleet Carrier 3 Light Carriers 3 Battleships 10 Cruisers 11 Destroyers 500+ Planes

Kamikaze Attack

Arlin McRea Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima 2/19 – 3/26/45 Volcanic Island with an Air Base near Japan 22,700 Japanese were dug into caves on the island. Iwo Jima U.S. Japan Strength 70,000 22,700 Killed 6,821 21,844 Wounded 19,217 216 prisoner

The War – There are Civilians Here Where is Iwo Jima located in relationship to Saipan and Japan? Why was it important to capture Iwo Jima? What date did the Marines start to land on Iwo? What color was the sand on Iwo? What kind of resistance did the first waves face?

Okinawa – On to Japan The last big battle of the war in Pacific. The U.S. hoped to use it as a base to invade Japan. The largest amphibious attack in the Pacific Theater. 82 day battle lasted from late April 1 through June 22, 1945. Okinawa U.S. Japan Strength 183,000 120,000 Killed 12,513 95,000+ Wounded 38,916 7,400-10,755 prisoner

Okinawa by the Numbers The U.S. lost over 12,000 men while the Japanese lost over 95,000 Japan used over 1900 kamikaze attacks Sunk 30 ships, damaged over 300, killed over 5000 seamen This caused us to rethink our invasion plans. It was predicted that it cost 1,000,000 lives to take Japan

Ending the war Firebombing raids on Tokyo, March 1945 Decision to use Atomic Bomb August 6, 1945—Hiroshima; August 9, 1945, Nagasaki Formal Surrender on U. S. Missouri, September 2, 1945.

Total Destruction

Nagasaki