The United States v. Japan The War in the Pacific The United States v. Japan

By the end of 1942, not only had Japan defeated a large portion of the US Pacific fleet in Hawaii, but also launched successful campaigns to capture Dutch East Indies Malaya Burma (access to India next?) Wake Island Guam New Guinea (access to Australia next?) Philippines

The Philippines One of the more disturbing occupations was when Japan defeated US and Filipino forces on May 6, 1942. The Bataan Death March Over 76,000 prisoners of war were marched to prison camps through 60 miles of jungle over the course of 10 days. Brutal treatment and tropical weather killed over 10,000 men during the march, and another 15,000 died in the camps due to the harsh conditions and abuses.

6,247 Miles

What is the strategy for attacking Japan? What could be some of the complications and obstacles in fighting a war that is over 6,000 miles away, across an ocean, in a tropical climate, and completely controlled by the enemy?

Step 1 – Strike Back !!

The Doolittle Raid April 18, 1942 In response to Pearl Harbor and as a boost to US moral, Colonel James Doolittle and 16 B-25 Bombers took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet and flew 650 miles to Japan in order to bomb Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Without enough fuel to return, it would be a one way trip !

16 planes launched, each with a crew of 5. 15 planes landed in China, 1 in Russia. 3 crewman died in the crashes, another 8 were captured in China by the Japanese. 4 were executed. The crew in Russia was jailed for a year. All of the surviving crew returned to the US before the end of the war.

“The Japanese people had been told they were invulnerable “The Japanese people had been told they were invulnerable ... An attack on the Japanese homeland would cause confusion in the minds of the Japanese people and sow doubt about the reliability of their leaders. There was a second, and equally important, psychological reason for this attack ... Americans badly needed a morale boost.”

Step 2 From the South, work Northward.

Coral Sea

The War in the Pacific Ocean The Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942 This battle finally stopped Japanese advances through the islands of the Pacific and prevented them from invading Australia First naval battle fought entirely by planes launched from aircraft carries from both sides

Step 3 From the East, work Westward

The War in the Pacific Ocean The Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942 Thwarted advancing towards Australia, Japan looked westward to Hawaii, but first had to go through the Midway Islands The US Pacific fleet, via plane warfare, defeated Japan and stalled their advances westward

Step 4 Get to Japan, Island by Island

Island Hopping Once Japan had been contained in the Pacific, the plan was to re-capture the fallen islands, one by one, from Australia towards Japan. Ultimately, the US would get close enough to launch attacks on mainland Japan.

Island Hopping Guadalcanal, August 1942 Jungle warfare on the Solomon Islands against an entrenched Japanese army Ultimately, the US navy surrounded the island and forced surrender

Island Hopping, 1943-1944 Under Gen. MacArthur, Halsey, and Nimitz, the US advanced through the Gilbert Islands Marshall Islands Mariana Islands – This put US bombers within flying range of Japan for the first time

The Philippines To free the Filipino people, the largest naval battle (over 280 ships) was fought in Leyte Gulf in spring, 1944

The Philippines During the naval battle, kamikaze fighter pilots (suicide planes) were used for the first time by Japan

The Philippines After destroying the Japanese fleet in Leyte Gulf, US forces re-captured Manila in June 1945.

Iwo Jima Iwo Jima Volcanic island full of caves and cliffs, with an established Japanese force of 25,000 US Marines stormed the beaches after 74 days of bombardment, and didn’t fully secure the island until March, 1945 Only 216 Japanese left to surrender

US Marines raising the US flag on Mt. Surabachi, February 23, 1945

Okinawa Only 350 miles to Japan, this is the closest the US would get 1,300 ships and 180,000 combat troops attacked the island from April thru June, 1945 50,000 casualties to take the island Next, mainland Japan.

To Japan In April, 1945, FDR passes away and Harry S. Truman takes over the presidency. How do we end this war? Invade Japan? Blockade and starve Japan? Bomb Japan?

The Manhattan Project The United States’ top secret plan to develop the atomic bomb July 16, 1945, scientists successfully field tested the world’s first atomic bomb in New Mexico

Bombing Japan August 6, 1945 – An atomic bomb dropped on an army base in Hiroshima, Japan August 9, 1945 – A second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan August 12, 1945 – Japan surrenders September 2, 1945 – Official surrender onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay

WWII Results Nuremberg Trials for Nazi Leaders (1946)/Tokyo Trials for Japanese Leaders (1946) 12 Nazis and & Japanese leaders sentenced to death, 7 Nazi and 18 Japanese sentenced to prison, all for war crimes

WWII Results US puts into place a Japanese government that is controlled by Gen. MacArthur and the US military until a Constitution is drafted and an election is held Japan disarmed, but factories kept open Japan becomes Democratic nation and given its independence in 1951