World War II Entering the War and the European and Pacific Fronts

December 7 th 1941 Pearl Harbor Japan launches a surprise attack from a carrier task force on the US Pacific Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack heavily damages the Pacific fleet and leaves the West Coast defenseless.

USS Arizona

USS Nevada run aground and on fire

USS California sinking

Japanese Mistakes Missed destroying the US aircraft carriers By attacking on Sunday most sailors and officers were on shore and would live to fight again.

Left oil tanks intact, which made recovery process easier. Due to shallowness of harbor many ships did not sink and were repaired and returned to action. Angered the US instead of frightening them.

Wake Island US forces resist Japanese attack on Wake, but are overrun two weeks later.

War Declared On December 8 th 1941 FDR goes before Congress and asks for a declaration of war The Congress agrees and the US enters the war on the side of the Allies.

US and Britain Join Forces Hitler as Public Enemy #1 FDR and Churchill made the defeat of Hitler their first priority because: FDR saw him as the #1 enemy to the US Stalin was desperate for help against German invasion

With German defeat US could get British and Soviet help vs. Japan Unconditional Surrender FDR and Churchill agreed that only unconditional surrender would be acceptable.

Battle for the Atlantic German U-Boats Their subs effectively attacked US and British shipping sinking ships in great quantities. Allied Response Convoys

Large convoys were created and escorted by specially equipped destroyers and planes. Ship Building US ship production rose to a point where launchings of new ships outnumbered sinking.

Battle in Africa Germany vs. The Soviet Union German penetration stopped at Stalingrad. Soon thereafter the Soviets began to push German forces back to west. Africa

Stalin wanted Allies to invade Western Europe and put heat on the Germans on their western front. Instead Africa is invaded. Operation Torch –Commanded by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower over 100,000 Allied troops invaded Africa

Dark Days in the Pacific Philippines US forces begin retreat in the Philippines when overrun by Japanese. US forces plagued by food shortages, poor sanitation, and disease.

Gen. Douglas McArthur ordered by FDR to leave the Philippines and go to Australia. US forces surrender in April 1941 on the islands. Bataan Death March The US troops who surrender in the Philippines are forcibly marched 90 miles in 6 days.

Given no food or water, except when allowed to drink from stream filled with maggots and corpses. Killed or beaten if they fell out of line 500 US troops killed on the march; 9300 survived and sent off to work in prison labor camps for the Japanese

Doolittle Raids April B-25 bombers were launched off the deck of the USS Hornet to raid mainland Japan. The plan was to bomb Japan and land in China The Japanese spotted the carrier and it forced the launch early.

A B-25 takes off from the deck of the Hornet on its way to Tokyo.

Planes did the bombings, then crash landed in China Effects of the Doolittle Raids Plan was a success, but hardly flawless Plans 3 purposes that all succeed Boost morale at home Have Japanese populace question their military leaders

Force Japan to keep air defenses at home Battle of Coral Sea Japan wanted to take New Guinea to launch invasion of Australia Using intercepted Japanese naval intelligence the US prepared to repel the attack

On May 7 th the first carrier vs. carrier battle took place as the forces engaged For the first time Japan was defeated Battle for Midway Following the defeat at Coral Sea Japan set sights on the island of Midway.

The US knew of the attack via intercepted and decoded Japanese transmissions Japan sent a fleet with 5 carriers and 11 battleships The US countered with three carriers, two of which Japan thought were lost at Coral Sea

The Japanese attacked, but their carriers were caught unprotected by US forces that discovered them accidentally. The US destroyed 4 carriers, 300 planes, 3500 men, and the experienced crews of both the air and naval divisions. US lost a destroyer, a carrier, 150 planes, and 307 men.

Hiryu burning at Midway

Kaga before her sinking

Akagi before Midway

Soryu being attacked and sunk

Yorktown before being sunk by a Japanese submarine following the air battles of Midway

Effects of the Battle of Midway The war in the Pacific turns in favor of the US Heavy naval losses for Japan Japan now on defensive Japanese inability to rebuild lost ships US now controlled the central Pacific

Allowed US to send more to the war in Europe.

Island Hopping The Plan- Operation Cartwheel The US realized that bypassing non-strategic islands held by the Japanese that lives could be saved. Tarawa square mile atoll held by 5000 Japanese that dug in with tunnels

3000 of American troops became casualties. Many were killed when hung up on the coral reef, leading to the creation of special amphibious assault vehicles and a group that would become the navy seals. Only 17 Japanese soldiers surrendered

Showed the US that defeating the Japanese would come at a high cost Mariana’s Islands 1943 (Saipan, Tinian, Guam) The Marianas Islands had airbases the US needed to launch air raids against mainland Japan.

Japanese commander committed suicide, and 7,000 of his troops followed suit Many surviving soldiers and civilians jumped off the cliffs to their deaths to avoid capture Marianas Turkey Shoot

Superior US fighters and untrained Japanese pilots lead to a domination in the islands by US air power. Japan loses 243 planes to the US’s 29 US is just out producing war materials compared to its enemies.

Philippines 1944 McArthur’s return to the Philippines On Oct. 1944, McArthur strode upon the beach at on Leyte and declared to the people of the Philippines “I have returned.” Battle of Leyte Gulf

McArthur Returns

Japanese wanted to lure out carrier fleet and have battleship group hit transports and landing craft. The result of the battle was the greatest naval battle in history and a victory for the US navy. This opens up all the islands to invasion.

Luzon This is where Japan expected US to land so it was well manned First time in Pacific campaign that urban warfare took place. When they lost the Philippines Japan lost the war

Iwo Jima Needed as a base for planes damaged in raids over Japan A planned 5 day operation took over a month. For 76 days before the attack the island was bombed Battle of Attrition

We have more so kill ours and sooner or later you will run out. Japanese dug into tunnels Wanted to hold out and force US into favorable peace terms and/or discourage them. US lost men and 20,000 were wounded

Iwo Jima Memorial In Washington D.C.

Only 216 Japanese surrendered, the rest were killed or committed suicide. Primarily a Marine invasion Okinawa Over 100,000 Japanese on Okinawa Battle of attrition again due to hilly landscape

250,000 US troops would invade island, mostly Army In 82 days of combat kamikaze’s sunk or damaged 245 US ships Largest naval loss of life outside of Pearl Harbor in the war Total US casualties about 75,000, Japanese 120,000, Okinawan civilians 150,000.