Part II: The Pacific

Dec April 1942—Fall of the Philippines Douglas MacArthur: Philippine commander –has to retreat troops to the Bataan Peninsula –MacArthur recalled to Australia—vows to return –his troops hold out in the Philippines for 3 months Bataan Death March –April 9, 1942: 75,000 American and Filipino troops surrender to Japan –Captives marched 100miles to POW camps –1,000s are executed or die of starvation or thirst –March also includes beheadings, throat cuts, bayonet stabbings, disembowelments could be attacked if you helped a fallen soldier

April 18, 1942—The Doolittle Raid Planned as direct retaliation for Pearl Harbor by Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle Problem with B-25 bombers –Could launch from aircraft carrier but would have to land in friendly territory of China or Russia 1 st time bombs dropped on Japan –Would be another 2yrs before bombs dropped again 71 out of 80 pilots survive Had little military effect, but a psychological boost to American morale Causes change of Japan’s strategy

May 4-8, 1942—Battle of the Coral Sea Japan aimed to invade Australia to cut off US supply line US Navy planes severely damage Japanese fleet –1 st time ships don’t engage in battle All fighting carried out by planes –Plan failed b/c US had deciphered Japanese code

June 3-6, 1942—Battle of Midway Japan trying to lure US fleet into trap Defeat for Japan –b/c US had broken code they were able to set up their own ambush of the Japanese –Japan lost 38 planes, 4 aircraft carriers, many of best trained pilots US sustained damage to Yorktown Turning point of the war in the Pacific

August 1942—MacArthur’s “I Shall Return” General MacArthur’s troops would advance through the Solomon Islands, capture the north coast of New Guinea, and retake the Philippines. 1 st invasion at Guadalcanal (Aug. 7, 1942) –Takes 4 months to gain control –US Marines cut off from supplies…reduced to eating roots By 1944 MacArthur in position to take Rabaul –main Japanese base in the region After Rabaul—Hollandia—New Guinea—Morotai –then on to the Philippines!!

Recapturing the Philippines Oct. 1944—700 ships with 160,000 soldiers sail for the Leyte Gulf Japanese sent 4 aircraft carriers from the North and a secret mission to the West of Leyte Gulf –US not knowing of W. attack left the Gulf to meet the ships from the North –Japan used moment to ambush US ships Ensuing battle the largest naval battle in US history 1 st use of kamikaze pilots –Eventually leads to the loss of about 400 US ships and 10,000 sailors Eventually Japanese retreat, but Manila not captured till March 1945 Left 100,000 Filipino civilians dead

Fall 1943: Nimitz’s Island Hopping Begins Nimitz’s plan is to take control of Marshall Islands and then move on to Mariana Islands Major obstacle: coral reefs –Battle of Tarawa claims 3,381 Marine lives trapped in tricky tides –Solution: the use of amphtrac (LVT) boats Conquers Tarawa, Kwajalein, moving to Mariana Islands for better B-29 bomber positioning –Bombers not able to hit targets and successfully return to friendly territory unless closer to mainland of Japan

Feb. 19-Mar.26, 1945—Invasion of Iwo Jima Iwo Jima would allow for more successful bombing raids of Japan Feb. 19, 1945—60,000 US Marines land on the island –Physical obstacles: island covered with ash, jagged cliffs, Japanese had built series of caves/bunkers By March 26, 25,000 Marine deaths, but the island had been captured

Brutality of Iwo Jima Robert Sherrod, who had been on Tarawa, was shocked: "[The marines] died with the greatest possible violence. Nowhere in the Pacific have I seen such badly mangled bodies. Many were cut squarely in half. Legs and arms lay 50 feet (15 m) away from any body."

February 1945—Firebombing of Japan b/c B-29 bombers unsuccessful at hitting targets General Curtis LeMay orders use of napalm –type of jellied gasoline Napalm controversial because it targets civilians Once exploded napalm bombs spread massive fires Bombing of Tokyo alone kills 80,000 civilians and destroys 250,000 buildings US almost completely destroys 6 major Japanese cities –In total firebombs 67 cities

Mar. 18-June 23, 1945—Invasion of Okinawa a ground invasion of Japan appears imminent Okinawa chosen as launching point –350 miles off the coast of Japan –Supplies and troops stockpiled on the island April 1, 1945 troops land By June 22 US has captured the island –12,500 American casualties

Manhattan Project 1939 Albert Einstein sends letter to FDR warning of possible German development of uranium bomb Code name for building of bomb: Manhattan Project 1942 world’s 1 st nuclear reactor built at the University of Chicago Continuation of project done at secret lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico World’s 1 st atomic bomb detonated on July 16, 1945 near Alamogordo, New Mexico

August 6, Hiroshima Truman warns Japan of weapon that could cause “utter destruction”—gets no response from Japanese Aug. 6, 1945—Enola Gay drops “little boy” atomic bomb on industrial city of Hiroshima 63% of the city destroyed 80, ,000 deaths instantly 1,000s more due to burns and radiation posioning

Aug 9, 1945—Nagasaki, Soviets Join Pacific Soviets declare war on Japan US drops “Fat Man” on Nagasaki –Hydrogen bomb Kills 35, ,000 civilians

Aug. 15, 1945—V-J Day Japan agrees to unconditional surrender WWII is over!