 The European Theater was decided to be more important by the Allies  The major goal at the onset of the war was to protect Australia and India from Japan with as few troops as possible  Due to this, Japan was able to take over virtually every island they came upon (keep this in mind)

 Japan landed in the Philippines on December 22, 1942  American troops were forced to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula  Held out for 3 months before finally surrendering on April 9 th, 1943  MacArthur: “I will return.”

 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers were forced to walk 61 miles to Camp O’Donnell  Japanese soldiers “dehumanized” their captives  Took 5-6 days filled with random beatings and other abuses  Estimated that only 54,000 made it alive  2,200 Americans and 22,000 Filipinos would be executed at Camp O’Donnell before it was liberated in 1945

 The American strategy in the Pacific following VE Day  American forces would “hop” from island to island in order to slowly get closer to Japan

 June 4-6, 1942  Japan launched an attack aimed at eliminating the threat of American aircraft carriers  America had deciphered the Japanese code and knew the attack was coming  Japan lost 4 carriers, a cruiser, 300 planes, and 5,000 men  Decisive American victory

 June 19-20, 1944  “Marianas Turkey Shoot”  Lopsided American victory  Japan lost 3 carriers and 400 planes

 Largest naval battle in history  October 23-26, 1944  Cripples Japan’s navy (lost 3 battleships, 6 cruisers, and the rest of its carriers)  Introduction of the kamikaze  Allowed for the eventual retaking of the Philippines in January 1945

 Began February 19, 1945  Would last through March  Costliest battle of the war in the Pacific  25,000 American casualties, 7,000 deaths  Only 1,100 Japanese soldiers made it out alive  The last 2 surrendered in 1951, 6 years after the war ended

 American Troops landed on Okinawa on April 1, 1945  We now had a decision to make…