1. US HISTORY Supplemental Notes
THE EARLY BATTLES
US HISTORY
Supplemental Notes

2. HOLDING THE LINE AGAINST JAPAN
VOCABULARY
Chester Nimitz
Commander of United States Navy in the Pacific
Douglas MacArthur
Commander of American and Filipino forces defending the Philippines
Bataan Death March
The march of American soldiers from the Bataan peninsula to a Japanese prisoner camp 65 miles away
Corregidor
Island in Manila Bay where last American troops surrendered
James Doolittle
Commander of a mission to bomb Tokyo

3. HOLDING THE LINE AGAINST JAPAN
When the American defenders of the Bataan Peninsula surrendered on April 9th 1942, MacArthur was not with them
Had been ordered to retreat to Australia when FDR realized that their defeat and capture of MacArthur would demoralize America
Besides combat soldiers, 66 women nurses were also captures and sent to the University of Santo Tomas in Manila
The last troops in Corregidor surrendered in May 1942 and the Philippines had fallen to the Japanese

4. HOLDING THE LINE AGAINST JAPAN
Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo was only successful due to a change in planes
Long range B25 bombers could make the far distance from the aircraft carrier to Japan
Would have to land in China after attacking Japan
After raid, Japan had to change strategy… went with the idea of Admiral Yamamoto to attack Midway (last American base in Pacific) and New Guinea at the same time

5. HOLDING THE LINE AGAINST JAPAN
Japanese believed could attack two at once because thought their operations were a secret.
American code breakers had already broken Japanese Navy code
Due to code breakers America was ready for attack and stopped Japan from landing in New Guinea.
Midway battle Happened June
Turning point because Japanese lost 4 large carriers and US had stopped Japanese advance in pacific
Cost of battle , 362 Americans and 3,057 Japanese were killed

6. STOPPING THE GERMANS Important People General Dwight D. Eisenhower
American commander of troops in North Africa
General Erwin Rommel
British Commander of troops in North Africa
General Patton
General put in charge of American troops after 7000 causalities at Battle of Kasserine Pass

7. STOPPING THE GERMANS
Going against what Stalin wanted, America decided to attack the “periphery” (edges)
Knew risks of having a 2 front war and US and UK were not ready to invade Europe
Attacked Morocco and Algeria for 2 reasons
Give army some experience without requiring a lot of troops
Help Great Britain fight Germans in Egypt (Great Britain needed the Suez Canal to help control their Empire)

8. STOPPING THE GERMANS Germans were sinking many ships in Atlantic
May and June 1942 sunk almost 1.2 million tons of shipping
BUT shipyards built more than 1.1 million tons of new shipping
When Hitler decided to attack Stalingrad was for a purpose
Stalingrad controlled Volga River and had a major railroad junction
If capture Stalin grad could cut off soviets from resources needed to stay in the war

9. STOPPING THE GERMANS When Stalingrad ended in 1943
91,000 Germans surrendered
only 5,000 survived the Soviet Prison camps and returned home after the war
Both sides lost nearly half a million soldiers
MAJOR TURNING POINT IN WAR