Battle of the Pacific

Battle of the Pacific

Shaping Military Strategy

“Island Hopping” is the phrase given to the strategy employed by the United States to gain military bases and secure the many small islands in the Pacific.

The attack was lead by General Douglas MacArthur, Commander of the Allied forces in the South west Pacific, and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-chief of the Pacific fleet.

The US troops targeted the islands that were not as strongly defended by the Japanese. They took control of those islands, and quickly constructed landing strips and small military bases. Then they proceeded to attack other islands from the bases they had established. Slowly the US army moved closer to Japan, taking control of many of the surrounding islands.

Where We Left off:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1niwxQgoY - Pearl Harbour attack scene

US ACTIONS PRIOR TO DECEMBER 7TH 1941:

1) Roosevelt and the USA gov’t- 50 old destroyers (ships for bases) were given to Britain in exchange for 99 year leases at 7 different sites around the world.

2) Cash and Carry- Britain could pay cash for war materials made in the USA, and then had to transport them off American soil.

3) Lend-Lease- The US Congress passed a law that allowed the USA to help supply any armies whose defense was considered vital to American interests.

4) USA supplies were given to the Philippines and Chiang Kai-Shek of China, in its fight against Japan.

5) July 26th 1941, all Japanese assets in the USA were frozen.

6) October 4th 1941, the USA cut off 90% of Japan’s oil supply.

JAPAN’S ACTIONS PRIOR TO DECEMBER 7TH 1941:

1) Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931

2) In 1937, Japan invaded China.

3) Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. Japan invited other countries to join its empire. When they wouldn’t, Japan realized it would have to use imperialism. A nice name to dress up the fact they it was countries they often colonized.

4) Japan received special privileges in French Indochina courtesy of Petain’s government in Vichy.

5) Japan’s major obstacle in the Pacific region was the USA so the attack on Pearl Harbour was launched.

Unleashing the Sleeping Giant - Isoroku

Yamamoto (Japanese Admiral) Japan attacked the USA naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

on December 7th 1941.

Results: 4 battleships were damaged, but only 2 were lost permanently

USA (and Britain) declared war on Japan

Italy and Germany declared war on the USA

BY MID 1942, JAPAN HAD CONQUERED:

1) Malaya 2) Singapore

3) Burma 4) Hong Kong

5) Philippines 6) 2 USA bases at Guam and Wake Island

1. Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942)

-Japan vs. USA

-1st time aircraft carriers will do battle

-Fought entirely by plane in the air

-Both sides withdraw after 2 days

-Japanese are turned back

-The possibility of a Japanese attack on Australia and New Zealand is ended

2. Battle of Midway – (June 1942) Turning point battle

It put a decisive halt to a string of Japanese victories and turned the tide against Japan

The Japanese navy never recovers

The Americans broke the Japanese code and knew of the impending attack

The 2 navies fight against plane attacks

Japanese lose 4 aircraft carries, 1 heavy cruiser, 400 planes, 4000 dead

USA lose 1 carrier and 300 planes

3. Island-Hopping -USA Marines fight their way north towards

Japan, concentrating on taking key islands one at a time.

-at the battle of Okinawa, 5000 seamen are killed by kamikazes.

-One by one, the islands were taken by the USA.

4. Battle of Leyte Gulf- (October 1944)

 Largest sea battle in history

The Japanese deploy the remnants of their navy to fight the Philippines

Japan lost 1/3 of its fleet

1st battle to make major use of kamikaze pilots

5. Manhattan Project Set up at Los Alamos, New Mexico (Aug. 1942)

3 devices were successfully tested in the Alamogordo desert

Start of the atomic era and nuclear age

The technology to be used on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is given a “dry run”’

Hiroshima (date August 6, 1945)

-80,000 dead (people were vaporized) 

Nagasaki ( date August 9, 1945)   Little Boy and Fatman Dropped:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB-atl3YBSQ

Blitzkrieg to the Bombhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJelHXtRWSw

Battle of the Pacific and Defeat of Japan (55:38-58:51)

End of the war, occupation of Germany, The Atomic Bomb (58:51 - 1:04:21)