Transcript Document

Sea Power & Maritime Affairs
Lesson 12
WORLD WAR II
War in the Pacific
1941-1945
Admin
 Anything you want to include
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Last Class
WWII in the Africa, Med, Atlantic
 Causes of war
 Navies in Atlantic, Africa & Med
 US navy involvement
 End of war in Europe
Today
WWII in the Pacific
 Causes of war with Japan
 Island Hopping Strategy
 Naval battles
 USMC battles
 End of war in Pacific
8 Key Themes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Navy as an instrument of foreign policy
Interaction between Congress and Navy
Interservice relations
Technology
Leadership
Strategy & Tactics
Evolution of US Naval Doctrine
Future missions of Navy and USMC
Where does it start?
Pearl Harbor – Dec 7, 1941
Video
 Pearl Harbor
Catalysts for War?
 French defeat
– Japanese invade French-Indochina
 US Economic Sanctions
– Aviation Fuel
– Iron
– Steel
 Tripartite Pact (w/Germany & Italy)
Japanese Options
1. Give in to American conditions and
continue flow of oil from US
2. Find alternate source of oil
Japanese military leaders favor #2
1. Dutch East Indies
a. Invading is easy – Germany controlled nation
b. Problem: Philippines in between (US
Territory)
c. Decision: Must take Philippines which will
mean war with US
Planning
Sept 1941 :
1. Japanese commit to hostilities against US,
Britain and Netherlands unless US altered
demands
2. Navy planners submit plans for attack on
Pearl Harbor
Oct 1941 :
1. Prince Konoye forced to resign Prime Minister
position to Gen Tojo
Nov 1941 :
1. US demands Japan withdraw from China
** War inevitable
Attack on Pearl Harbor
 Conceived: ADM Yamamoto
 Commanded: VADM Nagumo
 Plan
– 6 carriers
– Others supporting
– Surprise:
•
•
•
•
Diplomatic deception
Northern Latitudes
Radio silence
Storm
Route
Depart: 26 Nov 1941
1941
Arrive: 6 Dec
Was US Naïve?
No
– Intelligence analysts speculated war
– Nov 27 : Navy issues “War Warning”
– Japanese discontinue diplomatic relations
Why the surprise?
– Nobody expected Pearl Harbor
– Intelligence & Communications breakdowns
– B-17 Bombers scheduled to arrive
Pearl Harbor
Sunday, 7 Dec 1941
Timeline
Week prior: Navy increases harbor defense
Night prior: Unidentified periscope sighted outside harbor
0400 :
Japanese scout planes report no suspicion at
Pearl
Strike Force Launches
0600:
Japanese midget submarine sank in harbor.
0630:
Never relayed to higher command b/c
communications station unmanned on
Sundays.
0702:
Army radar operator report inbound aircraft. LT
on duty dismissed it as B-17s
0743:
191 Japanese aircraft attack (wave 1)
0900:
Wave 2 attacks
0930:
Attack ends
Sank
Severely Damaged
Arizona (1,100)
West Virginia
California
Tennessee
Oklahoma
Maryland
Nevada (breached)
Pennsylvania (dry-dock)
Results
Others Casualties
Spared (good fortune)
Smaller ships
4 Carriers
Airfield & Squadrons
Repair facilities
2,350 Dead
Submarine base
1,178 Wounded
Oil-reserve tanks
Results
“Day that will live in Infamy”
War Declaration:

Dec 8, 1941
(Dec 12 : Germany

declares War on US)
Sides are Drawn in the Pacific
Allies
US
Britain
Holland
Australia
New Zealand
Axis
China
Japan
Germany
Allied Strategy
Japanese Strategy
1.
1. Expand, expand, expand
2. Destroy all allied forces in
Pacific
2.
3.
US unprepared for counterattack (only carriers and
subs left)
Need to repair and build
Honor “Germany-First”
Agreement
** First 5 months of war are
an unbroken string of
Japanese Victories
Philippines**
- 80,000
- Bataan “Death March”
Wake Island**
Guam
Malaya**
Thailand
Shanghai
Midway
Burma
Borneo
Hong Kong
Java
Sumatra
India & Ceylon Raids**
Japanese Expansion
What do they gain?
Many colonies for:
1. Resources (oil)
2. Bases
3. Ports
4. Airfields
What do they gain?
Many colonies for:
1. Resources (oil)
2. Bases
3. Ports
4. Airfields
Java Sea
HMS Repulse & Prince of Whales
Japanese Empire
Start of 1942
What do you do if you are the Allies?


Pool resources
ABDA (American, British, Dutch,
Australia)
–
–
–
British Gen / American Admiral
Overall failure
Disagreement
•
•
–
Battle of Java Sea (Feb 1942)
•
–
British : Defend Malaysia
Americans: Defend Australia
ABDA combined fleet force destroyed
ABDA discontinued Mar 1942
What next if you are the Allies?
 Americans take over
 Return to Philippines = #1 Priority
 Disagreement over strategy
“Island Hopping”
General McArthur
McArthur (Army)
Australia
New Guinea
Philippines
“Island Hopping”
ADM Nimitz
Navy
Marshalls
Carolines
Marianas
Philippines
1. Modified Plan Orange
2. Marine Amphibious Doctrine
Resolution of Dispute
 GEN McArthur: You should make me the
Supreme Allied Commander in Pacific
 CNO, ADM Ernest J. King: Over my dead
body
 Agreement: Divided Command
– Two axis of attack
– Theater commander controls
• Air
• Land
• Sea
2 Theaters, 2 Commands
Southwest Pacific Theater




SoWesPac
GEN Douglas McArthur
HQ: Brisbane, Australia
Indonesian Campaign
Pacific Ocean Area




POA
ADM Chester Nimitz
HQ: Pearl Harbor
Central Pacific Island
Campaign
Fundamental Problems?




Two command structures
Two logistics systems
Fierce competition for resources
Result: Uncooperative spirit
 Strategic Mistake: Japan could
concentrate on each force separately
– Disregard of Mahanian Strategy to
centralize forces
“Island Hopping”
Two Axis Attack
Nimitz
British
McArthur
List of Important Battles
Write these down
Battles in Pacific
Pacific Ocean Area
1942
 Midway – June 1942
1943
 Gilbert Islands – Nov 1943
– Tarawa
1944
 Marshall Islands – Feb 1944
– Kwajalein
 Marianas Islands – June 1944
– Saipan
– Battle of Philippine Sea
1945
 Iwo Jima – Feb to Mar 1945
 Okinawa – Apr to Jun 1945
Southwest Pacific Theater
1942

Java Sea – Feb 1942

Coral Sea – May 1942

Guadalcanal – Aug 1942
1943

New Guinea – Jul to Nov
1944

Philippines – July 1944

Peleliu – Sept 1944

Leyte Gulf – Oct 1944
1945

(None)
Videos
The Pacific Trailer
Anatomy of the War
Conditions of War
Landing at Guadalcanal
Battle of Guadalcanal
Battle of Pelelieu
Iwo Jima
Letters from Iwo Jima
V
How we will tackle them
Nimitz
British
V
McArthur
V
Java Sea
Feb 1942
V
Coral Sea
May 1942
V
Midway
June 1942
V
Guadalcanal
Aug 1942 – Feb 1943
V
New Guinea (Rabaul)
July to Nov 1943
V
Gilberts (Tarawa)
Nov 1943
V
Marshalls (Kwajalein)
Feb 1944
V
Marianas
June 1944
Carolines Bypassed
V
Philippines
July to Oct 1944
V
Iwo Jima
Feb to Mar 1945
V
Okinawa
Apr to Jun 1945
V
Final Assault
Jul to Aug 1945
V
Battles in Depth
Starting 1942
Common Occurrences
1. Japanse tactics needlessly complicated
2. Code-breaking alerts both sides of
operations
2. Fateful decisions by carrier group
commanders have enormous
ramifications
3. Luck is an ugly mistress
Java Sea
Feb 1942
Java Sea
Feb 1942
Java Sea
 ABDA force is easily destroyed
 Forces reconsideration of Allied Pacific
Strategy
Battle of Coral Sea
May 1942
Coral Sea
May 1942
Coral Sea
May 1942
Objectives & Outcomes
Japanese Objective
 Secure New Guinea
 Prepare for Australian
Invasion
Japanese Outcomes
 Lose one carrier
 Begin considering major
fleet-fleet battle
US Objectives
 Stop Japan
US Outcomes
 Lost carrier Lexington
 Yorktown severely damaged
Midway Island
June 1942
Midway
June 1942
The Japanese Attack
The American Counter-attack
Objectives & Outcomes
Japanese Objective
 Destroy remainder of US
Fleet in Pacific
Japanese Outcomes
 Lost four of six aircraft
carriers
 On defensive for rest of war
US Objectives
 Defend Midway
 Surprise Japanese Fleet
US Outcomes
 Lost one carrier
Guadalcanal
Aug 1942 – Feb 1943
Battle of Santa Cruz
Guadalcanal
Aug 1942 – Feb 1943
Guadalcanal
V
Guadalcanal
 Bloody Ridge 12-14 Sep 1942
 Battle of Santa Cruz Islands 26-27 Oct
 Worst Naval defeat except for Pearl
Harbor
V
Casualties
 1,600 KIA
 4,400 wounded
V
Operation CARWHEEL
Advance towards Rabaul
July-Nov 1943
New Guinea (Rabaul) July to Nov 1943
New Guinea (Rabaul) July to Nov 1943
Gilbert Islands
Tarawa Atoll
Nov 1943
Gilberts (Tarawa)
Nov 1943
V
V
Casualties
 1,000 KIA
 1,592 wounded
V
The Marshall Islands
Kwajalein
Marshalls (Kwajalein)
Feb 1944
Kwajalein
V
Casualties
 372 KIA
 1,592 wounded
V
The Marshall Islands
Marianas Islands
Battle for Saipan
Battle of Philippine Sea
June 1944
Marianas
June 1944
Carolines Bypassed
Saipan
Beach Attack
th
4 DIV USMC
Battle of the Philippine Sea
 Majority of
the battle occurs
close to Saipan
and Guam
Battle of the Philippine Sea
June 19th
 Japanese carry out two waves of attacks in
morning and two in afternoon
 All but 17 Japanese planes are destroyed
June 20th
 During morning, Americans attack
retreating Japanese fleet despite distance
from carriers
 Japanese carrier Hiyo is sank
Works Cited
Title Picture (4/10/2011)
http://steeljawscribe.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2008/11/battle-line-leytegulf_life.jpg
Philippines
Book Source/Maps
Symonds,
Craig on
L. Historical
AtlasIsland
of the US
Battle
Peleliu
Navy. Annapolis: The Naval Institute, 1995
Philippines
Carolines Bypassed
Bloody Peleliu
• 3 Pronged Beach landings on each side of
the island
• HEAVY casualties on landing
• Highest casualty rating in the entire war in
the Pacific
•
•
•
•
Changes in Japanese defenses.
Encampments rather than charges
Over 500 underground tunnels
War of attrition
V
Casualties
 1,794 KIA
 8,010 wounded
V
Philippines
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Largest Naval Battle in Modern History
The Battle off Samar and Cape Engaño
Diversion
Cape Engaño
Sibuyan Sea
Samar
Main Attacks
Suriago Straight
Sibuyan Sea
-Halsey and Kinkaid vs. Kurita and Nishimura
The Battle of Suriago Strait
-Oldendorf vs. Shima and Nishimura
Casualties
 ~1,500 KIA
 Army Losses
– ~9,500 KIA
– ~25,000 wounded
Iwo Jima
Feb – Mar 1945
Iwo Jima
Feb to Mar 1945
V
-Impacted bomber
route
V
Iconic Image
February 23- Capture of Mount Suribachi
Casualties
 6,821 KIA
 19.217 wounded
V
V-E Day
7 May 1945
Okinawa
Apr – Jun 1945
Okinawa
Apr to Jun 1945
V
Strategic Approach
V
Casualties
 12,513 KIA
 38,916 wounded
V
Final Assault
Jul – Aug 1945
Final Assault
Jul to Aug 1945
Final Assault
Jul to Aug 1945
Final Assault
 Japan’s back was broken
– Supply
– Bombing raids
– Crippled military
– 2 million soldiers trapped in China
 Potsdam Conference
– Soviet Union will enter
– Truman learns of A-Bomb
What actually happens?
“Little Boy” – Hiroshima
– Enola Gay
– Aug 6, 1945
– 130,000 Killed
“Fat Man” – Nagasaki
– Aug 9, 1945
– 39,000 Killed / 25,000
Injured
 Emperor Hirohito
surrenders Japan
V-J Day
Sept 2, 1945
 Surrender signed aboard USS Missouri
in Tokyo Harbor
What Now?
6 years and 1 month of war
Picking up the Pieces
 World must rebuild itself
 World deaths ~ 70 million
– USSR: 24 million
– China: 15 million
– Germany: 7.5 million
– Poland: 6 million
– Japan: 2.5 million
– India: 2 million
– UK: 450,000
– US: 420,000
Strategic Situation
 Germany/Japan utterly destroyed
 Most victors in crippling debt to US
 US & USSR emerge strongest
– US has largest navy in the world & A-Bomb
– USSR has largest army in the world
– USSR controls everything east of Berlin
– Allies control everything west of Berlin
– US controls Japan
* Stage set for Cold War
Lessons from war?





Navy important?
Strategy?
Tactics?
Industrial strength?
Alliance system?
* What should the navy do next?
After the War
Post World War II
Early Cold War
American Military Involvement
Early Cold War
1950-53
1954
1958
1956
1958
1961
1962
1965-75
Korean War
Vietnam
Taiwan
Suez Canal
Lebanon Crisis
Bay of Pigs
Cuban Missile Crisis
Vietnam War
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Post WWII (1945-1953)