Transcript WWII – Pacific Front

WWII – Pacific Front
Mrs. Post AC2
The Pacific Front
• Environment
– Jungle - heat, rains, tropical folliage
– Far from cities
– Soldiers suffered from:
• Heat exhaustion
• Malaria
• Jungle illnesses (swamp foot
US Strategy
• Island Hopping
– Retake islands from Japanese
– Build islands as bases
– Attack mainland of Japan
Key Benchmark Events
• June 1942 – Midway
– Major defeat for Japan (Turning Point in PT)
• August 1942-Feb 1943 – Guadalcanal
– Needed to take island b/c J were building an
airfield
• New Guinea – stop Japanese
advancement in SW Pacific
Kamikaze Culture
• Kamikaze – divine wind – so devoted to
emperor that they would go on suicide
missions
• Surrendering was considered
dishonorable
• Civilians would attack Am. Troops instead
of surrender
• Guerilla style warfare
Major Battles in Pacific
Theatre
And so it begins…
• Pearl Harbor
• 12-7-41
• Surprise attack by Japanese
– Tried to destroy American Pacific fleet
Invasion of Philippines
• 12-10-41 to 5-3-42
• Japan invaded American Controlled
Philippines
Conquest of Bataan
• Jan 7 – Apr 9 1942
• Americans and Filipinos had retreated to
Bataan
• Japanese chased them & imprisioned
• Bataan Death March
– Americans & Filipinos subject to Japanese
torture
Battle of Coral Sea
• May 3-7 1942
• US Decodes Japanese communication
code
• US & Japanese naval battle occurs
• No winner
Battle of Midway
• June 4-5 1942
• Air strikes and counter strikes sunk
Japanese carriers
• Resulted in Major Japanese naval defeat
• Turning Point in War
Battle of Guadalcanal
• Aug 7 1942 – Feb 9 1943
• Japanese building an airfield
• Marines landed and gained control of
airfield
• Long fight ensued
• Japanese secretly evacuated in Feb
Battle of Leyte
• Oct 20 – Dec 25 1944
• Island needed to have in order to liberate
the Philippines
• 2 months later the US recaptured
– Battle of Leyte Gulf
• Oct 23-26
• One of greatest naval battles of WWII
• US victory helped land forces on Leyte Island
Reconquest of Philippines
• Jan 1-Aug 15 1945
• US forces invaded from bases on Leyte
• July 5th US Liberated Philippines
Battle of Iwo Jima
• Feb 19 – Mar 11, 1945
• Important for US to retake island in order
to attack/bomb mainland of Japan
• Fierce resistance from Japanese
• Fortified the island
• 17,000 Americans wounded
• 6000 Americans dead
Okinawa
• April 1 – June 14, 1945
• Invasion was the largest naval operation in
Pacific
• 130,000 Japanese troops defended the island
• Kamikaze attacked US Navy
• 42,000 Japanese soldiers dead
• 450,000 Japanese Civilians died
• 12,500 US were killed, 35,000 wounded
Secrets to Success
• B-29 Firebombings of Japanese cities
– Military targets and civilian fallout
• Decoding Japanese communications
• Operation Olympic (Allied Plan)
– 15 divisions
– 500,000 to 1 million Am men would die in
Pacific Theater invasion
Japanese Surrender???
• Remember – dishonorable
• Will take extreme action on behalf of
American & Allied forces
Spoiler Alert – Dropping Bombs are
hazardous to Japanese health – details
to follow
Japan Surrenders August 15th 1945 known
as VJ Day (Hito officially surrenders 9-245)