Transcript WWII in the Pacific PPT

 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 9th, 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…