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Important Battles in the Pacific Theater of War By: Jeremiah R. What were some of the Major Battles Pearl Harbor- This Attack by the Japanese on an unsuspecting American Force led to the Americans entrance into the war. Midway- A Japanese ambush on an attacking American fleet. The Americans were able to halt the attack and launch a counter on the Japanese force. This was a major turning point and stopped the Japanese advance in the Pacific. • Iwo Jima- This famous battle is most known for the raising of the flags by US Marines. Allies launched this attack to stop bombing and shipping by Japanese, but also gain the airfields located there. • Tarawa- This attack was launched by the Americans because they needed a forward operations base to attack Japan and the Philippines Where did most of the battles take place • Most battles took place in on Islands around the Pacific, and a lot of the fighting was done in the sea. Most of the very important battles were done at sea, but there were some major battles that took place on land. The battles were nearly split equally on the ground and in the sea. What nations were involved in the battles in the Pacific • United States • Japan • Great Britain The United States and Japan were the main countries in the battle for the Pacific because most of Britain's forces had been defeated by December of 1941. What were some of the Campaigns during the battle in the Pacific • Campaigns – Solomons Campaign – Java Campaign – Leyte Campaign Why was the Battle in the Pacific one of the Greatest Naval battles in history • The battle in the Pacific was one of the greatest naval battles in history mainly because of the countries involved. Japan, the United States, and Britain probably had some of the most powerful navies in the world, and they were all the main countries partaking in the Pacific theater of war. The naval battles were very destructive throughout the region, and caused tremendous damage in the Pacific. Who were some of the leaders of the Axis forces in the Pacific • Japanese Leaders- The Leader of the Japanese Naval forces was Isoroku Yamamoto. He was the mastermind behind the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Isoroku Yamamoto • Japans second highest officer was Chuichi Nagumo. He was in charge of leading the attacks on Pearl Harbor. He also commanded Kido Butai which was the most powerful naval armada assembled during the first half of the war. Who were Allied Leaders in the Pacific • There was no American in charge in the Pacific Theater of Operations. The two head positions were the Commander in Chief Pacific Ocean Areas, and the Supreme Allied Commander South-West Pacific Area. • Chester Nimitz held the position of Commander in Chief, and Douglas MacArthur was the Supreme Allied Commander in the area. "I Shall Return" How the War in the Pacific was Ended • The Americans were finally able to end the war in Japan by dropping two atom bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. This decision is still a questionable one even today. The dropping of the A-bomb caused tremendous widespread death and destruction throughout Japan. The Japanese government had refused to surrender, so the United States eventually decided on the droppings of the bombs which brought a near immediate surrender by the Japanese. • The Atomic Bombs dropped on Japan killed around 200,000 people and ended the war. Works Cited 1-30 Mar 2001. World War II, Hopefully the Last War. 02 Dec. 2004 <www.rockingham.k12.va.us/ems/WWII/WWII.html>. 2-Military.com. 02 Dec. 2004 <http://www.military.com/>. 3-9 November 2004. Pacific Theater of Operations. 02 Dec. 2004 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Theater_of_Operati ons>. 4-, . "Turning point: Battle of Midway." The American Vision. Ed. . New York: Glencoe, . 745.