PACIFIC THEATER

The Fall

After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked across Asia

Gen. Douglas MacArthur commanded in the Philippines.

• 11 March 1942 MacArthur and his family were ordered by FDR to evaculate the Philippines to continue the fight in Australia, when he vowed “I Shall Return.”

Doolittle’s Raid

16 B – 25 Mitchell light bombers off of the U.S.S. Hornet on 18 April 1942.

• Bombed Tokyo and other Japanese cities• it also lowered Japanese moral and raised ours.

 

Battle of Midway

Was the turning point in the Pacific Theater because the American Navy under the command of Admiral Nimitz defeated the Japanese Navy (June 1942).

• Japanese lost all four carriers while the U.S. lost only the U.S.S. Yorktown

Island Hopping

After this, the Allies would start their Island Hopping (skipping some islands to attack and take the important ones) offensive.• It began with Guadalcanal in August 1942• It continued until October 1944 when Gen MacArthur reinvaded

the Philippines.– He stated “PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES: I HAVE RETURNED.”

 

Battle of Leyte Gulf

The battle of Leyte Gulf where the Japanese Navy experienced their last gasp as a real fighting force .

• It was also the first battle that saw the use of the Kamikaze – Japanese for Divine Wind – These pilots were trained to fly their planes into American

ships and explode.

Defense of the Home Islands

American Marines landed on Iwo Jima, which was defended by 20,700 Japanese.

• By the end of the battle, 6000 marines died and only 600 Japanese survived.

 

Okinawa was attacked in April 1945 by the marines.• 1900 Kamikaze attacks occurred and that was before the landings• On shore 110,000 Japanese soldiers died defending as well as for uncounted civilians

who either helped defend the island or committed suicide (when the fighting ended on 21 June 1945).

Manhattan Project

To stop this slaughter, the Americans dropped two atomic bombs that were developed by the Manhattan Project under the direction of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Using the Bomb

After President Truman gave the go-ahead, three B – 29 Superfortress bombers took off (6 August 1945) the lead plane being the Enola Gay.

• It was carrying Little Boy and destroyed Hiroshima.

• Three days later, Fat Man was dropped on the city of Nagasaki.

V-J Day

The Emperor, finally acted and ended the war for Japan• V-J Day was 15 August when the Japanese

surrendered on board the battleship U.S.S. Missouri, ending World War II.