Pacific War - major battles and end of war

Major Battles and end of war

Doolittle Raid

First U.S. air attack on Japan; caused little damage but greatly boosted U.S. morale.

Battle of Coral Sea

First naval battle fought entirely by aircraft; stopped Japanese expansion toward Australia.

Battle of Midway

Turning point of the Pacific War where the U.S. sank four Japanese aircraft carriers using codebreaking.

Guadalcanal

First major U.S. offensive against Japan; forced Japan into defensive warfare.

Mariana Islands

Strategically important islands that allowed U.S. B-29 bombers to strike Japan.

Battle of Leyte Gulf

Largest naval battle in history; destroyed Japan’s remaining naval power and secured the Philippines.

Kamikaze

Japanese suicide pilots who deliberately crashed planes into Allied ships late in the war.

Iwo Jima

Battle for a critical airstrip marked by brutal fighting and the famous flag raising on Mount Suribachi.

Navajo Code Talkers

Navajo Marines who used their language to create an unbreakable military code.

Battle of Okinawa

Last major Pacific battle with massive casualties that convinced U.S. leaders an invasion of Japan would be too costly.

Firebombing of Tokyo

U.S. bombing campaign that destroyed large parts of Tokyo and killed thousands of civilians.

Manhattan Project

Top-secret U.S. program to develop the atomic bomb.

Atomic Bombs

Hiroshima & Nagasaki: U.S. dropped atomic bombs that led to Japan’s surrender.

VJ Day

Victory over Japan Day marking Japan’s surrender and the end of WWII.