WWs: WWII Pacific Theater

Battle of Iwo Jima

Battle of Iwo Jima

6 week battle. 6,8000 Americans and more than 20,000 Japanese soldiers were killed. Fought on a sulphuric island (to capture Mr. Suribachi) this battle is most famous for the photograph of US marines lifting the American flag

Battle of Tarawa

Bloody battle on small island that taught the US many lessons about amphibious assaults. Most of the fighting occured in the first 76 hours, as the Japanese forces refused to surrender.

Battle of Wake Island

1941: Following the attack on Pearl harbor, the Japanese went on an offensive too attack the outnumbered marines, the marines caused an extraordinary amount of casualties before falling.

Submarine Campaign

The submarine and mining campaigns virtually cut off Japan from outside military and economic resources.

Operation Downfall

Allied plan for the invasion of Japan

Battle of the Philippine Sea (Marianas Turkey Shoot)

A decisive 1944 naval victory for the United States fleet over the Japanese who were trying to block supplies from reaching American troops on Leyte. Battle occurred above the sailors heads as 700+ Japanese planes were destroyed . Tojo resigned.

Battle of Leyte Gulf

1944. Naval battle between the United States and Japan. Largest naval engagement in history. Japanese navy was defeated due to heavy losses.

Japanese Surrender

On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. killed and injured 140,000. Next, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9. On Aug. 14, the emperor, Hirohito, announced that his nation would surrender and on Sept. 2 the official surrender took place on the USS Missouri= VJ Day

Rape of Nanking

infamous genocidal war crime committed by japanese military in Nanjing. started in 1937 and lasted a few weeks. japanese army raped, stole and killed prisoners of war and civilians

Pearl Harbor

7:50-10:00 AM, December 7, 1941 - Surprise attack by the Japanese on the main U.S. Pacific Fleet harbored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii destroyed 18 U.S. ships and 200 aircraft. American losses were 3000, Japanese losses less than 100. In response, the U.S. declared war on Japan and Germany, entering World War II.

Battle of Guadalcanal

a 1942-1943 battle fought in the dense jungle, in which Allied troops drove Japanese forces from the Pacific island of Guadalcanal

Battle of Midway

U.S. naval victory over the Japanese fleet in June 1942, in which the Japanese lost four of their best aircraft carriers. It marked a turning point in World War II.

Battle of Coral Sea

Fought on May 7-8 1942; Caused heavy losses on both sides; Japanese won a tactical victory because they sank US carrier Lexington; Americans claimed a strategic victory by stopping Japan's drive towards Australia

Baatan Death March

In 1942, the Japanese marched 70,000 Filipino and American soldiers 60 miles to a prison camp under harsh conditions resulting in heavy casualties.

Doolittle Raids

Attack on Tokyo as revenge for Pearl Harbor; did not cause much damage, but led to a morale boost in the U.S. and skepticism in Japan regarding victory

Battle of Saipan

This was a decisive battle in the Pacific war. Using the newly developed B-29 bombers, Tokyo was within bombing range of Saipan.

Operation Forager

US plan to capture islands to use as B-29 bases in Marianas and Palau Islands.

Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

After much deliberation, the U.S. decided to drop their newly developed atomic bomb on Hiroshima killing thousands. After Japan didn't immediately surrender, the U.S. dropped another one a two days after on Nagasaki also killing thousands.

MacArthur Retreats

The Philippines fall to the Japanese right after Pearl Harbor. On Roosevelt's orders, MacArthur is forced to leave his soldiers behind at Corregidor. (Vowing to return).

Bombing of Tokyo

Strategic bombing and urban area bombing began in 1944 after B-29 Superfortress bomber entered service destroying the city and killing over 100,000 Japanese.