World War II1939-1945

Philippine Islands

• Japanese attack Philippine Islands defended by U.S. and Filipino troopso War wages on the Bataan

Peninsulao Philippine Islands fall to the

Japanese in 1942o Bataan Death March – 50

miles; 70,000 prisoners started only 54,000 survived

Japanese Victories

• Japan captures British holdings, including Hong Kong and Singapore

• Also conquers Dutch East Indies, rich in minerals

• Capture of Burma threatens India, Britain’s main possession in Asia

• Japanese forces treat conquered peoples, prisoners of war brutally

The Allies Strike Back • James H. Doolittle’s Raid

o 16 B-25 U.S. bombers attack Tokyo, other Japanese cities in April 1942

• Raid does little damage, but shows that Japan is vulnerable to attack

Battle of the Coral Sea

• Americans intercept Japanese advance to New Guinea, May 1942

• New kind of naval warfare—ships launch planes to fight each othero Aircraft carriers

• Allies suffered more loses but stopped Japanese southward advance

Battle of Midway

• 1,500 miles west of Hawaii- Site of American Airfield

• US intercepts plans: Chester Nimitz- hid US planeso Waits for the Japanese

to start the attack on the island

• Yamamoto orders withdrawal- turned the tide!!!o Destroyed 332 Japanese

planes, 4 aircraft carriers• US now on the offensive

Battle of Guadalcanal

• Douglas MacArthur – Commander of Allied Land Forces in the Pacifico “Island Hopping” to get close

to Japan by only attacking strategic islands along the way

• Battle of Guadalcanal – Aug. 7th 1942o Japan building an air baseo Struggle for land lasts 6 monthso After losing 24,000 of the 36,000 Japanese soldiers

there, the Japanese abandon the “Island of Death”