WORLD WAR IIPACIFIC THEATHER

PACIFIC THEATHER

• “DECEMBER 7, 1941; A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY…THE U.S. WAS SUDDENLY AND DELIBERATELY ATTACKED… BY THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN”

• THIS CAUSED THE U.S. TO DECLARE WAR ON JAPAN; DECEMBER 8, 1941

• THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC WAS SLOW BECAUSE ROOSEVELT AND CHURCHILL HAD AGREED IN DECEMBER OF 1941 TO FIGHT THE GERMANS FIRST, 1ST WASHINGTON CONFERENCE, CODE NAME “ARCADIA”; ALSO BECAUSE THE U.S. PACIFIC FLEET HAD TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED FROM THE DAMAGE AT PEARL HARBOR.

PACIFIC THEATHER

• JAPANESE FLEET THAT ATTACKED PEARL HABOR CONSISTED OF:

• 4 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS(353 PLANES),

• 2 HEAVY CRUSIERS, 2 LIGHT CRUSIERS

• 2 BATTLESHIPS

• 11 DESTROYERS

• 9 OILERS

• 35 SUBMARINES

PACIFIC THEATHER

• U.S. DAMAGE AT PEARL HARBOR:

• 193 AIRCRAFT, 19 SHIPS HIT: 16 DAMAGED LATER REPAIRED, 3 DESTROYED- 2 BATTLESHIPS: USS ARIZONA, USS OKLAHOMA; 1 AUXILLARY SHIP; 2,403 MEN( ½ WERE ON THE ARIZONA), 1,178 WOUNDED

• DORIE MILLER-SHOT DOWN 2 JAPANESE PLANES, SAVED THE CAPT. OF THE W.VA; 1ST AFRICAN AMERICAN AWARDED THE NAVY CROSS

• JAPANESE LOSSES AT PERAL HARBOR:

• 19 PLANES, 5 MIDGET SUBS, 129 SOLDIERS

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PACIFIC THEATHER

• U.S. LEADERS:

• PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT DIED BEFORE JAPAN WAS DEFEATED, TO FIGHT THE GERMANS FIRST

• PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN(AFTER ROOSEVELT’S DEATH) FINISHED THE WAR, HE WILL MAKE THE DECISION TO USE ATOMIC WEAPONS AGAINST THE JAPANESE

• MILITARY LEADERS:

• GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR SUPREME ARMY COMMANDER IN THE FAR EAST

• ADMIRAL CHESTER NIMITZ SUPREME NAVAL COMMANDER IN THE FAR EAST

PACIFIC THEATHER

• JAPANESE LEADERS:

• EMPEROR HIROHITO-THOUGHT OF AS A FIGURE HEAD OF THE MILITARY LEADERS OF JAPAN, IT APPEARS THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE AGGRESSION

• HIDEKI TOJO-HELD BOTH PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN, AND HEAD OF JAPAN’S WAR MINISTRY DURING WWII, HELPED PLAN AND ORDERED THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR

• ISOROKU YAMAMOTO-ADMIRAL OF THE JAPANESE NAVY UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1944, HIS PLANE WAS SHOT DOWN

PACIFIC THEATHER

• THERE WERE 131 SIGNIFICANT BATTLES IN THE PACIFIC THEATER DURING WWII

• THE U.S. LOST SOME TERRITORIES IN THE PACIFIC AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CONFLICT, MOST NOTABLE WAS THE PHILIPPINES

• LEADING TO MacARTHUR’S FAMOUS QUOTE “I SHALL RETURN” AND THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH

PACIFIC THEATHER

• BATAAN DEATH MARCH

• 76,000 SOLDIERS CAPTURED(12,000), FORCED TO MARCH 60 MILES,OVER 5-12 DAY PERIOD, WITHOUT FOOD, WATER, IN TROPICAL HEAT; WEAK SOLDIERS WERE KILLED

• JAPANESE BRUTALIZED THE SOLDIERS, SOME 5,200 AMERICANS DIED, AN AIR FORCE CAPT. WAS BEHEADED JUST FOR HAVING JAPANESE MONEY

PACIFIC THEATER

• JAPANESE ATTITUDE: THEIR SOCIETY HAD REMOVED ALL WORDS THAT REFERRED TO FAILURE AND SURRENDER; THE JAPANESE SOLDIER HAD THE MIND SET OF TOTAL SACRIFICE AND FIGHTING TO THE DEATH

• THIS LED TO HIGH CASUALTY RATES ON BOTH SIDES, JAPANESE SOLDIERS USING TRICKERY(LIKE PRETENDING TO SURRENDER), COMMITTING SUICIDE INSTEAD OF SURRENDERING, KAMIKAZE ACTIONS

PACIFIC THEATER• MANY OF THE BATTLES OF THE PACIFIC INVOLVED THE USE

OF NAVAL POWER

• BECAUSE IT WAS A PROCESS OF TAKING ISLANDS A NATIONS NAVAL POWER WAS KEY

• AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, BATTLESHIPS AND DESTROYERS WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT SHIPS

• AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSUALT WAS THE MAIN TACTIC USED; NAVAL BOMBARDMENT FOLLOWED BY TROOP LANDINGS

• GEN. DOUGLAS MacARTHUR IS GOING TO USE A STRATEGY KNOW AS ISLAND HOPPING TO DEFEAT THE JAPANESE(TAKE AN ISLAND SKIP OVER THE NEXT ONE, ISOLATING THE JAPANESE ON THAT ISLAND)

PACIFIC THEATER

• THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC BEGAN TO TURN IN FAVOR OF THE ALLIES BECAUSE:

• THE WAR WAR IN EUROPE TURNED WITH VICTORIES IN NORTH AFRICA, STALINGARD, SICILY AND ITALY

• THE REPAIR OF SHIPS AND ENORMOUS SUPPLIES FROM U.S. PRODUCTION

• THE ABILITY TO DECODE JAPANESE COMMUNICATION

PACIFIC THEATER

• THE TIDE OF THE WAR CHANGED WITH THESE VICTORIES:

• BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA

• BATTLE OF MIDWAY

• BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL

• BATTLE OF IWO JIMA

• BATTLE OF OKINAWA

PACIFIC THEATERBATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA MAY 4-6,

1942• JAPAN LED BY: VICE ADMIRAL TAKEO TAKAGI, VICE

ADMIRALSHIGEYOSHI INOUE U.S LED BY: REAR ADMIRAL FRANK FLETCHER

• OBJECTIVE: TAKE PORT MORESBY, NEW GUIENEA AND THEN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

• REUSULT: STRATEGIC VICTORY FOR THE ALLIES, THIS ENDED ALL JAPANESE ADVANCES IN THE PACIFIC

• LOSSES: JAPAN- 2 CARRIERS WERE DAMAGED ALONG WITH THE LOSS OF THE PLANES ON THEM, AND 1 DESTROYER, 1,074 DEAD;

• U.S. LEXINGTON SEVERELY DAMAGED, YORKTOWN DAMAGED BUT REPAIRED FOR MIDWAY, ALSO 1 DESTROYER AND AN OILER, 543 DEAD

TAKAGIINOUE

FLETCHER

PACIFIC THEATERBATTLE OF midway june 3-6, 1942

• FOUGHT ALMOST ENTIRELY BY CARRIERS FROM BOTH NATIONS

• JAPANESE FLEET: 7 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, AND SUPPORTING SHIPS

• JAPAN LED BY ADMIRAL ISOROKU YAMAMOTO, ADMIRAL CHUICHI NAGUMO

• U.S. FLEET: 3 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, AND SUPPORTING SHIPS

• U.S. LED BY ADMIRAL RAYMOND SPRUANCE, ADMIRAL FRANK FLETCHER

FLETCHER

SPRUANCE

YAMAMOTO NAGUMO

PACIFIC THEATERBATTLE OF midway june 3-6, 1942

• OBJECTIVE: JAPANESE OFFENSIVE DESIGNED TO END THE AMERICANS ABILITY TO RESPOND TO JAPANESE AGGRESSION IN THE PACIFIC

• YAMAMOTO ATTEMPTED TO SURPRISE THE U.S. AT MIDWAY, TAKE THE ISLAND FOR A BASE OF OPERATION, AND DESTROY THE U.S. FLEET

• THE U.S. ABLE TO DECODE JAPANESE MESSAGES LEARNED OF THE ATTACK AND WERE ABLE TO SURPRISE THE JAPANESE

PACIFIC THEATERBATTLE OF midway june 3-6, 1942

• RESULTS: A DECISIVE VICTORY FOR THE ALLIES, THIS PUT THE JAPANESE ON THE DEFENSIVE FOR THE REST OF THE WAR

• JAPANESE LOSSES: 4 CARRIERS DESTROYED, 1 CRUSIER, 228 AIRCRAFT, 3,057 DEAD

• U.S. LOSSES: 1 CARRIER, 1 DESTROYER, 145 PLANES, 340 DEAD

YORKTOWN

MIKUMA

HIRYU

PACIFIC THEATERBATTLE OF guadalcanal august 7,1942-february

21, 1943

• OBJECTIVE: U.S. OFFENSIVE TO REMOVE THE JAPANESE FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

• NAVAL OFFICERS: ADMIRAL CHESTER NIMITZ, ADMIRAL ROBERT GHORMLEY, WILLIAM HALSEY

• MARINES FORCES:MAJ. GENERAL ALEXANDER VANDEGRIFT, ARMY FORCES: MAJ. GENERAL MILLARD HARMON, ALEXANDER PATCH

PACIFIC THEATERBATTLE OF guadalcanal august 7,1942-february

21, 1943

• RESULTS: VICTORY WAS INDECISIVE BECAUSE OF THE LOSSES TO BOTH SIDES, CONSIDERED A U.S. VICTORY BECAUSE THE JAPANESE DECIDED TO ABANDON THE CAMPAIGN AND EVACUATE ITS FORCES

• JAPANESE LOSSES: 31,000 DEAD(36,200), 1,000 CAPUTRED, 38 SHIPS, 880 PLANES

• U.S. LOSSES: 7,100 DEAD, 4 CAPTURED, 29 SHIPS, 615 PLANES

PACIFIC THEATERbattle of iwo jima FEBRUARY 19TH – MARCH 26,

1945

• OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE THE ISLAND AND ITS AIR STRIPS FOR A STAGING ISLAND TO INVADE THE NATION OF JAPAN

• JAPANESE LEADERS: TADAMICHI KURIBAYASHI, TAKEICHI NISHI

• U.S. LEADERS: NAVAL: NIMITZ, SPRUANCE; MARINES: HOLLAND SMITH, GRAVES ERSKINE, CLIFTON CATES(TENN)

PACIFIC THEATERbattle of iwo jima FEBRUARY 19TH – MARCH 26,

1945

• RUESULTS: U.S. VICTORY, GAINED A STRATEGIC STAGING ISLAND FOR THE ARMY AIR FORCE FOR FUTURE ATTACK ON OKINAWA

• JAPANESE LOSSES: 18,844 OF 22,060 DEAD, 216 CAPTURED, 3,000 ESCAPED TO HIDING, SEVERAL PLANES

• U.S. LOSSES: 6,821 DEAD, 2 CAPTURED, BUT RETURNED, 19,217 WOUNDED(70K INVADED), 1 ESCORT CARRIER SUNK, SEVERAL PLANES

PACIFIC THEATERbattle of okinawa april 1-june 22, 1945

• IT WAS THE LARGEST AMPHIBOUS ATTACK IN THE PACIFIC, NICKNAMED THE “TYPHOON OF STEEL”

• IT IS THE BLOODIEST BATTLE OF THE WAR, DUE TO THE NUMBER OF BATTLE CASUALTIES, SUICIDES, AND CIVILAN LOSSES

• IT WAS FOUGHT ON AN ISLAND THAT WAS PART OF JAPAN’S ARCHIPELEGO, OUR FIRST INVASION OF THE JAPANESE HOMELAND

PACIFIC THEATERbattle of okinawa april 1-june 22, 1945

• OBJECTIVE: SEIZE THE ISLAND FOR AIR BASES TO LAUNCH AN INVASION OF JAPAN’S MAIN ISLANDS

• JAPANESE LEADERS: MITSURU USHIJIMA, ISAMU CHO, MINORU OTA, SEIICHI ITO

• U.S. LEADERS: SIMON BUCKNER Jr., ROY GEIGER, JOSEPH STILWELL, CHESTER NIMITZ, RAYMOND SPRUANCE, PEDRO DEL VALLE

• BRITISH LEADERS: SIR BERNANRD RAWLINGS, PHILIP VIAN, BRUCE

PACIFIC THEATERbattle of okinawa april 1-june 22, 1945

• RESULTS: ALLIED VICTORY, SECURED THE ISLAND FOR U.S. OPERATIONS

• JAPANESE LOSSES: 110,000 OUT OF 120,000 KILLED, 7,000+ CAPTURED, EST. 150,000 CIVILIANS DIED-MOST FROM SUCIDES, JAPANESE GOVERNMENT CONVINCED THEM THAT THE U.S WOULD TORTURE THEM

• U.S. LOSSES: OF 183K THAT INVADED, 12,000 KILLED, 38,000 WOUNDED, 13,000 NAVAL CASUALTIES

USS BUNKER HILL CARRIER HIT BY 2 KAMIKAZE ATTACKS

SUPER BATTLE SHIPYAMAMOTO DESTROYED BYU.S. ATTACKS

MANHATTAN PROJECT

• SITES: HANFORD, WASHINGTON; OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE; LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO

• NAMES: THIN MAN, FAT MAN, LITTLE BOY

MANHATTAN PROJECT

• TRUMAN’S DECISION TO USE ATOMIC WEAPONS, BASED ON JAPANESE OPPOSITION AND DEATH TOLLS AT IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA TRUMAN FELT U.S. LOSSES ALONE IN A MAINLAND INVASION WOULD EXCEED 1 MILLION, JAPANESE LOSSES ESTIMATED TO BE 2-3 MILLION

• WE HAD ASKED FOR AN UNCONDITIONAL, BUT JAPAN REFUSED

• AUGUST 6, 1945, LITTLE BOY WAS DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA, 70,000 KILLED, 100,000 DIED YEARS FOLLOWING FROM THE RADIATION

• AUGUST 9, 1945, FAT MAN WAS DROPPED ON NAGASAKI, 80,000 KILLED

MANHATTAN PROJECT

• PLANE: B-29 SUPER FORTRESS CALLED THE ENOLA GAY

HIROSHIMA NAGASAKI

PACIFIC THEATER

• MILITARY DEATHS IN THE PACIFIC

• JAPAN LOST 2.1 MILLION SOLDIERS

• U.S. LOST 100,000+

• U.K. LOST 5,600

• CHINA LOST 4 MILLION, 3 MILLION WOUNDED, 18 MILLION CIVILIANS

PACIFIC THEATER

• JAPAN ANNOUNCES ITS SURRENDER ON AUGUST 15, 1945; V-J DAY

• THE OFFICIAL SIGNING OF JAPAN’S UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TOOK PLACE SEPTEMBER 2, 1945; ABOARD THE USS MISSOURI

• GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR PRESIDED FOR THE U.S.

• THE JAPANESE DELEGATION CONSISTED OF THE EMPEROR AND SEVERAL MILITARY OFFICERS