American Involvement in WWII

By psoley

  • Destroyer for base deal

    Franklin Roosevelt arranged a deal with Britain in which 55-year-old American warships were given to Britain in return for a 99-year lease on certain naval and air bases.

  • Lend-Lease

    Roosevelt persuaded Congress to 'Lend-Lease' measures.Under this, the U.S. lent equipment to Britain for use during the war.

  • Pearl Harbor Bombings

    361 Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor. They disable 19 ships, destroy 200 planes, and kill over 2300 men.

  • War on Japan

    FDR asks for war on Japan. Congress approves entry and Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S.

  • Battle of Coral Sea Begins

    The Japanese look to extend their control by taking over New Guinea and the Soloman Islands. The Japanese and Allied (U.S. and Australian) forces are aware of eachothers presence in the area and begin to hunt for eachother.

  • First Encounter

    Japanese and U.S. forces find eachother. The Japanese were beaten in the first encounter but both sides suffer heavily.

  • End of Coral Sea

    Japanese spotted an American fleet. U.S. and Japanese have a battle in the air. The U.S. kept the Japanese back for now. Both sides suffered greatly.

  • Midway

    U.S. aircraft attacked and sunk 4 Japanese carriers, forcing Admiral Yamamoto to withdraw. This marked the turning point of WWII in the Pacific.

  • Guadalcanal Victory

    The allied forces (including the U.S.) wins the first island from the Japanese as part of their island hopping strategy. They landed on the island in August of 1942.

  • Invasion of Italy

    Rome is bombed on July 19th. Sicily is conquered on the 17th of August.

  • D-Day

    Allied forces invade France, taking back Paris from the Germans.

  • Germany Surrenders

    German forces surrender to allied forces.

  • Hiroshima

    The U.S. drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 180,000 were killed, wounded, or missing. Japan would continue to feel the effects for years afterward.

  • Nagasaki

    The Japanese would not surrender, so the U.S. drops another atomic bomb. 80,000 killed or missing.

  • V-J Day

    The Japanese surrender and the emperor must retain his throne. End of WWII.