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Wake Island was located in the Central Pacific Ocean. This battle resulted in the win of the Japanese as the US had surrendered. The defense of Wake Island by US Marines, sailors, soldiers, and citizens became a strong rallying point for Americans in the dark days after Pearl Harbor. The battle had eventually ended on December 23, 1941.
Articles: https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-wake-island/
https://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=57
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgtagewcqKo -
Island Hopping was a military strategy used by the Allies to capture islands near Japan to cut off Japanese bases from resupply or rescue. They would skip over heavily armed islands to apprehend lightly defended islands to support their next advance. Island Hopping had started in August 1942 and ended in 1944.
Articles: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/pacific-strategy-1941-1944
https://www.studentsofhistory.com/war-in-the-pacific
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBgxW3H_tsI -
The attack of Bataan was the first major land fight for the Americans in WWII and one of the most destructive military defeats in American history. About 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make a harsh 65-mile march to prison camps. This battle had ended with a US surrender on April 9, 1942.
Articles: https://www.britannica.com/event/Bataan-Death-March
https://www.thoughtco.com/battle-of-bataan-2360457
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OFH1Mglr-c -
The Battle of the Coral Sea was a major naval battle between the Japanese Navy and the US Navy. It initially stopped the Japanese from invading Port Moresby in New Guinea and threatening Australia. The fight had ended on May 8, 1942, with an American victory.
Articles: https://anzacday.org.au/ww2-the-battle-of-the-coral-sea
https://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/battle-coral-sea
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cbtFBZxTqE -
The Battle of Midway was classified as the turning point of the war for the US. The Japanese had hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet to use Midway as a base to strike Pearl Harbor. The Battle of Midway had promptly ended on June 7, 1942, with a US Navy victory.
Articles: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-midway
https://warontherocks.com/2016/06/the-battle-of-midway-the-complete-intelligence-story/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9eNr-tRGNU -
Guadalcanal had a combination of air, land, and sea attacks that lasted over a 7 month time period. This battle had ended all Japanese expansion attempts and placed the Allies at a superior level. Japanese troops finally evacuated Guadalcanal, which ultimately ended the battle on February 9, 1943.
Articles: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/solomon-islands-campaign-guadalcanal
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Guadalcanal
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPWL5bEpCvw -
The Battle of Tarawa was the first US offensive attack launched into the central Pacific region. The island was sought after because of its strategic location that was located in the Pacific for the Philippine islands. The battle had ended on November 23, 1943.
Articles:https://www.thoughtco.com/world-war-ii-battle-of-tarawa-2361474
https://www.businessinsider.com/battle-of-tarawa-in-wwii-the-toughest-battle-in-marine-corps-history-2017-11
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbX6Uvn2vME -
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, classified as the largest naval battle in history, was a Japanese attempt to stop the Allies from landing forces in the Philippines. It had crippled the Japanese Combined Fleet and fortified the Allies' control over the Pacific. This conflict had ended on October 16, 1944.
Articles: https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Leyte-Gulf
https://www.navyhistory.org/2019/10/the-battle-of-leyte-gulf-october-23-26-1944/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl4qZtDSLCs -
The Battle of Manila was fought to release the Philippines after 3 years of Imperial Japanese occupation. It is considered one of the greatest tragedies during WWII with over 100,000 citizens killed. The battle had resulted in a US victory that ended on March 3, 1945.
Articles: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/battle-of-manila/
https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-manila/
Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ8boNQcnK8 -
Iwo Jima was targeted in the "Island Hopping" strategy to be used as an airbase to attack Japan's home islands. It resulted in over 25,000 injuries after weeks of fighting. This battle had a major impact on the United States' decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. The Battle of Iwo Jima had ended on March 26, 1945.
Articles:https://www.livescience.com/battle-of-iwo-jima-1945.html
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2feMTzMCS0 -
The Battle of Okinawa was classified as one of the last major battles in WWII. The main goal was to secure the island to remove the last barrier standing between the US forces and Imperial Japan. The battle had strung out for about 3 months before ending on June 22, 1945.
Articles: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-of-okinawa
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl6riOsUJyw -
The Los Alamos Laboratory was created in 1943 to design and build an atomic bomb. On July 16, 1945, a plutonium implosion device called "The Gadget" was detonated 210 miles south of Los Alamos. Scientists proceeded to make the Fat Man and Little Boy, one made of plutonium and the other made of uranium, to drop on Japan.
Articles: https://www.atomicheritage.org/location/los-alamos-nm
https://www.lanl.gov/about/history-innovation/index.php
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axkQ4UjTc8M -
Many US and Allied fleets had gathered in Tokyo Bay to view the surrender ceremony of Japan. The Japanese had formally conceded to the Allies on the USS Missouri after signing the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. This had effectively marked the end of WWII.
Articles: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-surrenders
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/magazine/wwII-japan-surrender-sailors.html
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo5VgQbLSgc -
The American B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, had dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. After the Japanese refused to submit to the terms outlined in the Allies' Postdam Declaration, the US made the choice to drop the first atomic bomb.
Articles: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/atomic-bomb-hiroshima
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgp6ZH-by-E -
About 3 days later after the bombing of Hiroshima, the US chose to drop the atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki. Nagasaki was the second choice for the bombing after they couldn't drop it on Kokura. After the two atomic bombs were dropped, the Japanese had announced their surrender.
Articles: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/bombing-nagasaki-august-9-1945
https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/hiroshima-nagasaki-75
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh6o0PKYN8Q