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Battle of Pearl Harbor
December 7th, 1941
Significance: Brought the US into WWII
Outcome: Surprise attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base by the Japanese navy, later judged to be a war crime due to a lack of warning/declaration of war -
Battle of Coral Sea (Air)
May 1942
Significance: Fought entirely by planes; protected Australia
Outcome: Strategic victory for America: Japan was unable to isolate Australia -
Battle of Coral Sea
May 7th-8th 1942
Significance Diverted Japanese resources, which took effect in the Battle of Midway, and was the first victory against the Japanese offense
Outcome :Technical victory for Japan but strategic victory for USA -
Battle of Midway
June 1942
Significance: American aircraft aided in the defeat of the Japanese fleet
Outcome: Due to several errors on the part of the Japanese, including using slower aircraft to track the advanced American ships, the US won -
Battle of Midway Island
June 4th-7th 1942
Significance: Decisive battle in the war of the Pacific
Outcome: Allies sank all 4 Japanese carriers and took the offensive in the war -
Battle of Guadalcanal (Naval)
August 1942- February 1943
Significance: First battle in the Allied offensive
Outcome:. Ultimate victory for the Allies in the form of a Japanese retreat, but the battle was arduous and costly for both sides -
Guadalcanal
August 1942- February 1943
Significance: first significant US victory on land against the Japanese
Outcome: retreat of Japanese; Americans able to control most of the Pacific -
Battle of the Philippine Sea (Air)
June 19th, 1944
Significance: Gained the nickname “turkey shoot” because of the excessive amount of Japanese aircraft shot down
Outcome: Landslide victory for the US -
Battle of the Philippine Sea
June 19–20, 1944
Significance: Freed the Japan occupied Philippines; destroyed Japanese fleet
Outcome: Japan lost major parts of their remaining fleet. The supply lines between Japan and Indonesia were cut, the only effective weapon remaining was the Kamikaze -
Battle of the Philippine Sea (NAVAL)
June 19th, 1944
Significance: At the Marianas Islands, the US took down six times as many Japanese soldiers as US soldiers lost
Outcome: Landslide victory for the US - Battle is also known as “Marianas Turkey Shoot” -
Battle of Guam
July 21 — August 10, 1944
Outcome: American Victory -
Battle of Layte Straights
October 1944
Significance: Destroyed the majority of Japan’s surface navy but showed that the Japanese could still attack even in the face of the US’s advantage in terms of technology
Outcome: Several separate Japanese fleets sailed towards Leyte Gulf to attack the Americans, but they were destroyed by air and naval defense -
Battle of Layte Straights (Air)
October 1944
Significance: Largest air-naval battle in history
Outcome: Decisive American victory -
Battle of Tokyo
March 9, 1945
Significance: Higher death toll than the atomic bomb
Outcome: Firebombs were dropped on Tokyo overnight -
Battle of Okinawa
April 1 to June 22, 1945
Significance: The last island the Allies had to capture before actually invading Japan itself; President Truman ordered the atomic bomb to be dropped
Outcome: Deaths were over the top; people from both sides fought until they used up all the ammunition -
Battle of Okinawa (Naval)
April 1945
Significance: Second bloodiest battle in WWII
Outcome: Japanese refused to surrender and committed suicide when the US won
