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Pearl Harbor
Japan had formed an alliance with Germany and Italy, and Japan and the U.S. were having disputes over French Indo-China. At 7:55 a.m. Japanese bombed and torpedoed the Amercan base with hundreds of fighter planes and war ships for over two hours. Over 2,000 Americans died, and 200 airplanes and eight large battleships were lost. Japan lost around 30 aircraft and a handful of ships. This event brought the U.S. into World War II. -
Battle of Java Sea
The Allies counter attacked against the Japanese to try to cut their advance through the islands of the Pacific. The battle took place near Surabaya. The Japanese held the upper hand in the beginning, breaking the Allies order and forcing them to regroup, but the Allies came back and continued to fight. The Allied forces were running low on supplies. The Allies had to flee, leaving the Japanese with a significant victory. -
Loss of Philippines and Bataan Death March
General Douglas MacArthur had been forced to leave the Philippines because of his health. American and Filipino fighters held up bravely, but had to finally surrender. Approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march 65 miles in harsh conditions to prison camps. The March took about five days to complete. -
Doolittle Raid
The Americans wanted to make some kind of retaliation against the Japanese for the bomb in of Pearl Harbor. Forces were trained in a secret program for the planned actions. They took B-25 bombers, which usually took off from land, on aircraft carriers, which had less runway for the planes to take off. Thirteen bombers attacked Tokyo; others attacked Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe. The majority of the men on the mission made it back to friendly territory. Some were interred, and others were executed. -
Island Hopping Strategy
A strategy created by General MacArthur and Admiral William Halsey. Withe the American soldiers unused to the guerilla style of fighting, the strategy was very costly. Overall the campaign was sucessful -
Battle of Coral Sea
It was the first air-sea battle in history. The Japanese wanted control of the coral sea, but the Americans were determined to keep them back. The Americans were led by Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher. Bothe sides suffered heavy damage to their carriers, but Japan lost too many to complete the invasion, leaving the Allies victorious. -
Battle of Midway
Improvements in code-breaking gave the U.S. forces an advantage in this important battle against Japan, turning the war in the Pacifc in the Allies favor. Japan wanted to destroy the rest of the American aircraft carriers after the destruction of Pearl Harbor, which led to the battle. The Japanese planned to finish off the American fleet by drawing them out and crushing them when they went to counterattack. Due to having access to the exact plans, the Americans were prepared and won easily. -
Guadalcanal
Allied forces launched a surprise attack on Guadalcanal and reclaimed and took control of an airbase under construction. Reinforcements were moved to the island, and the Japanese were easily overpowered and forced to leave. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
This battle took place at the Philippine island of Leyte. Japan had attempted to bring some of its forces together on the island, but the U.S. was able to target one at a time and force them to withdraw. Giving the Allies the victory, and making it difficult for Japan to get more resources. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Allies needed a base near Japan to successfully attack the island nation. It started with air and naval bombardment, followed by American troops landing on the island to attack. The Japanese had made many tunnels, dugouts, and other places to take coverr as they attempted to drive away the Americans. The battle lasted for a month before the Japanese were driven out and the American flag was raised. -
Battle of Okinawa
It was the largest of the Pacific Island battles, and also the largest. 287,000 American troops worked to remove 130,000 Japanese soldiers. The battle lasted 82 days. The Japanese lost more than 77,000 soldiers, and the Allies lost more than 65,000. -
Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
An American B-29 bomber dropped the first ever used atomic bomb over Hiroshima. The bomb wiped out 90% of the city, killed 80,000 people immediatley, and tens of thousands later due to radiation. -
Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki
Another B-29 bomber dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. 40,000 people died from the bomb. Soon after Japan's emperor spoke of the bomb's power. -
VJ Day
News arrived that Japan's emperor had surrendered unconditionally, putting an end to World War II. Japan's surrender happened several months after the surrender of Germany.
