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Doolittle's Raid
Victor: United States
Important Facts:
- First US air raid to strike Japanese Home Islands
- Retaliation of Pearl Harbor
- Plan: bomb military targets in Japan and continue westward to land in China
- Effects: caused damage to Japan, increased America's confidence, and created doubt in Japan on the ability of Japanese military leaders -
Battle of Coral Sea
Date: May 4, 1942 - May 8, 1942
Victor:
- Japanese tactile victory
- Allied strategic victory
Important Facts:
- First time aircraft carriers engaged each other
- Ships did not fire directly at each other
- first Japanese failure in Operation MO
- Battle stopped Japanese invasion of Port Moresby
- Battle occurred to keep Japan away from Australia -
Battle of Midway
Date: June 4, 1942 - June 7, 1942
Victor: United States
Important Facts:
- Destroyed Japan's naval strength
- US regained control of the Pacific
- Turning point of the war -
Battle of Guadalcanal
Date: November 12, 1942 - November 15 1942
Victor: United States
Important Facts:
- Naval battle between US and Japan
- US Navy's only two admirals were killed
- Japanese warship forces had the goal of destroying Allied aircraft that posed a threat to the convoy, transporting troops and equipment
- In return, US forces launched aircraft and warship attacks to defend Henderson Field, the area Japanese were planning to destoy
- Both sides lost numerous warships -
Battle of Saipan
Date: June 15, 1944 - July 9, 1944
Victor: United States
Important Facts:
- US goal: gaining a crucial air base to launch bombs at Japan
- US had 3,000 deaths and 13,000 wounded, while Japan had 27,000 lost
- General Hideki Tojo, Japan's militaristic prime minister, had promised that the US would never take Saipan. He was forced to resign a week after the U.S. conquest of the island.
- One of the bloodiest battles of the war -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Date: February 19, 1945 - March 26, 1945
Victor: United States
Important Facts:
- Fiercest fighting in WWII
- First US attack on Japan's home islands
- Because of the distance between mainland Japan and U.S. bases in the Mariana Islands, it was necessary to capture Iwo Jima to provide an emergency landing strip for crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs
- After capturing Iwo Jima, US was able to conduct more air attacks, helping them in the war -
Battle of Okinawa
Date: April 1, 1945 - June 21, 1945
Victor: Allied victory
Important Facts:
- The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater
- Japan surrendered
- Eighty-day battle that ended island hopping campaign
- Atomic bombs were used in this battle to avoid losing many Americen lives
