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The Americans figured out the Japanese strategy of communication and knew where the Japanese were planning to attack next. The Americans sent out two carriers, Yorktown and Lexington, to intercept the Japanese attacks on New Guinea. The battle at the coral sea destroyed Lexington and badly damaged Yorktown, however; the Americans were able to prevent the attack on New Guinea.
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The Japanese used a radio to communicate with their troops, this meant that the US could tune into the radio and listen to their conversations. However, the Japanese used a secret language in which the US used "code talkers" to crack the secret language.
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After the defenders of the Bataan Peninsula surrendered, the Japanese made 78,000 weak, tired, and weary prisoners of war march 65 miles to a Japanese prison camp; nearly 10,000 soldiers died on the march. -
Roosevelt was trying to find a way to increase the morale of the American citizens. The Americans loaded B-25 bombers onto the "hornet" which is an aircraft carrier that set west across the Pacific. April 18th, 1942, American bombs fell on Japan. -
Because the Americans cracked the Japanese code, the Americans already knew where the Japanese were planning to attack. The US prepared for the incoming Japanese planes and countered their attack near Midway. -
The Pacific fleet used a strategy called "island hopping" to counter weakly militarized islands and slowly make their way to capture the north Coast of New Guinea, and take back the Philippines. The Japanese were very surprised by this strategy and didn't know what to do.
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The pacific fleet sent 5,000 marines on the shore of Tarawa beach. These marines later realized how dangerous it would be to be wading the waters as there was Japanese fire among them. Nearly 1,000 marines died just walking up to the island, people later began to wonder how many troops would the US lose at Japan.
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After capturing the Marshall islands, the US wanted to capture the 3 Mariana islands. The US would use these islands to station B-29 airplanes; these planes were able to fly long distances and were used to bomb Japan a few months later. -
The US assembled an invasion force to take back the Philippines. The US military sailed 700 ships carrying over 160,000 troops towards the Leyte Gulf. Once American troops captured the Philippine territory, MacArthur said "People of the Philippines, I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil.” -
The Japanese used Kamikaze Attacks in the Battle of the Leyte Gulf against the American troops. These attacks were Japanese soldiers flying planes into American ships killing themselves and doing a lot of damage to American troops and ships. The Americans got lucky by the Japanese Commander thinking there were more American ships on their way; the commander called for a retreat.
