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Only two hours after bombing Pearl Harbor the Japanese attacked American airfields in the Philippines. On December 9, 1941, the Japanese forces landed more troops in the Philippines. The American and Filipino troops were greatly outnumbered. General Douglas MacArthur retreated the American and Filipino troops to the Bataan Peninsula an held out there for three months.
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On April 9,1942, General MacArthur surrendered to the Japanese in the Bataan Peninsula. This surrender led to 78,000 prisoners of war to march 65 miles to a Japanese prison. Those who marched who forced to march even though they were starving, exhausted, and sick. -
In early 1942 President Roosevelt wanted to bomb Tokyo. Military planners suggested replacing short-range bombers with a long-range B-25 bombers that could attack from further away. There was one problem it was that the bombers could not land on its short deck, and after attacking they would have to land in China. At the end of March a crane loaded sixteen B-25s onto the Hornet (aircraft carrier).
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The Japanese planned to attack the United States twice at once, but they didn't know the United States decoded their navy secret code. Once the United States decoded the Japanese message which was the plan to attack New Guinea. The United States immediatley sent two carries to intercept the Japanese. These carriers were named the Yorktown and the Lexington. Although the Yorktown was badly damaged and the Lexington was sank, this kept the supply line to Australia open. -
The Navajo language had no written alphabet and was only known by the Navajo people. People of the Navajo language were living code machines. They could relay a message in minutes that would have taken code machine workers hours.
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Battle of Midway resulted in Japan losing four large carriers and only six months after Pearl Harbor the United States stopped Japanese advance.
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Admiral Yamamoto communicated over radio using the same code the Americans already cracked to attack Midway. Admiral Nimitz ordered carriers take up positions near Midway. Japan launched their aircraft on June 4, 1942, unaware of being ambushed all 38 Japanese plans were shot down. On a second attack on Midway the Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown launched a counterattack. After a few minutes three Japanese carriers had burning wrecks, and the fourth a few hours later, this led Japan to retreat. -
Admiral Nimitz wanted to invade three of the Mariana Islands Guam, Saipan, and Tinian. Although Japanese forces put up a strong fight American troops captured all three. The Mariana Islands were used as a base for a new heavy bomber the B-29 Superfortress. These plans could fly further then any other plan in the world, and a few months after capturing the Mariana Islands the United States began to bomb Japan. -
Before reaching the shore of the Philippines MacArthur he spoke to a radio and into a microphone,“People of the Philippines, I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil.”
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The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle in history. Also, this was the first time Japan used kamikaze attacks. A kamikaze attack is when a polite would purposely crash into their target. Japanese commander believed more American ships were coming and ordered a retreat. Even though the Japanese retreated it was a long gruesome battle. More than 80,00o Japanese troops were killed less than 1,00 would surrender. MacArthur didn't capture Manila until June 1945.