In December 1941 Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i, causing the U.S. to enter World War II. Over two years would pass until the Allies reached their great turning point in the Pacific War: the defeat of the Japanese at Guadalcanal in February 1943. The Japanese were placed on the defensive as the U.S. began taking strategic bases across the central and southwest Pacific. By the summer of 1944, the Americans were nearing Japan. The final year of the war would bring bloodshed and hardship to the U.S. soldiers, sailors and Marines who liberated territory closer and closer to Japan's home island, and take a tremendous toll on Japanese soldiers and civilians as well. Show June-July 1944: Saipan In what became known as the Battle of the Philippine Sea, American and Japanese carriers fought a two-day sea and air battle off the coast of Saipan. It would go down as one of the biggest carrier battles of World War II. Japan lost three aircraft carriers and more than 300 planes. On Saipan, the Marines and army faced an enemy well dug-in and prepared to fight to the death. Of the 30,000 Japanese troops who defended Saipan, less than 1,000 remained alive when the battle ended July 9. However, it was the civilian casualties that stunned American troops. As the battle came to an end, large numbers of civilians committed suicide, terrified of being captured by American forces. Japanese government officials exploited the suicides at Saipan to their advantage, calling those who took their lives heroes and encouraging the entire Japanese population to follow suit if the time came. Death before surrender had been the national policy for Japan's servicemen; now it became the national policy for civilians as well. October-December
1944: Leyte January-March 1945: Philippines Campaign February-March 1945: Iwo Jima April-June 1945: Okinawa Okinawa saw 82 days of brutal warfare in horrific conditions at places like Kakazu Ridge, Sugar Loaf Hill and Kunishi Ridge. U.S. Marines and Army troops fought a bloody battle of attrition against an enemy concealed in intricate underground defense systems. When the island was finally secured, more than 12,000 U.S. soldiers and Navy personnel were dead or missing and more than 36,000 were wounded. Seventy thousand soldiers of the Japanese 32nd Army died on Okinawa, joined by as many as 100,000 to 150,000 civilians trapped in the crossfire. The War's Final Weeks The Japanese surrender on August 14 spared the American soldiers who survived Okinawa — and hundreds of thousands of others — from having to invade Japan and face high odds of becoming casualties. It also spared untold numbers of Japanese soldiers and civilians. What battles were Allied victories in the Pacific campaign?Attack on Pearl Harbor - December 7, 1941
Battle of Wake Island - December 8-23, 1941. Battle of the Coral Sea - May 4-8, 1942. Battle of Midway - June 4-7, 1942. Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - November 12-15, 1942.
How did the Allies win the Pacific War?It was the first time that Allied forces were able to make headway in the Pacific. In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a result, approximately 120,000 civilians died. Japan formally surrendered in September 1945.
What are five main events that happened in the Pacific Theater after the bombing of Pearl Harbor?22 January: Burma Road is reopened.. 19 February: US troops land on Iwo Jima, Japan.. 21 March: British forces take Mandalay, Burma.. 1 April: US troops invade Okinawa.. 3 May: Rangoon recaptured.. 13 May: Australian troops occupy Wewak.. 26 May: 700,000 incendiary bombs fall on Tokyo.. 8 May: VE Day (Victory in Europe). What was the first war in the Pacific?December 7, 1941Pacific War / Start datenull
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