Allies Stem Japanese Tide

• Priority was to defeat Nazis, but US did not wait to move against Japan

• US submarines still existing

• US aircraft carriers were at sea during attack on Pearl Harbor

Japanese Advances

• 1st 6 months after Pearl Harbor- conquered empire that dwarfed Hitler’s

• Conquered most of South Pacific-as far west as Aleutians-part of Alaska

Japanese Advances

• Philippines-80,000 Americans commanded by General Douglas MacArthur-held out against 200,000 Japanese for 4 months

Japanese Advances

• 14,000 killed, another 48,000 wounded

• MacArthur eventually had to abandon Philippines- “I shall return”

• Japanese military dazzled by their success

• Now had 150 million new subjects spread over 1/7th of the globe

US Retaliation

• 4/18/42-16 bombers led by James Doolittle take off of USS Hornet

• Bombed Tokyo military targets

• Boosted American morale, caused concern among the Japanese

US Retaliation

• May 1942- US and Australian forces intercept Japanese fleet targeting Australia-Battle of the Coral Sea

• New Warfare-all fighting done with carrier-based planes-opposing ships never saw each other

US Retaliation

• Allies lost more ships than Japanese

• Japanese fleet too short of fuel to continue to Australia-1st time Japanese had been stopped

• Moral victory for the US

Battle of Midway

• June 1942- Chester Nimitz-commander of American forces in Pacific- learned Japanese invasion force heading for Midway then on to Pearl Harbor

• 110 Japanese ships– Largest assemblage of

naval power in history

Battle of Midway

• US outnumbered 4 to 1-prepared a surprise for Japanese at Midway

• Americans ordered to inflict maximum damage on the enemy

Battle of Midway

• Japanese lose 4 aircraft carriers, a cruiser, 322 planes

• Americans avenged Pearl Harbor

Island Hopping

• Lots of distance between island on in the Pacific

• Japanese troops dug in on hundreds of islands

• Taking each island would be long and costly

Island Hopping

• Americans “leapfrogged” Japanese strongholds

• Seized less-fortified islands, built airfields, used airpower to cut Japanese supply lines

• Starved out Japanese strong points

Island Hopping

• 1st land offensive of Japanese war- Guadalcanal in Solomon Islands

• 19,000 marines• 6 months later-

Japanese leave• 1st Japanese defeat

on land

Island Hopping

• October 1944- 178,000 Allied troops & 738 ships converge on Leyte Island in the Philippines

• Japanese throw entire fleet into the battle

• Japanese introduce kamikaze-suicide plane

Island Hopping

• In the Philippines- 424 kamikazes-sunk 16 US ships and damaged another 80

• Leyte Gulf a disaster for Japan– Lost 3 battleships– 4 aircraft carriers– 13 cruisers– 400 planes

The Battle of Iwo Jima: Beginning the Final Push to JapanBy Micah BurdenMedal of Honor Legacy Teachers Program

The Battle of Iwo Jima: Beginning the Final Push to JapanBy Micah BurdenMedal of Honor Legacy Teachers Program

Mt. Suribachi was taken within days, but the fighting continued for three more weeks

Mt. Suribachi was taken within days, but the fighting continued for three more weeks

The Japanese knew that the U.S. would use Iwo Jima to strike Japan

The Japanese knew that the U.S. would use Iwo Jima to strike Japan The

American invasion force lands on February 19, 1945

The American invasion force lands on February 19, 1945

“…the stark reality of the casualties sustained by the Americans on Iwo Jima…begged the question of how costly the final assault on Japan might be.”

“…the stark reality of the casualties sustained by the Americans on Iwo Jima…begged the question of how costly the final assault on Japan might be.”

Fighting lasted from Februry 19th to March 26th 1945.Only 200 of the 20,000 Japanese survived.6,000 American Marines were killed. An additional 18,000 were wounded.

Fighting lasted from Februry 19th to March 26th 1945.Only 200 of the 20,000 Japanese survived.6,000 American Marines were killed. An additional 18,000 were wounded.