-
U.S. Declares War on Japan
Time to raise taxes! -
Battle of the Coral Sea
Who: Imperial Japanese Navy and naval/air forces from the U.S. and Australia. What: Major naval battle. First action in which aircraft carriers engaged each other and in which neither side's ships fired on one another. Why: Japanese forces decided to occupy and attack Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in order to strengthen their defensive positioning for their South Pacific empire. Effect: First time since Pearl Harbor that a Japanese invasion had been stopped and was forced to retreat. -
The Battle of Midway
Who: U.S. Navy and Japanese Navy—(American Admiral Chester Nimitz defending) What: U.S. Navy defeated a Japanese attack against Midway Atoll. Planned as a scheme to corner and finish off U.S. carrier fleet. Why: Japan would use this victory to finish off the U.S. Pacific Fleet and eventually secure control of Hawaii. Effect: American forces retired because of their decisive victory. The loss put Japan on the defense and curbed its expansion. -
Guadalcanal Campaign (Aug. 1942 – Feb. 1943)
Who: Allied offensive attack on the Japanese What: Series of clashes between Japanese and Allied forces. Battle of Guadalcanal involved 19,000 Allied troops storming Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Why: Wanted to prevent the use of the islands by the Japanese who intended to threaten Allied supply and communication routes between the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Effects: Japan's first defeat on land. Begins Allied "island-hopping" as they approach Japan. -
Battle of the Philippine Sea
Who: U.S. Navy vs. Japanese Navy's Mobile Fleet What: Major naval battle; largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history. Major victory for Americans, though many Japanese ships were able to retreat. Why: Part of the United States's invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War. Japan wanted to engage secure a decisive win against the American naval fleet in early 1944. Effect: Eliminated the Japanese Navy's ability to perform large-scale carrier actions. -
Yalta Conference
Who: Franklin D. Roosevelt (US), Winston Churchill (UK), and Joseph Stalin (USSR) What: A conference between the "Big Three" Allied nations that attempted to establish peace with a plan to aid the liberated peoples of postwar Nazi Europe. Why: The conference was set-up to discuss the re-establishment of the nations of Europe. Effect: Considered a crucial turning point of the war. Key Points: focus on unconditional Nazi surrender and free elections in Poland. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Who: U.S. Marine Corps vs. Japanese Imperial Army What: Major battle in which the U.S. Marine Corps landed on and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Imperial Army. More than 6,000 marines died. Why: Iwo Jima was a strategic location for the U.S. as heavily loaded bombers could reach the Japan mainland. Effect: American victory, though the U.S. sustained high total casualties. One island left until Americans could invade Japan. -
Battle of Okinawa
Who: Allied forces vs. Japanese forces What: Invasion of Okinawa island. Japanese unleashed more than 1,900 kamikaze attacks on the Allies, damaging and sinking more than 300 ships, and killing almost 5,000 seamen. Why: Allies planned to use Okinawa as a base for air operations for the planned invasion of Japan. Effect: Both sides lost considerable numbers of ships and aircraft. Provided a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields in proximity to Japan to Allies. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
Who: U.S. forces "vs." Japanese military and citizens What: A B-29 bomber named Enola Gay released an atomic bomb, code-named Little Boy, over Hiroshima, a Japanese military center. Why: Bomb could be used as an alternative to a ground invasion. Japan was warned but declined to surrender. Effect: Virtually every building in the city collapsed into dust. Hiroshima ceased to exist. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
Who: U.S. forces "vs." Japanese military and citizens What: A second bomb, code-named "Fat Man," was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki by a B-29 bomber named Bockscar. Why: Truman wanted an end to the war that led to the fewest amount of American lives shed. He decided that dropping two atomic bombs on Japan was the best solution. Effect: Half the city was destroyed. 200,000 deaths as a result of both bombings combined. Emperor Hirohito of Japan agreed to surrender. -
V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day