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Pearl Harbor
It was a suprise Japanses attack on at the naval bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This was home to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Japanses aircraft approached the island of Oahu and with planes loaded with bombs and torpedoes to destory as many American ships and planes as possible. It lasted barely two hours. 2,400 dead Americans, 200 aircraft destroyed, 8 battleships damaged and four sunk. Complete defeat for the U.S. -
Battle of Java Sea
It was a naval battle. Allies suffered defeat against Japan.The aftermath caused the Battle of Sunda Strait. These deafeats gave Japan the occupation of Netherlands East Indies. -
Loss of Philippines
General Douglas MacArthur led the defense. The American troops were no match for the Japanese invaders. MacArthur retreated to the Bataan Peninsula. Supplies were short and the soldiers were sick and hungry. MacArthur was ordered to leave his men. 10,000 Americans surrendered on Bataan. -
Bataan Death March
For five days and nights the Japanese forced the soldiers to march though Bataan forests. This is known as Bataan Death March. -
Doolittle Raid
Doolittle and 16 American bombers had air raids on Tokyo and several other Japanses cities -
Battle of Coral Sea
Japanese forces wer preparing to invade the British controlled Port Moresby on the island of New Guinea. To prevent this attack, U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz sent two aircaft carriers. Americans stopped the Japanese attack. U.S. lost an aircraft carrier and several dozen aircraft. -
Battle of Midway
Japanese military planners decided to try to lure the Americans into a large sea battle. They attack the American- held Midway Island, which is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They hoped the attack would pull the American fleet into the area. The Japanese had a large advantage in the number of ships and carriers. American Naval intelligence officers had broken a Japanese code and learned about the attack. American bombs damged Japanese carriers . U.S. victory. -
Guadalcanal
Japanese fought against Americans for the control of the island, Guadalcanal. The battle took place on land, in the sea, and air. Each side won small victories until Japanese forces fled the island. This was a key moment in the war because Americans had the Japanses on the run. -
Island Hopping Strategy
Island hopping was a military stradgey used by the Allies against the Japanese in the Pacific. It was adopted by U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz. They would use planes to bomb the islands until Japanses base were suffienctly weakend. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
300 ships took part in the greatest naval batte ever fought. Allies helda huge advantage in numbers of ships. When the battle was over, Japanese had lost four carriers, three battleships, and number of other vessels. This battle was the first major use of a new Japanese weapon, kamikaze. A kamikaze was a pilot who loaded his aircraft with bombs and crashed into enemy ships., but it did not change the outcome of the battle.U.S. victory. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Americans try to get controll of the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. Marines captureed the island's tallest point. Some Americans thought that meant the battle was over. The fighting raged on for several weeks. 7,000 Americans were dead and more 20,000 Japanese were defenders and all but 1,000 died. -
Battle of Okinawa
Japanese forces retreated to the southern tip of island when Alllied troops invaded. Japanese soldiers hid in caves and tunnels. 12,000 Americans died and 1,000 more injured, Japanese lost 110,000 troops. Americans gained control of the island. -
Attomic bomb on Hiroshima
80,000 residents died immediately, 35,000 were injured, and two-thirds of the city's 90,000 buildings were destroyed. After Japan's leaders took no action to end the war. -
Atomic bomb on nagaski
The atomic bomb on Hiroshima wasn't enough for Japanese to end the war,so one was droppe don Nagaski too. The bomb killed between 60,000 to 80,000 people. -
VJ Day
Japanese leader Hirohtio favored surrender, but miltary leaders resisted. Some even tried to overthrow the Japanese government. They failled and August 15 to the Allies became known as VJ Day. Hirohito anoucned the end of the war in a radio broadcast.
