Pacific Theater

  • Pearl Harbor

    Pearl Harbor
    Americans thought that Japan would attack American bases in the Philipines. Instead they attacked in Oahu's Pearl Harbor. Japanese aircrafts tried to bomb and toredo as many American ships as possible, no single person was in charge of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hundreds of fighter planes and several ships were damages, 8 battle ships suffered damage, 2,400 American lives were lost, and Japan suffered minimal damage. Entered WWII as an Allie.
  • Battle of Java Sea

    Battle of Java Sea
    Japanese navies caused severe damage to Allie ships and captured British controlled Burma and other key positions in the Pacific. They gained control of several oil reserves, which were vital to their plans. They also established very strategic places for more bases.
  • Loss of Philippines

    Loss of Philippines
    After bombing Pearl Harbor, Japan quickly began to take over much of Southeast Asia. As the Japanese troops approached the Philippines, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur moved the U.S. forces from the city of Manila to the Bataan Peninsula.The Japanese did not give the prisoners food or water for three days. As the soldiers became weaker and weaker many of them started to fall behind the group. Those that fell behind were beaten and killed by the Japanese. Sometimes exhausted prisoners were driven
  • Bataan Death March

    Bataan Death March
    Japan could take over the Philipines, but George MacArthur led a force of unequipped and untrained men, primarily Filipinos. MacArthur planned a retreat to the Bataan Pennisula after the Japanese came ashore in Dec. 1941. Once there, they had little food and machine. In March 1942 George was ordered to leave his men, but he promised his return to them. Japanese soldiers pushed American and Filipino soldiers for 5 days and nights into the Bataan Forest. Those who dropped out of line were beaten.
  • Doolittle Raid

    Doolittle Raid
    James Doolittle led 16 Americans in a daring air raid upon several Japanese cities. The raid didnt do much damage but it gave something the American people could celebrate. Japanese leaders were angry. this anger would cloud their judgements and lead to other major military mistakes in months coming.
  • Battle of Coral Sea

    Battle of Coral Sea
    Aircraft carriers that had not been damaged at pearl harbor were used at the battle of coral sea. Japanese froces were planning on attacking british controlled Port Moseby. U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz sent 2 planes to the attack. In the next battle, the navies suffered terribly. Americans lost an aircraft and several dozen aircrafts but they stopped japanese advance for the first time.
  • Island Hopping Strategy

    Island Hopping Strategy
    Guadacanal ser the pattern, Allies focused on Japanese weak spots. IN 1944 the Allies captured Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, and Mariana. Allies took control of thew industrial power. Pacific fighting was costly, both sides lost several dozen ships and thousands of aircrafts. Japanese losses were unable to restock. Allies began to send more resources to the Pacific. Code talkers played a key role as well.
  • Battle of Midway

    Battle of Midway
    japanese leaders wanted to lure americans into large sea battle they would attack midway island which was in the middle of the pacific. they wanted to pull in an american fleet and destroy it. japanese had way more carriers and ships. but the americans had naval intelligence by breaking a japanese code about the midway attack. japanese didnt think they could be beat. nimitz placed 3 aircraft carriers and his goal was to stop the japanese from landing at midway.
  • Guadalcanal

    Guadalcanal
    americans wanted the solomon islands. these islands threatened nearby austrailia, an allie power. a key goal was to capture guadacanal. the japanese had made an airfielod there, making it very tempting. the environment was terrible fighting conditions but the americans came anyways.
  • Battle of Leyte Gulf

    Battle of Leyte Gulf
    The Battle of Leyte Gulf, formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II. It was fought in waters of the Leyte Gulf, near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon. On 20 October, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of vital oil supplies.
  • Battle of Iwo Jima

    Battle of Iwo Jima
    americans needed a better base to launch raids, so they set out to capture iwo jima, 750 miles away from tokyo. japanese refused to surrender. 7000 u.s. soldiers died, 1900 japanese bit the bullet as well out of the 20000.
  • Battke of Okinawa

    Battke of Okinawa
    350 miles away from the maidland of japan okinawa was the last straw for the invasion of japan. bloodiest battle in the pacific. 12000 plus americans died. 110000 japanese lives lost.
  • Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima

    Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
    In August 1945, during the final stage of the Second World War, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombings, which killed at least 129,000 people, remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history.
  • Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki

    Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki
    3 days after the first a second one was dropped on nagasaki killing about 40000 people. japanese emperor wanted to surrender but the military resisted
  • VJ Day

    VJ Day
    Hirohito announced the end of the war via radio broadcast. due to the damage of the two bombs it was the japanese people had heard the emperor's voice