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Pearl Harbor
Japan launched a surprise military attack on the U.S. to warn them from interfering in the Pacific Ocean and to prove that Japan was a new global power. It was strategically significant because it was a midway stop in the Pacific, and it halted U.S. naval activity. Pearl Harbor also marked the employment of Aircraft Carriers, and resulted in immense casualties for the Americans and the destruction of seven battleships, which would have been worse if the U.S. aircraft carriers been in port. -
Bataan Death March
The Battle of Bataan was another defeat of United States forces, after which they were forced to relinquish control of the Philippines, that was followed by the Bataan Death March. 70,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war were marched eighty miles to Camp O’Donnell. However during the march, the POWs experiences abuse, murder and similar atrocities. It marked one of the most inhumane events of the war, and several Japanese military leaders were later convicted of war crimes. -
Doolittle Raid
The U.S. attempted to bomb Tokyo by sending the carrier Hornet with 16 B-25 bombers toward Japan. When the ship was 650 miles away, a Japanese naval picket was sighted and Halsey sent the bombers. Although the attack did not cause major damage to Japan, it raised American morale and created doubt in Japan about their ability to protect their home islands. This in part lead to Yamamoto’s decision to attack Midway Island in June 1942. -
Battle of Corregidor
Corregidor was a significant battle that marked the fall of the Philippines and the height of Japanese control in the Pacific. It was the aerial bombing of the city by Japanese forces, while Filipino soldiers, led by General MacArthur proposed tremendous resistance. It also was a point of embarrassment for Japanese forces who insisted that the battle wouldn’t take long and was almost over, but the siege lasted six months with enormous casualties to the Japanese and delaying their takeover. -
Battle of Coral Sea
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Battle of Midway
Japanese planned an ambush to sink the American carriers.
37 Douglas Dauntless Bombers from U.S.S. Enterprise split into a dive attack on two Japanese aircraft carriers; six hours later the other two carriers had been destroyed. Japanese carriers destroyed: Akagi: 267; Kaga: 811; Hiryu: 392; Soryu: 711. Victory allowed the United States and its allies to move into an offensive position. -
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Battle of Guadacanal
Battle of Guadalcanal was a major offensive and a decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific. Japanese troops arrived to construct an air base (called Henderson Airfield); US takes it. Six-month Guadalcanal campaign proves to be the turning point of the Pacific war. Japanese lost 31,400 troops; U.S. Marines and U.S. Army lost less than 2,000 soldiers of 60,000 deployed. Japan after Guadalcanal no longer had a realistic hope of withstanding the counteroffensive of the powerful US. -
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Battle of Guadalcanal was a major offensive and a decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific. Japanese troops arrived to construct an air base (called Henderson Airfield); US takes it. Six-month Guadalcanal campaign proves to be the turning point of the Pacific war. Japanese lost 31,400 troops; U.S. Marines and U.S. Army lost less than 2,000 soldiers of 60,000 deployed. Japan after Guadalcanal no longer had a realistic hope of withstanding the counteroffensive. -
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Battle of Peleliu
The U.S. First Marine Division and 81st Infantry Division fought to capture the airstrip on the small coral island of Peleliu. It took 2 months when it was anticipated to take only 4 days, and was controversial because of its questionable strategic value. It had the highest casualty rate of U.S. military personnel for any battle of the Pacific War, with 1, 794 men killed and 8,010 wounded or missing. The island was also never used as a staging base for subsequent invasions.
