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Pearl Harbor
The devestating news of the surprise attack on US marines at a naval base in Hawaii reached the US nation. This attack sparked the war between the US and the Japanese Empire.
Around 2,500- 3,000 sailors and marines were killed.
The Japanese were able to successfully cause damage to the port because of their use of the Aircraft Carriers which played a huge role. -
Bataan and Corregidor:
More bad news reached Americans after the winter. At Bataan and Corregidor a defensive tactic used by the Japanese failed. Afterwards, a 'death march' killed 25,000 people from wounds, diseases and mistreatment. Japanese shelled the area causing the islands to be surrendered to the Japanese. The maltreatment inflicted on the people was more bad news. -
Doolittle Raid
Hopeful news came along when the US striked back at Japan for Pearl Harbor. The US used longranged land bombers on a carrier. On April 2, the USS Hornet left San Francisco with sixteen B-25 medium range bombers on flight deck, under the authority of Colonel James Doolittle. Thirteen planes sucessfully launched at Tokyo and in the end 71 soldiers ou of 80 survived to return to the US. -
Coral Sea
The battle of Coral Sea was the first time the carrier tasks forces in naval history encountered each other. As a result, Port Moresby was saved. -
Midway
The batte of Midway was the the turning point of the Pacific. This battle was the attacking of the westernmost outpost of the Hawaiin chain. The specific carriers that the US used was Yorktown GlassThis battle revealed that the real weapons were the battleships, not the aircrafts. The casualty rate was 2,500. -
Guadalcanal
Began on August 7, 1942- February 1943
The battle that determined the sucess of the Japanese' cutting off the sea route between Australia and America.
If Japan got power, they were able to cut the route, however, if American gained control, they would be better able to protect Australia from Japan. As a result, the US won this battle. The specific carriers used by the Americans were The Saratoga, The Wasp, and The Enterprise. -
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu took place i one of the Palau islands. This battle had the largest number of death tolls. Forty percent of the 28,000 marines and soldiers were either killed or wounded from this battle. Many lessons were learned through this though. First, the over confidence caused the large casualty rate. Due to the overconfidence, commanders denid support and underestmated the terrain of the island. Second, the US was able to figure out the Japanese' strategy of attrition.
