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Pearl Harbor
- Surprise attack that was an initial shock to all the Allies in the Pacific Theater -Brought the US into WWII on the side of the allies against the Axis powers, Japan, Germany and Italy. -Japan destroyed 18 American ships, nearly 300 airplanes, and almost 2,500 men were killed and another 1,000 were wounded.
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Bataan and Corregidor
Bataan
-Most intense phase of Japan's invasion of the Philippines during WWII
-Largest Surrender in American and Philipino history
-Cruicial for Japan's effort to control the SouthWest Pacific Corregidor
-Remaining obstacle in Japan's conquest of the Philippines
-Essential for the Japanese to take Corregidor - as long as the island remained in American hands they would be denied the use of Manila Bay, the finest natural harbor in the Far East.
-Japan Won -
Doolittle Raid
-Also known as the Tokyo Raid - It was an air raid by the U.S. on Tokyo
-Negligible material damage done to Tokyo but raised American morale -
Midway and Coral Sea
Coral Sea
-Japanese decided to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi
-From these locations, Japanese bombers could reach Australia and bomb the Allied nation into submission.
-roughly equal damage to both sides
-Austrailia remained part of Allied control Midway
-Midway must be seized in order for Japan to capture Hawaii
- American Victory
- Japan went in thinking they would do further damage, after this battle Japan was never the same and America began to dominate -
Guadalcanal
-largest of the Solomon Islands
-American and Australian forces engaged in battle with the Japanese for control of New Guinea
-But by 9 February, the last Japanese soldier had been drive from the island. -
Battle of Peleliu
-highest casualty rate out of all battles in the Pacific for America
- battle lasted over 2 months
-showed Americans the pattern of future Japanese island defense which would be seen again at Iwo Jima and Okinawa
- American forces won
