Sec. 2: The Allied Response

Pacific Theatre

Ch. 14: World War II, 1930-1945

The Early Years after Pearl Harbor

Followed by string of Japanese victories Singapore, Hong Kong, Burma, several pacific

islands, and the Philippines fell in April, 1942 The Bataan Death March

Japanese forced 70,000 American & Filipino POWs to march up Bataan Peninsula to distant prison camp

Tropical heat, starvation, lack of water, and brutal treatment resulted in 600 American deaths; thousands more died while at the prison camp

Bataan POWs

Pacific Battles, 1942

Battle of the Coral Sea (May,1942) Japanese plan to attack British in New Guinea

(Northeast of Australia) Allies attack Japan first; both lose a carrier but 1st time

Japan had been stopped

Battle of Midway (June, 1942) Japanese hoped to capture U.S. base at Midway Island

and lure U.S. navy into sea battle Although U.S. outnumbered, it had broken Japanese

code so was able to plan defense in advance Tremendous U.S. victory as they sunk 4 Japanese

carriers while losing only one; turning pt. of war in Pacific

Island Hopping or Leapfrogging

U.S. followed strategy known as leapfrogging Took weaker islands while skipping over Japanese

strongholds, moving ever closer to Japan itself Cut off from its supply routes, the strongholds

would eventually fall on their own

1942-’44: US Marines fought series of death struggles with Japanese forces entrenched on island fortresses

Guadalcanal; the Solomon, Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, and Mariana Islands

By 1944, Japan’s Navy in Retreat

Battle of Leyte Gulf- October, 1944

Largest naval battle ever in history of world

First major battle in U.S.’s attempt to retake the Philippines

Japanese 1st use of kamikazes, sinking tons of Allied ships but failing to win the battle

It would still take several more months of war to defeat Japan, but her control of the Pacific had come to an end