Chapter 25Section 4: The War in the Pacific

Dec. 7th- hours after Pearl, attacked Clark Island, the main American base in the Phillippines Dec. 8th Japanese forces attacked American bases on Wake IslandDec. 10th- Attacked Guam

MacArthur was the commanding General (at Clark Island)Failed to prepare & the Japanese destroyed about of the planes lined up in rows on the ground

Days later landed on LuzonMacArthur withdrew most of his troops southward & set up defensesNo hope for a rescue, FDR ordered MacArthur to go to AustraliaMade a promise to his army I shall returnto Phillipines

The Japanese (purpose)Advance 1941-1942Hoped the US would withdraw, leaving east access to natural resources of southeast AsiaOil & rubber would give Japan economic freedom

Japan attacked a number of other Allied colonies in Dec 1941By March they seized Hong Kong, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, Malaya, & invaded Burma

The Phillippines FallMost of Bataans defenders surrender in April 1942 - 11,000 Americans & Filipinos surrenders on May 6

Captured 76,000 as P.O.WsFaced grueling tropical heat, forced to march 60 miles to a railroad junction to board a train that took them to within 8 miles of an army campThey walked the rest of the way

Many were denied water & rest, many were beaten & torturedAt least 10,000 diedMany were executed by the guards when they grew too weakBataan Death March

Defending China & BurmaChina joined the Allies on Dec. 1941US already set military advisors & Lend-Lease arms & equipmentChiang Hai-Shek- Chinas Nationalist leader asked American Gen. Joseph Stilwell to serve as his chief of staff

Led the Chinese armies defending BurmaThe Flying Tigers fared poorly against the JapaneseLost control of the Burma Road

The War at SeaJapans Goal - attack Pearl Harbor was to destroy the 3 aircraft carriers that formed the heart of the Pacific Fleet- failed 1-The Lexington & 2.the Enterprise had been at sea3. The Saratoga was undergoing repairs in CA

April 1942- Led by Lt. Col. James DoolittleAmerican B-52 medium bombers took off from the Hornet on their own secret missionPlanes flew to Japan to carry out a counterattack

Dropped bombs on Tokyo & other cities before crash landing in ChinaMost pilots survivedCaused little physical damage, but shocked Japans leadership & boosted American morale

Japanese force continued to advance across the PacificThe fall of the Dutch East Indies opened the way to Australia

May 1942- Battle of the Coral SeaAircraft launched from carriers bombed & strafed enemy ships more than 70 miles 5 day battle cost both sides more than of their planesPrevented the Japanese from invading Australia

First naval combat carried out entirely by aircraftEnemy ships never came within sight of one another

Allied Victories Turn the TideSummer of 1941 Soviet Union resisted German attacksAllies prepared to invade north Africa2 critical battles took place in the Pacific

The Battle of MidwayAdmiral Yamamoto Isoroku hoped to destroy what remained of the US Pacific Fleet by luring it into battle near Midway Island (1,100 miles northwest of Hawaii)Opened June 4, 1942 with a wave of Japanese bomber attacks on the island & an unsuccessful American strike on the Japanese fleet

Fought entirely from the airFirst American planes tried to fend off Japanese carriers Then Americans carriers intervened, surprised the Japanese as they were refueling, fuel hoses caught fireSank 3 of the 4 carriers & finished the 4th later that day

Yorktown Japanese planes were able to sink it.After Midway, Japan was unable to launch any more offensive operations in the Pacific

The Battle of GuadalcanalAllies goal was now to capture Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, where the Japanese were building an airfield to threaten nearby Allied bases11,000 marines landed in August 1942

2,200 Japanese fled into the jungleAmerican Navy took control of the waters in November, limiting Japanese troop landings

Struggle for the IslandsIsland hopping- by capturing only a few crucial islands, the US effectively cut off the bypassed islands from supplies & reinforcements

Island hopping in the Pacific1943-44 Allies pushed north from Australia & west across the central PacificForces under Gen. MacArthur & Adm. William Halsey leap-frogged through the Solomon Islands

Adm. Nimitz hopped around the Gilbert Islands, seizing Tanawa, then used it to launch bombing raids on Japanese bases in the Marshall IslandsFeb. 1944, these attacks crippled Japanese air power, allowing Nimitz to seize Kwajalein & Eniwetok

Captured parts of Mariana Islands in JuneFor the first time, Japan was within reach of long range US bombers

The Philippines CampaignMid Oct- 160,000 US troops invaded the Philippines island of LeyteBattle of Leyte Greatest naval battle in world history developed off the coastGulf (3 day battle)

280 warshipsFirst time kamikazes were usedAmerican force virtually destroyed the Japanese navy & emerged victoriousNot until June 1945 did the Allies control the Philippines

Iwo Jima & OkinawaOne of the bloodiest battles took place at Iwo Jima, less than 600 miles from JapanThe natural terrain protected more than 600 Japanese guns Nov. 1944 US bombers began to pound Iwo Jima

For 74 days, US planes & warships poured nearly 7,000 tons of bombs downMid Feb.- Marines stormed the beachesAfter 3 days, they advanced only 700 yards

Eventually 110,000 Americans took part in the campaign Needed at least a month to secure the islandOnly 219 Japanese were taken prisonerUS suffered 25,000 casualties

Battle of OkinawaFought from April to June 1945Approximately 350 miles from JapanLast obstacle to the Allied invasion of the home land

Allies gathered 1,300 warships & 180,000 combat troops to drive the enemy from OkinawaJapanese pilots flew from 2,000 kamikaze attacks against the fleet

As American soldiers came ashore, defenders made desperate banzai attacks (attacks in which the soldiers tried to kill as many as possible until they themselves were killed)June- Japanese resistance finally ended after almost 3 months

The Manhattan ProjectAug. 1939- Albert Einstein Sent FDR suggesting that a powerful new type of bomb could be built by the GermansFDR organized the top secret Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb

To make the bomb, scientists had to discover how to create a chain reaction, where particles released from the splitting of one atom would cause another atom to break apart, & so onIn theory, the energy released by the splitting of so many atoms would produce a massive explosion

1942- Enrico Fermi produced the first controlled chain reaction in a lab at the University of ChicagoJuly 16, 1945- first bomb was tested in New Mexico

The Decision to Drop the Bomb Alternatives to ending the war1.Massive invasion of Japan2.Naval blockade to starve Japan & bombingDemonstration of the atomic bomb on a deserted island to pressure Japan to surrender

3. Softening of Allied demands for an unconditional surrenderInterim Committee met Spring 1945 to debate these ideasCouldnt recommend any alternativesFinal decision rested with President Truman.

Japan SurrenderedAug. 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped a single atomic bomb on HiroshimaAnnihilated the citys center & its residents in an instant80,000 died & at least 80,000 more were injured by fire, radiation sickness, & force of the explosion

Aug. 9th- Nagasaki - a second bomb was dropped. Aug. 14th- Japan surrenderedAug. 15th- US celebrated V-J dayFormal surrender agreement was signed on Sept. 2nd aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay

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