Island warfare – What exactly happened?
After Pearl Harbor – it took us time to “rebound”
General MacArthur forced to retreat from
Philippines – vowed “I shall return” – HE DID!
 Bataan/Corregidor in Philippines – HUGE losses


U.S. morale = needed
boost
 16 B25’s attacked Tokyo &
dropped bombs – total
surprise! Took off from
Hornet
 Operation – quick – met no
retaliation
 15 “Raiders” landed in
China & aided – 15 hrs
flying!






Japan retaliated against Chinese – killed
thousands
Most flyers made it – 3 executed by Japanese
Mission = technically impossible (almost)!
Why did it succeed?
Lt. Col. James Doolittle = highly trained &
educated (Ph.d from MIT) AND skilled pilots





Japan – moved on to
Australia – Battle of Coral
Sea (5 day)
BUT far different than most
naval battles
Why?
Fighting was exchanged by
airplanes (based off carriers)
Not the ships!






Victory for?
Really the Allies – Japan did not/could not
invade Australia (ever!)
Battle of Midway – what happened?
June 4 of 1942 = Japanese (Yamamoto)
attacked Midway Island
Battle = fought ENTIRELY from air
U.S. led by Admiral Chester Nimitz
U.S. planes surprised
Japanese planes while
refueling
 Result = fuel hoses caught
fire – bombs exploded on
deck
 3 of 4 Japanese carriers sunk!
(4 damaged) AND
 250 planes downed







U.S. = broke Japanese code of JN-25 (before
attack!)
Result – Japan no longer on offense
Next – HUGE battle
Battle of Guadalcanal – 11,000 marines
landed in Aug/1942 (in Solomon Islands)
Jungle warfare dominated (vs. 2,200)
Reinforcements sent in (both sides)
Marines at Base
Camp
Japanese
invaded island to
invade Australia
They build an
airfield & packed
it w/8,400
soldiers
Disease =
rampant!





U.S. Navy = control over
water in Nov.
Feb. 1943 – U.S. control
Now – strategy of “Island
Hopping” (leapfrog!)
Goal – capture crucial
islands – cut off supplies –
closer to Japan
End of 1944 – B-29’s – over
Japanese cities





Oct/1944: 160,000 U.S. troops landed on Leyte (Ph
island) “I have returned” – dramatic!
3 day battle occurred – Battle of Leyte Gulf (280
warships)
1st battle – kamikazes used (bombs loaded) – crashed
into ships
But – U.S. destroyed Japanese navy
BUT – Japanese – refused to surrender in Phil.





Took until June 1945 – control Phil!
I.e. 80,000 Japanese killed – 1,000 surrendered –
meaning?
Now – nearing end, BUT…
Battle of Iwo Jima – 11/44 U.S. – air attacked
(volcanic island – mass caves)
Feb/1945: Marines stormed beach – 110,000
Americans needed – resistance!







25,000 Japanese – 216
surrendered!
U.S. casualties = 25,000!
27 Medals of Honor (most ever in
any war operation)
Next - Battle of Okinawa
April-June 1945: Last island in
way of Japan
1,300 warships & 180,000 U.S.
troops – HUGE!
Banzai charges initiated by
Japanese's (kill everyone!)
Goal: bring us closer to mainland to launch bombing raids = were 4
airfields on island





Result – 50,000 American deaths = “costliest
engagement” of war
What to do?
U.S. decided to drop the bomb
Manhattan Project – (scientists completed)
split nucleus of uranium atom BUT needed to
figure out – chain reaction
Energy – create mass explosion!
ENGINEERS WORKING
GROVES & OPPENHEIMER






July 16, 1945: tested 1st A-bomb in N.M.
J. Robert Oppenheimer – world changed!
Now – what to do?
Interim Committee debated 4 options
I.e. invasion of Japan? But cost millions of
lives or naval blockade – starve Japan
Final decision – Truman – “do your weeping at
Pearl Harbor”
J. Robert Oppenheimer




Aug 6 1945: Enola Gay
dropped bomb on
Hiroshima (Little Boy plutonium)
Aug 9 1945: Boxscar
dropped bomb on Nagasaki
(Fat Man - uranium)
Aug 14 – Japan surrendered
(VJ Day 8/15)
Sept 2 – formal end of war

Hiroshima: ↑ troops,
military factories &
facilities w/no prior
damage (US airstrikes)

Nagasaki: major
shipbuilding city &
large military port




Target committee
met April 1945
Who were?
Military personnel &
scientists
Narrowed to 4 cities