25.3 Advancing in the Pacific
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Allies had engaged in Island Hopping in the Pacific
Island Hopping – A strategy in which Allies would capture some Japanese islands while
ignoring others (or “hopping over” them)
o Made it difficult to know where we were going to land, attack, etc.
Taking these islands was not an easy task
JP soldiers typically did not surrender – kill themselves rather than surrender
Kamikaze pilots continued their reckless ways – flying directly into US ships
o WW2 – 3,000+ Kamikazes died
American Forces Near Japan
 Battle at Iwo Jima – one of the fiercest, bloodiest battles in the island hopping
campaign (see map of island of Iwo Jima)
 23,000+ Marines were killed trying to capture this island
 Some 36 days later, US was successful (Famous photo planting the flag)
 Battle at Okinawa – most complex and costly operation in the island hopping campaign
o US needed this island badly in order to use its naval base for an invasion of JP
that had been planned
o US ultimately took the island, but another 50,000 casualties were also a result
 Now the US pilots could bomb Japanese home islands
 JP – short on pilots, planes, fuel, and ammunition
o Since JP was so weak, they could not retaliate to the relentless bombing of
factories, military bases, and civilian cities
o One of these “bombing nights” took more lives than either of the atomic bombs
would later on
The Atomic Bomb Ends the War
Review: Manhattan Project had been underway for some time now
 Manhattan Project cost billions of dollars, but also brought thousands of jobs
 Two major leaders of the Manhattan Project:
o Gen. Leslie Groves – maintaining basic operations (hiring & firing, purchasing
necessary materials, security, etc.)
o J. Robert Oppenheimer – took care of the actual science involved in the project,
 Many of the scientists working on the Manhattan Project were unaware of the big
picture – they were working on one aspect, or “part of the puzzle”
 July 16, 1945 – Alamogordo, New Mexico – 1st atomic bomb was tested
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“The war’s over. One or two of those things and Japan will be finished.” (Groves)
Truman now has to make the decision to drop the bomb or not
o Knows the Axis Powers have been working on their own bomb, but not sure of
status
o Knows the ethical issues surrounding dropping such a destructive bomb on
thousands of defenseless civilians
o Chief priority of president – save American lives
 If we were to stage an all-out invasion of JP, it was estimated there would
be up to 1 million US casualties
Truman sought to end the war, so he made the decision to drop the atomic bomb (naysayers did not appear until AFTER the bombs were dropped)
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Are Destroyed
 August 6, 1945 (9:14am) – US pilots dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima
o 2 minutes later, 60,000 civilians dead or missing
 JP leaders debated and considered a surrender
 August 9, 1945 – US pilots dropped “Fat Boy” (named because of its roundess – larger
than the 1st bomb)
 Finally, Emperor Hirohito surrendered.
 August 15 – V-J Day (Victory in Japan Day)
 WW2 was finally over, but not before some 60 million lives were lost (mostly civilians)