Pacific Theater Philippines Spring 1942 Japanese control Philippines

Pacific Theater

Philippines § Spring 1942 § Japanese control Philippines in March when Douglas Mac. Arthur ordered by FDR off island § Promised that “I shall return” § Significance § US stumble out of gates in Pacific § Many US soldiers and personnel left behind

Coral Sea § May 1942 § Japanese and US clash in air between Asian and Australia § Significant because-one showed the different types of battle that we will see in Pacific (air and naval will rule). Two- it shows the world Japan can be stopped and Australia is no longer threatened.

Battle of Midway § Summer of 1942 § Why fought? -Midway island (NW of Hawaii). US cracks code and is aware of attack § Scout planes find Japanese on June 3 § Japanese will lose 4 aircraft carriers and over 250 planes in battle § Turning point of Pacific § “Avenged Pearl Harbor” as one Japanese pilot said

Iwo Jima § Most protected spot in Asia § Over 20, 700 troops (all would die but roughly 200) § Marines lose 6, 000 -highest of pacific thus far § Fought as a stepping stone to Japanonly Okinawa left in island hopping campaign § Produced ‘the photo’

Battle of Okinawa § April 1945 § US invasion-dealt with kamikaze attacks and unbelievable fighting style of never surrender § 110, 000 die for Japan while ‘only’ 7, 000 for US § Scary preview at what fighting in Japan might be like-is there another way to end the war

Fighting style § Japanese fought w/ honor and a cultural belief in the military § Kamikaze attacks-purposely using planes strapped with bombs to hurl into ships, etc to cause maximum damage § Name comes from term “divine wind” after the story of a typhoon that saved Japan from a Mongol invasion in the 1200’s.

Atomic Bomb § Manhattan Project § Lead by Oppenheimer § First tested in July of 1945 in New Mexico § Flash was visible for 180 miles § Harry S Truman faces his first tough decision § Drop the bomb and end countless numbers of lives § OR don’t drop it and lose American lives § He would ask Japan to surrender at once, or else

§ When they don’t surrender, the first Atom bomb is dropped on August 6, 1945 on Hiroshima, Japan § After hesitating to surrender, Nagasaki was hit w/ the second § Both areas were military areas and hence their selection for the drop § Hirohito was horrified by the damage and eventually calls for peace by surrendering to the US on Sept. 2