War in the Pacific Background Japan invades China

War in the Pacific

Background • Japan invades China in 1937. • Japan joins the Axis in Sept 1940. • US, British, and Dutch impose oil embargo in July 1941 on Japan • Japanese expect armed conflict with U. S. continue false negotiations. • US population focused on war in Europe.

Situation • Growing Japanese Empire starved for resources • Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor – Pre-emptive Strike • Successful opening offensive! – Border extended 14, 200 mi • Over half the earth’s circumference • Each attack in an area larger then European and Mediterranean Theatres combined

Defensive Phase Offensive Phase Pearl Harbor Wake Is. Kiska/Attu – Aleutians Philippines (Bataan) Guam “Turning Point”

Midway - June 1942 • Japanese get greedy. – Not satisfied w/ original perimeter. – Want base to bomb Hawaii. – Destroy US naval fleet. • US breaks Japanese code. • Jap. complex plan with many targets. – Aleutians, Midway, Fleet, etc. • First naval battle fought entirely with airplanes.

Midway: The Tide Turns • Japanese lose four heavy carriers, all planes, and many of their best pilots • US loses A/CC USSYorktown.

Defensive Phase Offensive Phase Tarawa Pearl Harbor Marianas (Saipan, Tinian, Guam) Wake Is. Iwo Jima Kiska/Attu – Aleutians Okinawa Philippines (Bataan) Firebombing Tokyo Guam Hiroshima, Nagasaki “Turning Point”

Offensive Phase • “Twin Thrusts” • Mac. Arthur from south • Purpose – Push back and destroy the enemy – By-Pass enemy strongholds – Regain the Philippines

Offensive in the Southern Pacific Mac. Arthur

Twin Thrusts – Nimitz • Nimitz from across the Pacific – Carrier Fleet vulnerable to land air bases • Purpose – Cut the enemy in two – Break enemy will to fight • Firebombing – Prepare to invade Japan

Offensive in the Central Pacific Nimitz Tarawa

• 1943 – (Mac) March Bismark Sea – (Nim) November Tarawa and Makin (Gilberts) • 1944 – (Nim) February Kwajalein & Eniwetok (Marshalls) – (Mac) February-June New Guinea – (Nim) June-August Saipan, Tinian, Guam (Marianas) • B 29 s able to bomb Japan – (Mac & Nim) October Leyte Gulf • Destroyed much of Japanese Navy • Largest Naval Battle in History

LVT – Landing Vehicle, Tracked • Amphibious Tractor or Amph. Trac or Amtrac or “Alligator”

Flame Throwers – Filled with Napalm – Gasoline mixed with naphtha that sticks to flesh and burns extremely hot flames.

Iwo Jima (Nimitz) • 9 Feb 1945 • Objective: Capture Airfields • 1 st wave of Marines gets ashore easily but then Japanese attack. – 2 days - Southern half of island in US control. – Takes 34 more days to secure remainder – (8 square miles total).

Iwo Jima – “Throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete. ” • 36 days, 26, 000 US casualties including 6, 800 Killed – 27 Medals of Honor awarded. • ONLY 1, 000 out of 20, 000 Japanese survived • By the end of the war 2, 400 B-29 s w/ 27, 000 crewmen made unscheduled landings on IWO.

• Using the data below, create a bar graph or line graph showing U. S. casualties in the Pacific theater in WWII. • What “trends” can you identify? • Make a prediction of the casualties of an invasion of Japan. Battle American Dead American Wounded Tarawa (Gilberts) 1, 001 2, 300 Guam (Marianas) 3, 000 7, 000 Saipan (Marianas) 3, 426 13, 160 Iwo Jima 6, 000 17, 200 Okinawa 12, 500 35, 500 Japan ? ? ? ? ?

1945 • February-March Iwo Jima (Nim. ) • March Tokyo raids • Low level fire-bombing runs. • Kills 80, 000 Japanese civilians • Designed to force surrender but didn’t. • April-June Okinawa (Nim. ) – Japanese home island – very tough resistance • August • 6 th Hiroshima • 9 th Nagasaki • 15 th Japan surrenders. • September 2 VJ Day

A New Formula for Mass Destruction • Japan warned, but refused to surrender. • Planners estimate 3 -5 x as many casualties as at Okinawa. • Hiroshima – 6 August 1945 – 60 -70 k killed or missing • Nagasaki – 9 August – 40 k killed • Logical outcome of “Total War”?