Allied Victory in the Pacific

Chapter 16.4 Part II

Setting the Stage

• Recall that the United States was busy “island hopping” its way closer and closer to Japan in the Pacific by avoiding heavily defended areas and establishing airfields.

• Also recall that Churchill and FDR chose to focus on Hitler’s Europe first. After May 8th, 1945, the Pacific Theater received the full attention of the US and Britain.

Victory in the Pacific

• By late 1944, the Allies were knocking on Japan’s door.– The Philippines were invaded by the United States in

October, 1944 on the Island of Leyte after over two years of Japanese domination and oppression. More landings were conducted as time went by to neutralize the Japanese in the surrounding islands.

• General MacArthur had been in command of the Philippines but escaped before they fell. When he stepped into the water from his landing craft, he fulfilled the promise he had made in 1942 by stating “People of the Philippines, I have returned.”

The Philippines

• Beginning in October with the Leyte operation, the Japanese began to send organized suicide aircraft toward the US fleet with the intention of crashing into the ships.– Heavily armed, Kamikazes were so terrifying that

even Marines no longer envied the sailors that had traditionally enjoyed decent meals and a place to sleep after seeing badly burnt ships and survivors.

The Philippines

• By the end of the war, almost 4,000 Japanese crashed to their deaths in attempt to sink an American vessel.– The succeeded in sinking 70-80 ships of all

types, including the escort carrier USS St. Lo, which exploded and sank after the ship’s bomb magazine was set off.

The Philippines

• The USS St. Lo goes up…

Iwo Jima

• Iwo Jima was the next island assaulted in February-March, 1945.– Literally “Sulphur Island” in

Japanese, this volcanic dot in the middle of nowhere was honeycombed with Japanese pillboxes and caves and covered in fine, loose volcanic sand that made walking, running, and even digging a foxhole nearly impossible.

Iwo Jima

• Iwo Jima was needed as a halfway-point airbase for the B-29 raids that were attacking Japan from Saipan, Tinian, and Guam as it would give crippled bombers a place to land as well as a place for fighters to be stationed to escort the bombers.

• Fighting was brutal as the Japanese fought from interconnected positions.– A firing position could be knocked out and manned by

another Japanese in a matter of minutes, spewing lead at the unsuspecting Marines.

Iwo Jimahttp://www.history.com/shows/wwii-in-hd/videos/playlists/web-exclusives#battle-iwo-jima

Okinawa

• The final showdown occurred only 350 miles from mainland Japan on the Island of Okinawa.– Garrisoned by 120,000

Japanese, Okinawa was the bloodiest campaign of the Pacific theater as the Japanese fought to the death, taking as many Americans with them as possible.

Okinawa

• In three months of fighting, over 12,000 US Marines were killed, almost 40,000 wounded, and 5,000 sailors were killed when Kamikazes struck their ships.

• Japan lost almost 110,000 men there, with about 10,000 taken prisoner.

• The tenacity that the Japanese demonstrated as they fought back demonstrated that the invasion of Japan would truly be horrible.

http://www.history.com/shows/wwii-in-hd/videos/playlists/web-exclusives#battle-okinawa

The Japanese Surrender

• The Japanese home islands were the final step once Okinawa was secured. Japan would have to be invaded.– Because of the geography between the US-

held island of Okinawa and Japan, the Japanese accurately predicted Allied plans and were ready.

The Japanese Surrender

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The Japanese Surrender

• Civilians were trained to fight with bamboo spears, and everyone was expected to give their life for the emperor.

• Casualty figures vary, but it was expected that Allied casualties would be above 1,000,000 men, with Japanese casualties stretching into the tens of millions.

• 500,000 purple hearts were manufactured for the invasion.

The Japanese Surrender

The Japanese Surrender

• Unknown to many military planners, the United States was developing a secret weapon.– After a successful test in July, 1945, the US

became the world’s only nuclear power.

The Japanese Surrender

• The two existing bombs were shipped to the island of Tinian where a top-secret airbase was located. On August 6th, the B-29 Enola Gay took off and dropped the awesome weapon on Hiroshima, killing 70,000-80,000 instantly.

• The Japanese refused to surrender, and a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing about 70,000 there too.– Many thousands more would die from

radiation poisoning.

The Japanese Surrender

• Faced with certain destruction, Emperor Hirohito insisted that Japan surrender, and narrowly escaped a military coup that attempted to stop him from surrendering. – His message is played on the

radio, and Japan surrenders.– August 15th became VJ Day, or

Victory over Japan Day.

http://www.history.com/videos/rare-color-films-document-atomic-bomb#rare-color-films-document-atomic-bomb