Essential Question: What strategies did the US use to win the
war in the Pacific?
Slide 2
US had been able to intercept Japanese radio traffic in an
operation called Magic Magic intercepts allowed Admiral Nimitz to
position two carriers off the eastern tip of New Guinea Both sides
suffered heavy losses but the Japanese were forced to call off
their amphibious attack on Port Moresby Battle waged exclusively
via air strikes Opposing surface ships never made direct contact
Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief Pacific and Pacific
Ocean Areas
Slide 3
Japanese planned a diversionary attack on the Aleutian Islands
while the main force attacked Midway to destroy the American fleet
Thanks to Magic intercepts, US didnt fall for the Alaska feint and
reinforced Midway Americans destroyed four Japanese carriers and
most of their flight crews Japanese advance was checked and
initiative in the Pacific began to turn to the Americans
Slide 4
Slide 5
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest King favored a drive
across the central Pacific moving toward Japan over the coral
atolls scattered across the Pacific Take advantage of ability to
leap across vast distances MacArthur favored an advance across the
South Pacific via New Guinea and the Philippines Meet obligations
to Filipinos Maintain pressure against the retreating Japanese
Protect against a renewed threat against Australia Compromise Kings
planned drive would move first against the Gilbert Islands and then
toward the Philippines Admiral Ernest King
Slide 6
Slide 7
MacArthur requested five additional divisions and 1,800
aircraft to capture Rabaul Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded there
were not enough resources to capture Rabaul in 1943 so they
accepted MacArthurs proposal for a two- pronged drive to isolate
it
Slide 8
Became the model for Pacific commanders throughout the rest of
the war dont move island to island; advance by great bounds using
air superiority bypass major strongpoints and leave them reduced to
strategic and tactical impotence hit Japanese weak spots; avoid
frontal assaults; use deception and surprise seize existing
airfields and ports and use these newly acquired bases to support
the next leap forward
Slide 9
The invasion of the Philippines brought MacArthur and Nimitzs
twin drives together On Oct 20, 1944, MacArthur attacked Leyte
Slide 10
The Battle of Leyte Gulf secured the beachheads of the U.S.
Sixth Army attack on Leyte and destroyed Japanese naval power By
the end of December 1944, the Allies controlled Leyte and MacArthur
was in position to attack Luzon, the heart of the Philippines
Walter Krueger, commander of Sixth Army
Slide 11
Slide 12
Slide 13
February-March 1945 Island off the coast of JapanJapanese soil
Longest sustained aerial offensive of the war More marines sent
than in any other battle 100,000 men fighting on an island the 1/3
the size of Manhattan Japanese fought from below groundAllies
rarely saw a soldier The battle was won inch-by-inch
Slide 14
Results: US win Results: US win Provides a link in the chain of
bomber bases Provides a link in the chain of bomber bases By the
wars end, 2,400 B- 29 bombers and 27,000 crewmen made emergency
landings. By the wars end, 2,400 B- 29 bombers and 27,000 crewmen
made emergency landings. 4 marines raising US flag 4 marines
raising US flag
Slide 15
April 1 st -June 22 nd Casualties US12,500 killed; 36,000
wounded Japan93,000 troops killed; 94,000 civilians killed (many
killed themselves) Kamikazessuicide pilots Crashed planes loaded
with explosives Sank 30 US vessels
Slide 16
US planned to invade Japan with eleven Army and Marine
divisions (650,000 troops) Casualty estimates for the operation
were as high as 1,400,000 Truman decided to use the atomic bomb to
avoid such losses Operation Cornet, the plan to take Tokyo
Slide 17
In the early 1940s, America had started an atomic weapons
development program code named the Manhattan Project A successful
test was conducted at Alamogordo in New Mexico in July 1945 J.
Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves at the Trinity Site
soon after the test
Slide 18
Hiroshima Aug 6, 1945 90,000 killed On Aug 8, the USSR declared
war on Japan and invaded Manchuria the next day Nagasaki Aug 9,
1945 35,000 killed Okinawa had been much more costly than Hiroshima
and Nagasaki Captain Paul Tibbets piloted the plane that dropped
the bomb on Hiroshima
Slide 19
Japan surrenders Sept 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri