The United States at War - HASTworldhistory9thgrade - home24... · SECTION 808 Chapter 24 The World War II Era ... Section 2 The United States at War 809 for the army and navy. In

Differentiated Instruction

808 Chapter 24

Section 2Step-by-Step Instruction

Review and PreviewStudents have read about the increasing aggression of totalitarian nations. Now they will learn why the United States entered the war.

Section Focus QuestionHow did the United States move from neutrality to full involve-ment in the war?Before you begin the lesson for the day, write the Section Focus Question on the board. (Lesson focus: at first simply by aiding the Allies, then by declaring war against Japan for attacking Pearl Harbor)

Prepare to Read

Build Background KnowledgeWrite Remember the Maine and Lusitania on the Board. Review how these incidents precipitated the United States entry into the Spanish American War and World War I. Tell students that the United States’ going to war historically has been brought about by attacks on Americans or on United States property. Mention that most Americans were not in favor of going to war until the Japanese attacked Pearl Har-bor. Have students read the section Mov-ing Toward War. Ask how the Lend Lease Act changed the previously isolationist policy of the United States. (It allowed pro-viding arms and supplies to nations involved in war against the Nazis.)

Set a Purpose■ Read each statement in the Reading

Readiness Guide aloud. Ask students to mark the statements True or False.

Teaching Resources, Unit 8, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 45

■ Have students discuss the statements in pairs or groups of four, then mark the worksheets again. Use the Numbered Heads participation strategy (TE, p. T24) to call on students to share their group’s perspectives. The students will return to these worksheets later.

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Special Needs

Map Word Definitions Help students access the new vocabulary used in this section by having them map word defini-tions. Have students complete the graphic organizer on p. 769 for each vocabulary

and high-use word that appears in this section. As they read, encourage them to use this technique if they come across additional words for which they need sup-port.

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808 Chapter 24 The World War II Era

Section Focus Question: How did the United Statesmove from neutrality to full involvement in the war?

Moving Toward WarIn 1940, President Roosevelt sought reelection to a third

term. His decision broke the precedent set by George Wash-

ington that Presidents serve only two terms. Roosevelt prom-

ised to maintain American neutrality. He told voters, “Your

boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.” FDR won

reelection easily.

Lend-Lease Act Roosevelt sympathized with the Allies.

Even before the campaign had begun, Winston Churchill had

appealed to Roosevelt for military aid. Selling war supplies

to Britain would violate the Neutrality Acts. Still, Roosevelt

reached a compromise with Congress. The United States

could sell supplies to Britain, but Britain would have to pay

cash for all goods it received.

However, by the end of 1940, Britain’s treasury was

empty. Fearing that Britain would fall to the Nazis, Roosevelt

persuaded Congress to pass a law he called Lend-Lease. It

allowed the United States to lend or lease supplies to Britain

and other nations fighting the Nazis. Isolationists objected

that the law would draw the United States into war. Most

Americans, however, favored the plan.

Lend-Lease convoys soon began moving across the Atlantic.

Later, the Lend-Lease arrangement was extended to China and

the Soviet Union. Under Lend-Lease, the United States became,

in Roosevelt’s words, “the great arsenal of democracy.”

Military Buildup The United States prepared for possible

entry into the war. Congress approved greater spending

The United States at WarObjectives• Understand how the United States prepared

for war and strengthened its ties with the Allies.

• Discover why the United States finally entered World War II.

• Learn how, after many early setbacks, the Allies began to turn the tide of battle in North Africa and the Pacific.

Reading Skill

Use Sentence Clues to Analyze Meaning After studying a word, look in the sentence for clues to its meaning. For example, you may find descriptions of what a verb does, examples of a noun, or details that explain an adjective.

Key Terms and Peopletotal warDwight D.

Eisenhower

DouglasMacArthur

The Struggle for Freedom“ Freedom means the supremacy of human rightseverywhere. Our support goes to those who struggleto gain those rights or keep them. . . . To that highconcept there can be no end save victory.”—Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “The Four Freedoms,”

speech delivered January 6, 1941

Why It Matters When World War II began, the United States

tried to remain neutral. But most Americans opposed dictator-

ships and aggression. The United States built up its military and

sent aid to Great Britain. Finally, in 1941, a Japanese attack on

U.S. soil brought America into the war.

� Franklin D. Roosevelt (left) and Winston Churchill (right)

Chapter 24 809

Teach

Moving Toward Warp. 808

Instruction■ Vocabulary Builder Before teaching

this lesson, preteach the High-Use Words emphasize and pendulum before using the strategy on TE p. T21.Key Terms Have students continue fill-ing in the See It–Remember It chart for the Key Terms in this chapter.

■ Have students read Moving Toward War. Remind students to look for sup-port of the main idea.

■ Ask: Why did Roosevelt want to soften U.S. neutrality? (He sympathized with the Allies’ cause and wanted to give them assis-tance so they would not lose the war.)

■ Remind students of FDR’s promise not to send U.S. boys to war. Ask: Did the U.S. military buildup contradict FDR’s promise? Explain your answer. (Possible answers: Yes, you don’t need a big military if you are not going to war. No, the buildup could have been meant to deter attacks against the United States.)

Independent PracticeHave students begin to fill in the Study Guide for this section.

Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide, Chapter 24, Section 2 (Adapted Version also available.)

Monitor Progress

As students fill in the Notetaking Study Guide, circulate to make sure students understand the ways that the United States changed its neutrality policy. Provide assistance as needed.

Answers

It allowed the United States

to lend and lease supplies to countries fighting the Nazis.

Reading Primary Sources (a) He felt it should not hold blacks back from achiev-ing their best. (b) He saw it as an opportu-nity to overcome racist attitudes through their achievements.

Use the information below to teach students this section’s high-use words.

High-Use Word Definition and Sample Sentence

emphasize, p. 809 v. to stress; to give particular importance toThe Declaration of Independence emphasizes the idea of natural rights.

pendulum, p. 811 n. hanging weight that swings from side to side with a steady rhythmIn the early 1900s, the pendulum began to swing in favor of workers and unions.

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Section 2 The United States at War 809

for the army and navy. In September 1940, it passed a law that set up

the first peacetime draft in American history.

Roosevelt took another unprecedented step in 1940. He ordered

the Army Air Corps to organize an African American unit under the

command of black officers. A flight training program was set up at

Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. The Tuskegee Airmen would

later compile a superb combat record.

Atlantic Charter In August 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill issued

the Atlantic Charter, outlining their goals for the postwar world. They

agreed that their nations would seek no territorial gain from the war

and emphasized the right of all people to choose their own

government. They also called for a new international organization that

might succeed where the League of Nations had failed.

What was the Lend-Lease Act of 1941?

The United States Enters the WarEvents in Asia, not Europe, finally drew the United States into

war. In July 1941, Japan invaded the French colony of Indochina

(present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia). In response, Roosevelt

banned American exports of iron and steel scrap to Japan. He also

restricted the sale of oil to Japan.

Facing a shortage of fuel for their navy, Japanese leaders decided

on war. Plans for an attack on the United States were soon underway.

“My own opinion was that blacks could best

overcome racist attitudes through their

achievements, even though those

achievements had to take place within the

hateful environment of segregation. . . . The

coming war represented a golden

opportunity. . . . We owned a fighter

squadron—something that would have been

unthinkable only a short time earlier. It was all

ours. . . . Furthermore, we would be required

to analyze our own problems and solve them

with our own skills.”—Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., American

Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., commanded the Tuskegee Airmen and later became the first African American general in the Air Force. Here, he describes his feelings about the formation of the flying program.

The Tuskegee Airmen

(a) Detect Points of View How does Davis feel about segregation?

(b) Identify Benefits How does Davis think African Americans might bene-fit from the United States entering World War II?

Vocabulary Builderemphasize (EHM fah sìz) v. to stress; to give particular importance to

Benjamin Davis at Tuskegee


810 Chapter 24

The United States Enters the Warp. 809

Instruction■ Have students read The United States

Enters the War. Remind students to answer the Section Focus Question.

■ Remind students that the Lend-Lease Act helped the Allies by giving supplies. How did FDR support the Allies by taking supplies away? (He banned exports of iron, steel, and oil to Japan.)

■ Ask: What was the significance of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? (The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the United States to enter the war.) Have students discuss whether they think the United States would have entered the war even-tually, if not for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

■ Have students complete the worksheet The Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Teaching Resources, Unit 8, The Attack on Pearl Harbor, p. 48

■ Show the History Interactive Transpar-ency Attack on Pearl Harbor. Ask: What effect do you think the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had on the American attitude of isolationism? (Americans quickly realized that they had to be involved in World War II to end the aggression of Japan and other nations run by dictators.)

Color Transparencies, Attack on Pearl Harbor

Independent PracticeHave students continue to fill in the Study Guide for this section.


Monitor Progress

As students fill in the Notetaking Study Guide, circulate to make sure students understand why the United States finally entered the war. Provide assistance as needed.

AnswerLink Past and Present After being safe from the effects of war on our own soil while the rest of the world was not, we were attacked on our land.

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Less Proficient Readers

Make an Alliance Web There were many alliances in World War II. To help students distinguish among them, have them make alliance webs that chart the changing rela-tionships between prominent nations throughout the course of the war. Students

should make two main webs, one for the Allies and one for the Axis Powers. Ask students to trace the changing status of the Soviet Union, France, and Italy among the two webs.

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Learn AboutPearl Harbor

HARBORPEARL

INFOGRAPHIC

President Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, “a day that will live in infamy.” The attack on Pearl Harbor shocked Americans and propelled the United States into the most extensive war in history. Critical Thinking: Link Past and Present How was the reaction to Pearl Harbor similar to the reaction to terrorist attacks on the United States in our time?

Coming in two waves, the attack destroyed or seriously damaged much of the American fleet and killed thousands of Americans.

Newspaper headlines blared “The nation is now at war!” “Remember Pearl Harbor” became the nation’s battle cry.

At Pearl Harbor, the peace of a Sunday morning was shattered by Japanese bombers.


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Special Needs

History Background

Chapter 24 Section 2 811

Europe and North Africap. 811

Instruction■ Have students read Europe and North

Africa. Remind students to use word parts to decipher new words.

■ Ask: What were the decisive battles in Russia and North Africa? (Stalingrad in Russia and El Alamein in North Africa)

■ Discuss with students the German cam-paigns in the Soviet Union and North Africa. Ask: How did fighting in these regions change things for Hitler? (Soviet forces pushed the Germans out, and British and American support in North Africa forced a German surrender.)

Independent PracticeHave students complete the Study Guide for this section.


Monitor Progress

As students fill in the Notetaking Study Guide, circulate to make sure students understand how fighting in North Africa turned the tide of the war in the Allies’ favor.

Answers

Reading Skill The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. Infamy means fame for a negative reason.

in retaliation for the U.S. ban

on exports of iron, steel, and oil to Japan, which interfered with their military expan-sion plans

Radar Prior to the U.S. entry into the war, Britain used radar to detect German planes in the Battle of Britain. Developed in 1932, radar is an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging. When radio waves bounce off an airplane in the sky a blip appears on a screen.

The Americans had an array of five radar stations near Pearl Harbor when it

was attacked, and the attack was detected by two soldiers, who relayed the detection to the information center at Fort Shafter. The information was first misunderstood, then ignored. The Americans and the British later used radar throughout both war theaters, which contributed substan-tially to Allied victories.

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Pearl Harbor On December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers launched

a surprise attack on American naval, air, and ground forces at Pearl

Harbor, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu (oh AH hoo). The attack

destroyed nearly half of the island’s 400 military aircraft and

damaged 8 battleships, two beyond repair. About 2,400 Americans

were killed.

The assault on Pearl Harbor caught American military leaders by

surprise. Though aware of the possibility of a Japanese attack, they

did not expect the attack to come as far east as Hawaii.

The next day, a grave President Roosevelt addressed Congress.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

—Franklin Roosevelt, speech, December 8, 1941

Later that day, Congress declared war on Japan. Japan’s allies,

Germany and Italy, then declared war on the United States. Against

their wishes, Americans were again involved in a world war.

A Global Conflict Even more than World War I, World War II

was truly a global conflict. On one side were the Axis powers, an

alliance made up of Germany, Italy, Japan, and six other nations.

Opposing the Axis powers were the Allied powers. Before the war

was over, the Allied powers would include Britain, France, the

Soviet Union, the United States, China, and 45 other countries.

More than any war before it, World War II was a total war. Totalwar is conflict involving not just armies but entire nations. Countries

on each side put all their resources into the war effort. Civilian popu-

lations often became targets of bombings.

Why did Japan attack United States forces?

Europe and North AfricaIn early 1942, the Allies faced a bleak situation on all fronts.

Germany controlled most of Western Europe. Although Britain had

not fallen, it was powerless to challenge the Nazi position on the

continent. In Eastern Europe, the Nazis had advanced deep into

Soviet territory. Soviet losses numbered in the millions. Still, in 1942,

the pendulum began to swing in the Allies’ favor.

The Soviets Resist Hitler had expected the Soviet Union to

collapse swiftly in the face of his ferocious assault. But in

December 1941, Soviet troops—assisted by the brutal Russian

winter—halted the German advance just miles from Moscow.

The Germans mounted another offensive in mid-1942. A major

battle took place in and around the Russian city of Stalingrad.

Months of bitter fighting ended in a clear Soviet victory. From then

on, the Soviets slowly drove the Germans back westward.

Use Sentence Clues to Analyze MeaningWhat happened on the

“day of infamy”? How did Roosevelt react to the event? What does infamy mean?

Vocabulary Builderpendulum (PEHN jah luhm) n. hanging weight that swings from side to side in a steady rhythm


812 Chapter 24

Japan Sweeps Through the Pacificp. 812

Instruction■ Have students read Japan Sweeps

Through the Pacific. Remind students to look for sequence of events.

■ Have students compare the Japanese attacks throughout the Pacific with Ger-man attacks in Europe. Explain to stu-dents that Japan’s quick expansion was similar to what the Nazis were doing in Europe, and that both regimes had eco-nomic as well as racist motives.

■ Read with students the paragraphs under the heading The Philippines Fall. Ask: Why were American and Filipino forces unable effectively to defend the Philippines? (The Japanese had destroyed their planes. They had no air support.)

Independent PracticeHave students complete the Study Guide for this section.


Monitor Progress

■ As students complete the Notetaking Study Guide, circulate to make sure stu-dents understand the progression of events leading to the Bataan Death March. Provide assistance as needed.

■ Tell students to fill in the last column of the Reading Readiness Guide. Probe for what they learned that confirms or invalidates each statement.

Teaching Resources, Unit 8, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 45

Answers

(a) El Alamein (b) The Brit-ish forced the Germans to retreat to Tunis where American forces forced the Ger-mans to surrender.

They defeated the Germans.

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Listen to the CD For students who are having difficulty comprehending the con-tent, have them read the text of this section as they listen to the Student Edition on audio CD. Pause the CD after each subsec-

tion and ask students if they have any questions about what they have read. Stu-dents can be provided with a copy of the CD to work with independently at home or in the school Resource Center.

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0°

20°E

20°N

40°N

M e diterranean Sea

ATLANTICOCEAN

SPAINITALY

PORTUGAL

ALGERIA

TUNISIAMOROCCO

RIO DE ORO(Sp.)

CYPRUS(Br.)

LIBYA EGYPT

TURKEYGREECE

PALESTINE

LEBANON

SP.MOROCCO

Tunis

El Alamein

Cairo

Tripoli

AlgiersOranCasablanca

19421942

1943 1942

1942

Sicily

N

S

EW

0 km

5000 miles

500

Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection

Greatest extent of Axis control, 1942

Neutral nations, 1942

Allied territory, 1942

Allied advances

Major battles

K E Y

The Tide Turns in North Africa In North Africa, Erwin

Rommel, Germany’s most respected general, won a number of quick

victories. Then, in October 1942, British troops defeated German

forces at El Alamein (el AL uh mayn) in Egypt. Slowly, the British

drove Rommel’s tank corps westward into Tunisia.

Meanwhile, in November, the first American ground troops in

combat landed in North Africa. Under the command of General

Dwight D. Eisenhower, they occupied Morocco and Algeria.

Hemmed in on both sides, Rommel’s army surrendered in May 1943.

How did Allied fortunes change in North Africa?

Japan Sweeps Through the PacificIn the days after Pearl Harbor, Japanese armies swiftly took

control of Hong Kong, Malaya, Thailand, Burma, Guam, and Wake

Island. To the south, they occupied the Dutch East Indies (present-

day Indonesia) and the Solomon Islands and threatened Australia.

The Philippines Fall Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor,

Japanese aircraft bombed airfields in the Philippines, the island

chain governed by the United States. The Japanese air force

destroyed most of the planes that could defend the islands against

their invasion.

Two weeks later, a Japanese invasion force landed on Luzon, the key

Philippine island. There, General Douglas MacArthur commanded a

Filipino–American force. As the enemy closed in on Manila, the capital

city, MacArthur withdrew his forces onto the Bataan (bah TAHN) penin-

sula. He was then ordered by President Roosevelt to go to Australia and

take command of all U.S. troops in the region. But as he left the Philip-

pines, MacArthur vowed, “I shall return.”

World War II in North Africa

In 1942 and 1943, Allied victories in North Africa set the stage for the coming campaign in Europe.

(a) Interpret a Map Whatbattle shown here marked the beginning of the Allied advance?

(b) Evaluate Information Describe what happened at Tunis in 1943.

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Chapter 24 Section 2 813

Assess and Reteach

Assess ProgressHave students complete Check Your Progress. Administer the Section Quiz.

Teaching Resources, Unit 8, Section Quiz, p. 56

To further assess student understanding, use the Progress Monitoring Transparency.

Progress Monitoring Transparencies, Chapter 24, Section 2

ReteachIf students need more instruction, have them read this section in the Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide and complete the accompanying question.


ExtendTo help students expand their understand-ing of Pearl Harbor, have them complete Explore Pearl Harbor online.

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Progress Monitoring Online

Students may check their comprehension of this section by completing the Progress Monitoring Online graphic organizer and self-quiz.

Answer

when the Japanese military

forced American and Filipino prisoners to walk 65 miles, causing many of them to die

Section 2 Check Your Progress

1. (a) He got Congress to pass the Lend-Lease Act and issued the Atlantic Char-ter.(b) They wanted to preserve neutrality.

2. (a) Japan invaded Indochina and bombed Pearl Harbor. Germany con-trolled most of Western Europe and had advanced deep into Soviet territory in Eastern Europe.(b) Stalingrad: Soviets triumphed over the Germans and pushed them west-

ward. El Alamein: British troops defeat the Germans in Egypt, forcing them to Tunis. Midway: Americans downed 322 Japanese aircraft, crippling their air force.

3. Hitler thought his troops would defeat the Soviets. Ferocious means vicious.

4. Formal: Total war is conflict involving not just armies, but entire nations. Infor-mal: In a total war, entire countries are fighting.

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5. Students’ lists should identify at least three sources, such as movies, art, or songs, and describe the content of each source.


Section 2 Check Your Progress

On Bataan and the nearby island of Corregidor, the trapped

Americans and Filipinos waged a heroic defense. By early March,

they were the only major forces in the Pacific that had not given way

to the Japanese. The defenders of Bataan finally surrendered on

April 9. Corregidor fell the following month.

Bataan Death March At Bataan, the Japanese captured nearly

70,000 soldiers. Already weak from hunger, the American and Filipino

prisoners were then forced to walk 65 miles to a prison camp. Along

the way, so many prisoners died of starvation, disease, or violence that

their trek soon became known as the Bataan Death March.

Coral Sea and Midway The tide began to turn in the Pacific

with two historic naval battles. In May 1942, at the Battle of the Coral

Sea, American and Japanese navies waged a new form of warfare.

For the first time, opposing ships did not see one another. Instead,

planes taking off from the decks of huge aircraft carriers attacked

enemy ships many miles away. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but

the United States halted the Japanese drive to New Guinea.

A month later, the Japanese sought to take the island of Midway,

home of a key American military base. But the Americans sank

4 Japanese aircraft carriers, destroyed 322 Japanese aircraft, and

reduced Japan’s supply of highly trained pilots. After the Battle of

Midway, Japan’s navy no longer ruled the Pacific.

What was the Bataan Death March?

Looking Back and Ahead The attack on Pearl Harbor

brought American forces into the biggest war in history. In the next

section, you will see how the war affected Americans at home.

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Comprehension and Critical Thinking1. (a) Identify Name two ways

that President Roosevelt strength-ened ties with Britain in the early years of the war.(b) Detect Points of ViewWhy did some Americans view these actions as wrong?

2. (a) Recall Why did the situation look bad for the Allies in early 1942?(b) Apply Information Explainwhy each of the following places is considered a turning point in the war: Stalingrad, El Alamein, Midway.

Reading Skill3. Use Sentence Clues to Analyze

Meaning Use sentence clues to analyze the meaning of ferociousin the following sentence: Hitler had expected the Soviet Union to collapse swiftly in the face of his ferocious assault. According to that sentence, what did Hitler think would happen because his assault was ferocious? What does ferocious mean?

Key Terms4. Write two definitions of the term

total war—one a formal defini-tion for a teacher, the other an

informal definition for a younger child.

Writing5. Use print or Internet resources to

find more information about one of the battles or people discussed in this section. Identify at least three sources of nonprint material on the topic. List the sources you find and describe their contents.

Bataan Death March


814 Chapter 24

Dauntless: A Novel of Midway and GuadalcanalBuild Background KnowledgeReading a novel can help students grasp the impact of historical events through written culture. Review with students what they know about World War II battles in the Pacific. Ask: Why do you think a novel about World War II was written in the 1990s? (Possible answer: It was such a devastating war that people are still trying to learn from it.) Discuss with students the motives of the United States and Japan in the Pacific. Use the Think-Write-Pair-Share strategy (TE, p. T25) to elicit responses.

Vocabulary BuilderTeach Key TermsPronounce each word in the Vocabulary Builder list. Ask students to read the defini-tions, then have them write a sentence for each vocabulary word, using context to demonstrate its meaning.

Instruction■ Using the ReQuest reading strategy (TE,

p. T23), read the passage from “Daunt-less.” Ask students to explain the mean-ing of the title. (Possible answer: Forces on each side were very determined in their pursuit of victory over the enemy.)

■ Ask: How does reading about the Battle of Midway from the Japanese point of view expand your understanding of the battle? (Possible answer: It makes it easier to understand that the Japanese believed in the rightness of their actions.)

■ Ask students: What did Burnett mean when he referred to “our man in Tokyo?” (a spy)

■ Have students compare and contrast the mood and demeanor of the soldiers on the Japanese and American ships, as portrayed in this story. Use the Idea Wave participation strategy (TE, p. T24) to elicit responses.

Answer

Reading Skill because the Ameri-cans, not the Japanese, won the Battle of Midway

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Advanced Readers L3

Gifted and Talented

Analyze Literature Remind students of the basic elements of a story (plot, character, setting, and conflict). Have students create a graphic organizer in which they define

each element and then identify each ele-ment in this story. Students may use their charts to enrich their understanding of the story’s structure and meaning.


Dauntless: A Novel of Midway and Guadalcanal

Prepare to Read

IntroductionBarrett Tillman is an expert on military aviation and best known for his nonfiction books. Though his 1992 novel Dauntless is a work of fiction, it is based on careful research about the war in the Pacific. The novel mixes real and fictional characters. In the excerpt below, Japanese and American fighter pilots prepare for the Battle of Midway in June 1942.

Reading SkillAnalyze Dramatic Irony Often,when we read a novel or see a movie, we know something that the characters do not. This can lead to dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is the contrast between what a char-acter thinks is true and what the audience knows is true. As you read this excerpt, look for two examples of dramatic irony.

Vocabulary BuilderAs you read this literature selec-tion, look for the following underlined words:

reconnaissance (ree KAHN ah sihns) n. act of gathering advance information

disposition (dihs pah SIHSH ahn) n. arrangement; placement

cryptanalysis (krihpt ah NAHL uh sihs) n. science of breaking codes

latitude (LAH tih tood) n. free-dom from restrictions

attrition (uh TRIH shuhn) n.steady weakening or wearing away

[Aboard a Japanese ship in the Pacific]“We are currently here,” said Lieutenant Masatake Naito. The

ship’s air-operations officer pointed to a hash mark along the blue

track, indicating a position 700 nautical miles off Japan. His audience,

composed of the aircrews who would fly the reconnaissance planes,

paid strict attention. After four days at sea, they were about to learn

their mysterious destination. . . .

“At dawn four days from now, this force will launch powerful

air attacks on the American base at Midway.” He tapped the two

specks indicating Sand and Eastern Islands, object of the multi-

pronged assault. . . .

“We will take the enemy by surprise,” Naito continued, “as we

have evidence that their remaining fleet units are still in Pearl Har-

bor.” He paused for emphasis, a confident look on his face. “The

Americans will be unable to resist coming out to meet us. They must

defend Midway or risk leaving Hawaii open to invasion. When they

sail to defend Midway, our submarines and fleet units will destroy

them in one decisive battle. . . .

“You division commanders—make certain everything is in order.

Take nothing for granted.” He stood with his hands on his hips, chin

jutting forward. “I am counting on each of you. And so is the

emperor!” Naito decided against a rousing series of “Banzai” cheers.

He would save that emotional moment for later—at the inevitable

victory celebration.

Analyze Dramatic IronyIn historical fiction,

dramatic irony can occur because the audience knows how events really turned out. Why is the last line of this paragraph an example of dramatic irony?

by Barrett Tillman

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Chapter 24 815

Instruction (continued)■ Ask: Why do you think the author

based his novel on fact? (Possible answers: to make the action seem more real-istic; to bring authenticity to the story; to help the reader better understand what hap-pened in this historical war.) Ask students: Why do you think the author used some fiction elements? (Possible answers: to have more latitude when telling his story; because he was not there, he could not know exactly what was said and how things hap-pened.)

Monitor Progress

Have students consider the literary aspects of this historical novel.

Analyze LITERATURE

Possible responses may mention fear, nervousness, or missing one’s family.

Literature 815

Analyze Dramatic IronySometimes, the reader

only recognizes that something is ironic when they read it for the second time, knowing the whole story. Read this paragraph, then reread the scene on the Japanese ship. Identify another example of dramatic irony.

[Aboard the American aircraft carrier Yorktown]The ship’s air-operations officer, Commander Murr Arnold, strode

to the front of the room. . . . “Gentlemen,” Arnold began, I wish to

acquaint you with the disposition of our forces as we near Midway.”

His metallic voice cut through the crowded room, precise and

clear. . . .

“Our course is designed to take us well north of the Hawaiian

chain and arrive northeast of Midway day after tomorrow. If we

remain undetected by the Japanese, we’ll be in excellent position to

launch surprise air strikes from their flank.

We know they’re coming, but apparently

they don’t know that we know.”

Arnold then described the Japanese

armada steaming toward Midway: the

transport group, the main body and sup-

porting force, but he emphasized the strik-

ing force of the four veteran carriers. As he

did so, Burnett leaned into Rogers and whis-

pered, “I tell you, Buck, that man of ours in

Tokyo is worth every dime we pay him.”

Rogers stifled a giggle but his mind reg-

istered one thought: cryptanalysis. . . .

“Admiral Nimitz has given us a great

deal of latitude in the conduct of this

engagement,” Arnold continued. “We will

be guided by the principle of calculated risk,

employing maximum attrition tactics, but

the actual conduct of the battle rests with

us.” He paused briefly, sweeping the room

with his cobra gaze. “There’s just one more

thing, gentlemen. I have copied a message

from Admiral Spruance to Task Force Six-

teen, and I want to share it with you. He

says, and I quote, ‘The successful conclusion

of the operations now commencing will be

of great value to our country.’” Arnold

looked up from the message firmly. “I can-

not add anything to that.”

From Dauntless: A Novel of Midway and Guadalcanal by Barrett Tillman.Bantam Books, 1992.

What approach is used, by both the Japanese and the Americans, to prepare pilots for battle?

Analyze LITERATUREImagine that you are one of the American pilots on board the Yorktown in the excerpt above. Write a letter home expressing your feelings about the coming battle.

United States airplanes attack a Japanese aircraft carrier at the Battle of Midway.

If you liked the excerpt from this novel and want to read more about the war in the Pacific, you might read ABoy at War: A Novel of Pearl

Harbor by Harry Mazer. Simon and Schuster, 2001

Answers

Reading Skill Possible answer: “We will take the enemy by surprise,” (p. 814, paragraph 3).

Both sides used reconnais-

sance missions and group meetings to bet-ter acquaint their pilots with the enemy position, their strengths and weaknesses, and to explain the purpose of the mission.

Writing Rubric Share this writing rubric with the students.Score 1 Letter is off-topic or otherwise incomprehensible.Score 2 Letter is not clearly grounded in accurate facts and/or does not include character’s feelings and experiences.Score 3 Letter is accurate and complete, includes elements of fact and narrative fiction.Score 4 Letter is creative and realistic, skillfully weaving fact with elements of dramatic fiction.

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The United States at War - HASTworldhistory9thgrade - home24... · SECTION 808 Chapter 24 The World War II Era ... Section 2 The United States at War 809 for the army and navy. In