Remake of Topic 3 (Part 3) Mapping the War in the Pacific by Kelsey Cole

The Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19 - March 26 1945)

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 15:48:32 UTC

The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the last battles fought between the Japanese and the Americans in the Pacific. It was also one of the bloodiest battles for both sides. The reason for this is due to the island's close proximity to the Japanese home islands, and the fact that the Japanese considered it to be part of their nation. The horrific casualties experienced by the Americans helped reinforced the sense of how terrible and costly an invasion of the actual Japanese islands would be.

The attack on Pearl Harbor

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 15:50:58 UTC

The attack on Pearl Harbor happened December 7th 1941. The Japanese took the Americans by surprise by bombing the U.S. naval base. The first attack started at 7:55, and the entire event lasted around one hour and fifteen minutes in total. The Japanese had wanted to weaken the U.S. Navy and destroy the big aircraft carrier ships to gain an advantage. This attack was extremely significant as it was the final push to get the U.S. fully involved in WWII. As a result, the alliances and enemies of the U.S. shifted drastically due to the war, as well as helped the U.S. finally get a real recovery from the Great Depression with wartime production.

The Battle of Coral Sea

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 15:56:53 UTC

The Battle of Coral Sea took place May 4-8th, 1942. The Japanese were on their way to invade Port Moresby in new Guinea, most likely for supplies and more territory. However a U.S. fleet got in the way to prevent the invasion, and fought fiercely. despite the win, the U.S. lost many ships, including the USS Lexington, (as seen above), the USS Sims, and USS Neosho. The significance of this battle however, lies in Australia. If the Japanese had invaded successfully, they could cut off Australian trade with the U.S., which would have hurt the war efforts tremendously.

The Battle of Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

eaguirre20271 — 2024-12-17 15:57:41 UTC

The Battle of Okinawa in 1945 was the largest assault in the Pacific. Taking Okinawa was important to the US because it would provide the Allied forces an airbase where bombers could easily strike Japan, and it was the last roadblock standing between US and Imperial Japan.

The Tokyo Firebombing, Tokyo, Japan

eaguirre20271 — 2024-12-17 16:01:31 UTC

The Tokyo fire bombing was a series of air raids by the Air Force that took place from 1944 to 1945. The raid lasted almost 3 hours and killed over 100,000 Japanese citizens. It is known as one of the most destructive bombings in history.

The Battle of Midway

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 16:04:57 UTC

The Battle of Midway took place on June 4-7th, 1942. Imperial Japan had been aiming to attack the U.S. and destroy the fleet, then claim Midway as a base and use it to then take over Pearl Harbor. The outcome however was a U.S. victory, a significant one. The significance is that the U.S. managed to destroy Japan's first line carrier, which left the Imperial Japanese Naval forces in shambles.

The Trinity Tests, Los Alamos, NM

eaguirre20271 — 2024-12-17 16:05:54 UTC

Trinity was the codename for the first nuclear bomb explosion that was issued by the US Army. It is known for marking the Atomic Age due to its success. It blew up on July 16 1945 in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The Liberation of the Philippines

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 16:36:40 UTC

The Liberation of the Philippines was a U.S. campaign that ran from October 20th 1944, to August 15th 1945. The campaign was to claim the Philippines back and hold the Japanese Army off. The U.S. did win. The significance was how the citizens were now saved from the dictatorship and occupation of Japan, and that the U.S. got several bases there afterwards.

Hiroshima Bombing, Hiroshima, Japan

eaguirre20271 — 2024-12-17 16:37:04 UTC

Hiroshima was the first Japanese city that was hit by the bombs dropped by the US. 90,000 to 166,000 people died in just that one city alone. The bomb was dropped on August 6th 1945. The US dropped the bomb in order to force Japan to surrender after the war ended in Europe. Unfortunately for Japan, this was not the last bomb the US dropped.

The Battle of Guadalcanal

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 16:43:07 UTC

The Battle of Guadalcanal took place from August 7th 1942, to February 9th, 1943. There was much combat taking place during the 6 grueling months the battle lasted, on land, sea, and in air. In the end however, the U.S. won the battle and drove the Japanese out of Guadalcanal. This battle was significant however, because it was the first big offensive victory for the Americans, and boosted morale, confidence, and spirits greatly

Nagasaki Bombing,Nagasaki, Japan

eaguirre20271 — 2024-12-17 16:43:13 UTC

On August 9th 1945, the US dropped their second bombing on Japan in Nagasaki. This bomb killed 60,000 to 80,000 Japanese citizens. The second bombing was necessary to continue to push Japan to surrender, and the Japanese army still did not surrender after the first bombing in Hiroshima. The Nagasaki Bombing however, suffered a lot less damage than Hiroshima did.

VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, United States

eaguirre20271 — 2024-12-17 16:49:14 UTC

VJ Day was marked on September 2 1945. It was the day Imperial Japan surrendered, which brought an end to the war. On the USS Missouri (a battleship), the Japanese signed off their official surrender, which was approved by President Truman.

The Battle of the Philippine Sea

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 16:49:18 UTC

The Battle of the Philippine Sea took place on June 19-20th 1944. The Japanese were already at a major disadvantage from past battles, and low on supplies and weapons. It was no surprise the U.S. won the battle and obliterated the little weapons and supplies the Japanese had left. The Japanese carriers that remained were destroyed, and most of their remaining planes were lost to the American victory. the significance however, was that the Japanese Navy was basically gone at this point, and the battle as a whole was considered the greatest carrier battle of the entirety of WWII.

Mariana Islands

kelseycole2027 — 2024-12-17 16:55:33 UTC

The Battle for the Marianas Islands took place June 1944 (there was no specific day given). It was a rough battle between the weakened Japanese forces and the U.S. forces over the islands of the Marianas for control. When the U.S. won control and occupation of both islands, the Japanese was cut off from supply lines in the Caroline islands, forcing them back further into the Philippines. It was a major step in driving the Japanese back and out of the Pacific ocean.