Map by Jayca Douglass - RTM Student

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:01:54 UTC

The attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7th, 1941 at the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. It was a Japanese attack on the US. It was a surprise attack that the US did not see coming, and left them with 19 ships damaged or sunk, and 2403 people were killed.

I think this was a turning point in the war, as this was what got the US Involved, without this attack the United States might not have joined the war. This affected American Citizens because they felt even more hate towards the Japanese Americans, and it left Japanese Americans feeling outcast, and they even had to go to camps because the Americans couldn’t trust them.

Coral Sea

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:02:39 UTC

The Battle of Coral Sea was an air battle in which the United States turned a Japanese force back around, as they were headed for Port Moresby. This took place from May 4th to May 8th, 1942, and ended with a Victory for the Allies, and the Japanese fleet was overturned.

This battle was an important one, as it was the first victory against the Japanese army, it was the first time the Japanese army had a major setback, it stopped them from growing more and having direct access to australia. This battle also boosted morale throughout the US, as it was the first time the US Navy had successfully beaten the Japanese advancements.

Midway Atoll, United States Minor Outlying Islands

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:04:51 UTC

The Battle of Midway was fought from June 4th to June 7th, 1942 between America and Japan, ending with an American Victory. The US Navy intercepted and destroyed Japan’s front line and most of their best trained navel Pilots. This battle stopped the Japanese Pacific expansion.

This battle provided more confidence in the American soldiers, and provided hope that they would win this war. I feel as though the American Soldiers were feeling very good about themselves and the battles to come.

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:05:39 UTC

Guadalcanal took place from August 7th 1942 to February 9th 1943, it was a battle between The United States and Japan, after relentless fighting through all Air, Naval, and Ground battles. In the end the Japanese army finally fled Guadalcanal in Early february. The battles were costly for both sides, however Japan suffered more, ending in an Allied victory.

This battle probably made Americans feel great, as they had yet to be defeated and were pushing through, remaining together as a nation. This battle paved the way for more Allied advancement towards Japanese home islands.

Leyte Gulf, Philippines

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:06:28 UTC

Leyte Gulf was an Air and sea battle between Japan and the United States. It took place from October 23rd to October 26th, 1944 and ended with Japan’s fleet becoming so weak. It also permitted the US to invade the Philippines, which ultimately helped regain control of the Pacific.

This battle was Important as it essentially put the Japanese navy out of the war. Americans were feeling very good about themselves, and the victory they had coming. The Morale of the Americans was at a high, as the Navy was so weak, and no longer had any power.

Iwo Jima, Iōjima, Ogasawara, Tokyo, Japan

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:07:05 UTC

The Battle of Iwo Jima was a battle between Japan and America, it took place from February 19th to March 26th 1945. It was one of the most brutal battles, as the Japanese were very well prepared with underground fortifications, this led to many American casualties. Despite all of this, the battle ended with an American Victory and the capture of the Island Iwo Jima, which served as an emergency landing sight for bombers, and saved the lives of 24,000 US airmen.

Securing this land was a huge step in the Allied victory, as without this emergency landing sight, many more soldiers would have died, or even not been able to go back out and fight more.

Okinawa, Japan

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:08:37 UTC

Okinawa was the last major battle of world war two, and the most brutal one yet. It took place from April 1st to June 21st 1945. This battle killed almost 7,600 Americans, 110,000 Japanese men, and sank more than 300 ships. This was a reminder of what people were going through each day, and not just for the Americans but for the brutal attacks of the Japanese.

This battle was a huge turning point in the war, as the Americans could start to see the Japanese men fighting less fiercely, and their old equipment being run down. This made the Americans more happy and ready to keep fighting and winning the battles.

Hiroshima, Japan

jdou2607252 — 2025-02-11 16:09:15 UTC

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a brutal way to end the battles. It happened on July 16th, and August 6th, 1945 and President Truman thought this was the only way to truly end the Battle with Japan without invading their land, as they had so many people defending it from every direction. The US decided to launch an atomic bomb, which people had been working on for a while, that no one knew about. When America launched the bomb, almost every building in the city of Hiroshima collapsed. Later that day, another bomb was dropped which wiped out Nagasaki. In the end, more than 200,000 people died. After this, Japan’s leader decided to end the war to make sure his people didn’t suffer more than they needed to.

In reflection, I assume the American Morale was at an all time high, as they had just won the war with Japan, and even gotten ‘back’ at them for destroying Pearl Harbor. I also wonder what Japanese Americans were feeling, their country had betrayed them and put them in camps and now that America has officially won, I wonder if they were happy for felt bad for the Japanese men.