THE ALLIED ADVANCE IN THE PACIFIC

1. THE ALLIED ADVANCE IN THE PACIFIC ISLAND-HOPPING TOWARDS JAPAN, 1942-44

2. IMPORTANT DATES • AUG., 1942- FEB., 1943: • U.S. ASSAULTS / RETAKES GUADALCANAL • NOV.,1942- JAN.,1943: • ALLIED CAMPAIGN / CONQUEST OF NEW GUINEA • APRIL, 1943 – JUNE, 1944: • OPERATION CARTWHEEL • NOV., 1943: BATTLE OF TARAWA • JUNE,1944: • THE BATTLE OF SAIPAN • BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA • “THE GREAT MARIANAS TURKEY SHOOT”

3. IMPORTANT TERMS / PEOPLE • ADMIRAL CHESTER H. NIMITZ • GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR • ADMIRAL WILLIAM F. HALSEY • THE SOLOMON ISLANDS • GUADALCANAL • “THE TOKYO EXPRESS” • NEW GUINEA • “ISLAND –HOPPING” • OPERATION CARTWHEEL • TARAWA • “THE GREAT MARIANAS TURKEY SHOOT”

5. PACIFIC SITUATION, SUMMER, 1942 • JUNE, 1942: BATTLE OF MIDWAY: • IJN IS DEALT 1ST MAJOR LOSS OF WWII • U.S. NAVY ACHIEVES 1ST MAJOR VICTORY IN PACIFIC • JAPANESE ADVANCE IN PACIFIC IS STOPPED • PROBLEM: • JAPANESE EMPIRE IS STILL AT IT’S GREATEST EXTENT • JAPAN STILL CONTROLS MOST MAJOR ISLANDS IN PACIFIC • AUSTRALIA IS STILL THREATENED BY JAPANESE • JAPAN HAS EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF FORTIFIED ISLAND CHAINS THAT MUST BE TAKEN • WHY? • NO INVASION OF JAPAN IS POSSIBLE UNTIL ISLANDS ARE TAKEN • ISLANDS CAN BE USED AS NAVAL AND AIR BASES • RESULT? ALLIES MUST FORM PLAN TO… • ASSAULT / SEIZE JAPANESE-CONTROLLED ISLANDS • ASSAULT & POSSIBLY INVADE JAPAN

6. PLANNING THE ADVANCE • PROBLEM: • WHAT WAS THE BEST WAY TO DEFEAT JAPAN? • WHAT ROUTE SHOULD THE ALLIES TAKE TO ADVANCE TOWARDS JAPAN? • NORTHERN ROUTE VIA N. PACIFIC ISLANDS? • SOUTHERN ROUTE THROUGH LARGER S.PACIFIC ISLANDS? • DECISION: THE SOUTHERN ROUTE • WHY? • MORE ISLANDS THERE • ISLANDS WERE CLOSER TO EACH OTHER • MANY S. PACIFIC ISLANDS WERE LARGER • SO…ISLANDS COULD BE BETTER USED FOR NAVAL / AIR BASES • SOUTHERN ROUTE WAS CLOSER TO AUSTRALIA • SO WHAT? • AUSTRALIA WAS ALLIED W/ U.S. • AUSSIE MILITARY WAS VITAL TO VICTORY • MANY U.S. TROOPS WERE BEING TRAINED/SUPPLIED THERE

11. PLANNING THE ADVANCE (cont’d.) • U.S. / ALLIED PLAN TAKES SHAPE: • ALLIED FORCES WILL ADVANCE TOWARD JAPAN ON TWO PARALLEL ROUTES • SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC ROUTE: • SOLOMON ISLANDS – NEW GUINEA – PHILIPPINES • CENTRAL PACIFIC ROUTE: • GILBERT ISLANDS – MARSHALL ISLANDS – MARIANA ISLANDS • WHAT FORCES WILL BE USED?: • S.W. PACIFIC ROUTE: U.S. ARMY, USMC, USN, AUST. • C. PACIFIC ROUTE: USN, USMC • WHO’S IN COMMAND?: • S.W. PACIFIC: DOUGLAS MacARTHUR • C. PACIFIC: CHESTER NIMITZ

13. GUADALCANAL • ALLIED OFFENSIVE BEGINS THERE: WHY? • GUADALCANAL IS @ SOUTHERN END OF JAPANESE EMPIRE • ISLAND HAS AIRFIELD ALLIES NEED FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS • ISLAND CONTROLS SEA LANES TO AUSTRALIA • BOTH SIDES RECOGNIZE IT’S STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE • SO…ALLIES WANT IT / JAPANESE WANT TO KEEP IT • USMC GIVEN INITIAL TASK OF TAKING ISLAND (U.S.ARMY INVOLVED LATER ON) • AUG. ’42-FEB.,’43: VICIOUS FIGHTING ON ISLAND • JAPANESE DESPERATE TO HOLD ISLAND • THE “TOKYO EXPRESS” REINFORCES JAPANESE • U.S. NAVY DISRUPTS “TOKYO EXPRESS” • OTHER PROBLEMS: • TROPICAL CLIMATE • TROPICAL DISEASE (EX. MALARIA) • JUNGLE TERRAIN MAKES MOVEMENT DIFFICULT • FINAL RESULT: • JAPANESE CAN’T MAINTAIN TROOPS / SUPPLIES • CASUALTIES GROW (EX. 22,000 KIA/MIA) • JAPANESE WITHDRAW FROM ISLAND / U.S. CONTROLS ISLAND

17. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH, HENDERSON AIRFIELD, GUADALCANAL

20. BATTLE MAP,“BLOODY RIDGE”,GUADALCANAL, SEPT., 1942

21. U.S. MARINES ON “BLOODY RIDGE”

22. JAPANESE KIA ON “BLOODY RIDGE”

23. JAPANESE KIA, BLOODY RIDGE, GUADALCANAL, 1942

27. NEW GUINEA • NEW GUINEA: WHY IMPORTANT? • LOCATION • CLOSE TO AUSTRALIA • LOCATED ON IMPORTANT SEA ROUTES TO JAPAN • WAS USED AS A BASE FOR SUPPORTING SMALLER ISLAND GARRISONS • JAPANESE OCCUPIED NORTHERN HALF OF ISLAND • HAD FAILED TO OCCUPY SOUTHERN HALF • WHY? JUNGLE & MOUNTAIN TERRAIN MADE MOVEMENT DIFFICULT • 1942-43: U.S. / AUSSIES DECIDE TO PUSH JAPANESE OFF ISLAND • PROBLEM? • TERRAIN – OWEN STANLEY MTS. ARE DIFFICULT TO PASS • JUNGLE TERRAIN • CLIMATE • DISEASE • SOLUTION? MacARTHUR DECIDES ON SIMPLE PLAN: “OPERATION CARTWHEEL” • BYPASS JAPANESE STRONGHOLDS • USE ARMY & NAVY TO CUT OFF JAPANESE SUPPLIES • STARVE JAPANESE • ONLY ATTACK AREAS THAT ARE VITAL TO ALLIED MOVEMENT • RESULT? • JAPANESE SUFFER MASSIVE LOSSES – 150,000 KIA / MIA • ALLIES SEIZE NEW GUINEA

28. NEW GUINEA

29. THE KOKODA TRAIL,NEW GUINEA, 1942

30. AUSSIES ON THE KOKODA TRAIL, NEW GUINEA, 1942

31. “STAIRCASE” CONSTRUCTION,KOKODA TRAIL, NEW GUINEA,1942-1943

32. AUSSIES ASCENDING THE KOKODA TRIAL, 1942

33. AUSSIES TAKING REST, KOKODA TRAIL, 1943

34. AUSSIES ON THE KOKODA TRAIL, 1943

35. AUSSIES IN NEW GUINEA, 1943

36. NEW GUINEA U.S. OPERATIONS1942-43

38. AUSSIES WITH CAPTURED JAPANESE EQUIPMENT, NEW GUINEA, 1943

39. AUSSIE INFANTRY, NEW GUINEA, 1943

40. AUSTRALIAN ANTI-JAPANESEPROPAGANDA , 1942

42. U.S. ARMY INFANTRY ON PATROL,NEW GUINES, 1943

44. TARAWA • WHEN? NOVEMBER , 1943 • WHERE? TARAWA ATOLL, GILBERT ISLANDS, CENTRAL PACIFIC • WHAT? JAPANESE-HELD ATOLL W/ AIRFIELD • WHY? • TARAWA WAS THE EASTERNMOST USEABLE AIRSTRIP INSIDE JAPANESE-HELD TERRITORY • CAPTURE WAS VITAL TO ADVANCE TOWARDS JAPAN • ATOLL WAS DEFENDED BY IJN NAVAL INFANTRY W/OUT FLEET SUPPORT • USMC & USN ARE ORDERED TO SEIZE TARAWA & BEGIN USING AIRSTRIP • IJN FORCE: 5000 (approx.) IJN INFANTRY W/ WELL-CONSTRUCTED DEFENSIVE POSITIONS • U.S. FORCE: • USMC 2nd MARINE DIVISION (& ELEMENTS OF USA 27TH INFANTRY DIVISION) • USN – TASK FORCE 30 • TOTAL: APPROX. 35,000 MEN

46. BETIO ISLAND, TARAW ATOLL

47. JAPANESE DEFENSIVE POSITIONS, TARAWA, NOVEMBER, 1943