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The Pacific 1937-42

The Pacific 1937-42. Key Themes. Japanese Imperial Expansion in S.E. Asia Japan craves resources to fuel its military expansion Japan has a militaristic culture founded on “Bushido Code” Early Japanese successes European powers lose their colonies to Japan

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The Pacific 1937-42

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  1. The Pacific 1937-42

  2. Key Themes • Japanese Imperial Expansion in S.E. Asia • Japan craves resources to fuel its military expansion • Japan has a militaristic culture founded on “Bushido Code” • Early Japanese successes • European powers lose their colonies to Japan • Europe too preoccupied with fighting Nazis.

  3. Japanese Expansion

  4. Japanese Strategy

  5. Japanese Navy • Technologically advanced • Very Large • Vital to secure trade routes and supply lines • Japanese Empire lives or dies by the fate of its navy…

  6. Japanese Navy Yamato Largest Battleship ever built

  7. Japanese Navy Akagi Carriers Numerous carriers with expert crews

  8. Japanese were harsh masters… • Japanese commit horrid atrocities upon conquered populations: • Execution • Rape • Torture • Slave labor These things were especially bad in China

  9. Mass executions were common Beheadings were popular

  10. Japanese Grand Strategy • Yamamoto knew that the only thing standing in the way of Japanese expansion was the U.S. navy. • He planned a sneak attack to cripple the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet . • The date set for the attack was Dec. 7th 1941. Isoroku Yamamoto, CinC of Imperial Japanese Navy

  11. Attack on Pearl Harbor • Many ships crammed into small area • Easy targets for experienced Japanese bomber pilots Excellent natural harbor on Island of Oahu

  12. Japanese planes attack in three main waves Japanese subs wait offshore

  13. 8 battleships and dozens of smaller vessels sunk, crippled, or damaged • Spectacular tactical success

  14. Aftermath of Pear Harbor Attack • Disaster for U.S. Navy and a national humiliation • 2700 servicemen and women die • U.S. now at war with Japan • But… by a quirk of fate, the Carriers of the U.S. Fleet were at sea at the time of the attack and survived. • Japan would deeply regret this…

  15. U.S. Aircraft Carriers • Adm. Chester Nimitz named CinC of Pacific Fleet, ordered to defeat Japanese navy. • Carriers would form the nucleus of the U.S. counter attack U.S.S Hornet

  16. Battle of the Coral Sea

  17. Battle of the Coral Sea May 8 1942 • U.S. Navy prevents Japanese invasion of Australia U.S.S. Yorktown under fire

  18. Battle of the Coral Sea

  19. Showdown At Midway • Japanese plan to lure U.S. Carriers into a trap at Midway Islands. • Japan sends invasion fleet (largest ever at the time) to attack Midway and flush out U.S. Carriers. • But U.S. has broken Japanese code, and plans its own ambush for the Japanese Carriers

  20. Showdown At Midway June 4th 1942

  21. U.S. dive bombers and torpedo planes Japanese dive bombers and torpedo planes

  22. Ships are over 100 miles from each other for the duration of the battle U.S.S Yorktown sinking after two Japanese attacks

  23. Three Japanese carriers destroyed in one attack.

  24. Aftermath • Japanese Navy permanently weakened and never fully recovers • Japanese pushed back Island by Island • U.S. economy geared for war production • U.S. Navy eventually dwarfs the Japanese navy and overwhelms it

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