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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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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.
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…
Japanese Navy Yamato Largest Battleship ever built
Japanese Navy Akagi Carriers Numerous carriers with expert crews
Japanese were harsh masters… • Japanese commit horrid atrocities upon conquered populations: • Execution • Rape • Torture • Slave labor These things were especially bad in China
Mass executions were common Beheadings were popular
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
Attack on Pearl Harbor • Many ships crammed into small area • Easy targets for experienced Japanese bomber pilots Excellent natural harbor on Island of Oahu
Japanese planes attack in three main waves Japanese subs wait offshore
8 battleships and dozens of smaller vessels sunk, crippled, or damaged • Spectacular tactical success
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…
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
Battle of the Coral Sea May 8 1942 • U.S. Navy prevents Japanese invasion of Australia U.S.S. Yorktown under fire
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
U.S. dive bombers and torpedo planes Japanese dive bombers and torpedo planes
Ships are over 100 miles from each other for the duration of the battle U.S.S Yorktown sinking after two Japanese attacks
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