War in the Pacific

1. War in the Pacific

2. Just a Review: • Rape of Nanking, China 1937 • Dec. 7, 1941-Pearl Harbor • What problem did the U.S. have fighting the war in the Pacific-(look at the map)???? -Had to fight on two fronts-Europe & Pacific so focus on Europe first -Harder to fight because it is a series of islands

3. Our Strategy & Did It Work: • Get back North Africa & go through weaker underbelly of Italy then liberate France & move through to Germany • Were we successful?

4. End of the War Timeline: • FDR dies April 12, 1945-Truman takes over • Mussolini killed April 28, 1945 • Hitler commits suicide April 30, 1945 • V-E Day May 8, 1945 (Victory in Europe)

5. US Strategy in Pacific • Island Hopping- go from island to island and focus on smaller less fortified ones first

6. Navajo Code Talkers • The Navajo language has no written alphabet so difficult to break. • Code designed from original 29 men recruited and expanded throughout the war • Was never broken by Japanese • Fought in every major battle in Pacific • Returned home to discrimination • Received Congressional Medal in 2001

7. Bataan Death March 1942 • Philippines (owned by U.S.) • General MacArthur vows “I Will Return”-sent to another battle area • Troops continue fighting & run low on supplies • 70,000 U.S. & Filipino troops surrender • Put on death march-no food, extremely hot • 10,000 die on march

8. Coral Sea 1942 • U.S. breaks Japanese code • *Significance-first halt in Japanese advancement • Save Australia

9. Midway 1942 • Break Japanese code • U.S. losing at first • 4 U.S. planes get lost • Japanese stop to refuel • 4 U.S. planes find Midway & bomb as Japanese is refueling • U.S. wins • *Last Japanese offensive

10. Guadalcanal 1942-43 • *1st U.S. offensive • Successfully cut off Japanese supply lines • There was a Japanese airfield there

11. Peleliu (Palau) • Most causalities in a single battle in Pacific (6,800) • Wanted an airfield • Little strategic value in the end • Controversial battle of WWII • Sept 1944-Nov 1944

12. Leyete Gulf 1944 • Philippines • MacArthur returns • First time get kamikazes-Japanese suicide bombers means “divine wind”

13. Kamikazes

14. Iwo Jima 1945 • Mount Suribachi heavily fortified by Japanese (inactive volcano) • Famous raising of the flag • 7,000 Americans KIA • 12,000 Japanese KIA • *closer to Japan

15. Okinawa 1945 • Now only 350 miles from Japan • 12,000 Americans KIA • 110,000 Japanese KIA

16. Manhattan Project • New Mexico 1939-secret development of the atomic bomb • Robert Oppenheimer is the scientist with Einstein • Feared Germany was developing because they had uranium

17. Harry Truman • Gave Japan chance to surrender July 26th • Why did he decide to drop the bomb? -To save millions of American lives -Not for revenge of Pearl Harbor

18. Hiroshima • Why? -Industrial city and port for army depot • August 6, 1945 -Bomb called “Little Boy” -Transported by Enola Gay

19. Hiroshima • 1 mile radius-gone • 3 mile radius-heavy damage • 12 mile radius-lighter damage

20. Damage • 80,000 killed • Up to 140,000 after radiation • 35,000 wounded • 2/3 city destroyed

21. Nagasaki • Drop warning leaflets Aug. 8 • Why? -Largest seaport and industrial city • Drop “Fat Man” August 9, 1945

22. Damage • 40,000 dead • Should we have dropped the atomic bomb? • Should we have dropped a second?

23. V-J Day • August 15, 1945 (surrender date) • War ends Sept. 2, 1945 (V-J Day)