World War II: Allied Powers vs. Axis Powers

1. World War II: Allied Powers vs. Axis Powers Mr. Ermer U.S. History Honors Miami Beach Senior High

3. War In The Pacific • Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet • Plans to use surviving aircraft carriers against Japan • Cannot mobilize fast enough to stop Japan from taking S.E. Asia • Japan attacks U.S. bases in Philippines, land troops later • Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s troops hid in Bataan for 3 mos. • Gen. MacArthur evacuated to Australia • McArthur’s troops captured by Japanese, marched 65 miles • Philippines falls to Japan • Doolittle Raid • To raise morale, FDR orders bombing of Tokyo • April: 16 B-25s bomb Tokyo, land in China • Japan changes course • Japan no longer worried about cutting off supply lines • New plan is to lure U.S. fleet into battle by attacking Midway

5. Talking In Code • Japanese plan to cut U.S. supply lines to Australia by attacking New Guinea, but U.S. broke the secret code, Battle of Coral Sea • Aircraft Carriers Lexington & Yorktown attack Japanese fleet • Carriers eventually sunk, but Japanese stopped • Navajo “code talkers” used by U.S. Marine Corp • Japanese could not “crack” the Navajo code, orders stayed secret and were quickly transmitted • U.S. Code Breakers learn about attack on Midway • Japanese carriers sail into an ambush • 1st wave of Japanese planes shot down by Americans • Four Japanese carriers sunk by American bombers • Battle of Midway was a turning point in the war • 362 dead Americans, 3,057 dead Japanese

6. Island Hopping • Two part plan to defeat the Japanese: • Admiral Nimitz’s Navy island hopping closer to Japan • Gen. McArthur to lead army to recapture Philippines • Amphtracsused to land Marines on coral atolls • 1943-45: Marines take islands 1 by 1, move closer to Japan • B-29 “Superfortress” bomber, fly farther than other planes • MacArthur’s troops begin drive at Guadalcanal • Catch up to Navy and take New Guinea • Next stop: Philippines (land on 10/20/1944) • Japanese launch surprise attack, use kamikaze pilots • Early Japanese retreat saves U.S. at Battle of Leyte Gulf • Battle for control of the Philippines lasts until end of war

10. The War In Russia & Africa • FDR wants badly to invade Europe, his advisors and British PM Winston Churchill advise against • Want to invade Africa for two reasons: • Taking control of Africa would not be as difficult • The Army could get practice without needing too many troops • After early losses, Gen. Eisenhower replaces leaders • Gen. George Patton assigned to Africa • Convoy system, radar, sonar help Allies control Atlantic • With W. Europe under Nazi control, Hitler pushes east to destroy the Soviet economy—Stalingrad is main target • Battle lasts from September 1942-February 1943 • Nazis not prepared for Russian winter • Heavy Nazi losses

11. Battle of Stalingrad

12. The Allies Advance • US, UK, USSR form Grand Alliance, stress military operations, not political differences • Agree to fight until all Axis Powers surrender • 1942: War turns against Germany, Japan • Nov ’42: Allies invade N. Africa, defeat Germans May ’43 • Feb ’43: German Sixth Army surrenders at Stalingrad • June ’42: USA sinks 4 Japanese carriers at Midway • Gen MacArthur begins offensive in Philippines • Combined Army, Marine and Navy “island hopping” • May 1943: Axis Tunisia surrenders

13. War in Europe • Casablanca Conference: FDR and Churchill agree to destroy German economic & military potential • Weaken German morale • First, attack Italy “the soft underbelly” of the Axis Powers • September 1943: Allies invade Italian island of Sicily • American & British bombing of Germany picks up • Did not weaken German economy or morale, but created gas shortage, interrupted railroads, wrecked airplane factories—Allies now controlled the air • Allies invade Italy, move north quickly, Mussolini arrested by King Victor Emmanuel III—Germans return him to power • Allies land at Anzio, behind Nazi lines at Cassino, fighting lasts for three months—Allies take Rome in May 1944