WWII_Ch5_info

=**Victory in Japan Background Information**=

Japan didn't have a large military but was able to win numerous victories on the strength (especially naval) that it did have. The Japanese battleship //Yamato// had gun turrets the size of a destroyer. Furthermore, the Japanese had experience and superior training while the Allies often underestimated Japanese military abilities. Archibald Wavell was put in command of the Pacific command by FDR and Churchill at the Arcadia Conference. Japanese attacks included air attacks on Wake Island, the Philippines, and land operations on Guam, Hong Kong, Malaya, and also the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur commanded forces on the Philippines and was unable to keep the Japanese from taking control as FDR ordered him to withdraw. As he was leaving, MacArthur said "//I shall return//." The Japanese took prisoners and began the Bataan Death March transporting Allied prisoners but expected 25,000 POWs but had 75,000 with many having to walk the 66 miles with over 7,000 deaths.
 * __Japanese Successes in the Pacific__:**

Success continued for Japan as the Japanese would score a major victory over the Allies taking Malaya and Britain's island fortress of Singapore even before taking Bataan and Corregidor. The British believed Singapore was impossible to be taken by Japan. The overconfidence of the British would contribute to Japanese victory. When Japan was able to gain air superiority, the would be able to have success. The Japanese were running low on ammunition and if fighting went to the streets in Singapore, the Allies may have won, but they agreed to surrender the island. The Battle of the Java Sea took place from February 27 to March 1, 1942. In this battle, Japan took most of Indonesia and would bring Australia under attack. If New Zealand and Australia fell to Japan, it would be very difficult for the Allies to stop them. Much of the battle took place after dark and the Japanese were masters at night fighting. Japan had gained control of the Dutch East Indies. In addition, Japan looked to take Burma since it bordered India and the Burma Road was a main supply line to Chiang Kai-shek in China. Thailand would offer no resistance and Japan took Rangoon after fighting masterfully in the jungle. Burma and the Burma Road would be taken and controlled by the Japanese. By the end of 1942, Japan would control Southeast Asia and the western Pacific and looked to threaten the Indian Ocean, Australia, and the Central Pacific.

Operation Second Stage was Japan's goal of capturing New Guinea, the Aleutians, and forcing the U.S. naval fleet out into a major battle while it was still weak. Japanese officers feared going to war with the U.S. at first, but grew more eager to extend their domination. In the meantime, the U.S. command was restructuring and reorganizing. Admiral Chester Nimitz would be put in command of the Pacific fleet.
 * __Tide Turns in the Pacific__:**

In the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japan hoped to occupy the southern portion of the Solomon Islands to be able to attack Port Moresby. Nimitz sent a force to contest the Japanese. Tactically, the battle was a draw since both fleets inflicted the same amount of damage, but the U.S. for the first time was able to stop Japan from achieving their goal as the Japanese admiral was concerned about his losses that he chose not to land on Port Moresby. This signaled a change in momentum.

In the Battle of Midway, the U.S. would defeat the Japanese, which made this battle the turning point battle in the Pacific. Admiral Yamamoto planned to have battleships come from Guam while his aircraft carriers would come from Japan. They would join and attack at Midway. Yamamoto knew that Japan would not be secure until the U.S. Pacific fleet was defeated. Nimitz learned of the attack from espionage and was able to prepare for the attack. Yamamoto also ordered secondary attacks on two small Aleutian Islands instead of concentrating all of his strength on the main objective. Yamamoto and other Japanese officers suffered from "victory disease" thinking they could win no matter what the obstacles were. Japan lost 4 of their best ships and the U.S. would win. The victory was important since it marked an end to Japan's dominance in the Pacific.

In the battles for the Solomon Islands, the U.S. decided to attack in a couple of places when they found Japan was building an air strip on Guadalcanal. The U.S. sent 11,000 marines to surprise the Japanese, who were forced to withdraw into the jungle. The U.S. seized the air strip and named it Henderson Field for a marine lost at Midway. There was also fighting in the water between the Solomon chain known as "the Slot." This is where John F. Kennedy's PT-109 boat was sunk and he rescued his crew. Guadalcanal was a horrible place to fight with the rugged mountains, dense jungle, malaria-ridden swamps, and the heat. Three battles took place in this region on Savo Island, Cape d'Esperance, and Guadalcanal. America would win and this proved just as much a turning point as Midway since the U.S. got land superiority and showed it could quickly replace naval losses.

General Douglas MacArthur would be commander of the Allies in the Pacific while Nimitz would command the naval fleet. The U.S. would adopt the policy of "island hopping," which was the strategy to take some islands while bypassing others in order to isolate the Japanese forces on the islands that were bypassed to eventually control the Pacific and defeat the Japanese.
 * __Island Hopping in the Pacific__:**

American operations against the Japanese took place in all parts of the Pacific. In the northern Pacific Japan still had troops on two of the Aleutians and though they were weak the U.S. feared a possible attack on Alaska and the U.S. would be successful. In the southwestern part of the Pacific the U.S. set up Operation Cartwheel beginning in April of 1943 to take New Guinea's nothern coast and ultimately land on New Britain's western shore and at the same time push for the northern part of the Solomons. General William "Billy" Mitchell was practicing bombing runs as low 150 feet in B-25s and was able to use this in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. America was gaining air superiority and the U.S. took the Solomons. In the meantime, Japan was trying to get access to transports but were denied in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. The U.S. would then conduct a surprise carrier attack on Rabaul, which was successful. In addition, the U.S. conducted a seaborne landing operation in the Nassau Bay, which opened a supply route to Australian troops. Furthermore, at the Quadrant Conference, the Allies agreed to bypass Rabaul (Island Hopping) and form a chain around it, which was also successful. In the central Pacific, the U.S. wanted to get bases on the Gilbert Islands as a steppingstone to the Marshall Islands. The U.S. had developed a new plane, the //Hellcat//, that could outclimb and outdive a Japanese //Zero//. The Tarawa atoll was difficult to take with the U.S. having casualties in the thousands, which earned the name "Bloody Tarawa." The U.S. would go on to take the Marshalls.

In the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Nimitz and his subordinate (Raymond Spruance) decided to bypass some of the Caroline Islands and leap to the Marianas, specifically Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. If the Allies were able to get the Marianas, Japan would be within range of long-range bombers and the Philippines to the west could be attacked. Saipan was the first objective. The marines made good use of the Navajo codetalkers who helped to send coded messages especially on Saipan. The whole battle was one-sided and was called the "Marianas Turkey Shoot." Saipan would be taken and U.S. marine and army forces landed on and took control of Guam. At this point, Tojo realized all was lost and resigned. He would be replaced by Koiso Kuniaki.

General MacArthur wanted to focus on retaking the Philippines. He looked to first attack the southern island of the chain, which would be Luzon. Upon capturing the air fields, MacArthur announced "People of the Philippines, I have returned." In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the U.S. and Japan would clash in the biggest naval battle in history. The Japanese devised a plan to converge on the Philippines in the decisive battle they were looking for. Japan had the //Yamato// and its sister ship the //Musashi//. However, Japan moved forward too quickly and got spread out, which reduced their striking power. In the battle, Japan had superior firepower and seemed on the verge of winning, but the Japanese command hesitated instead of moving ahead and would eventually have to withdraw. In addition, this battle also saw use of the Japanese Kamikaze pilots for the first time. These were suicide pilots who deliberately crashed their planes into American ships. The word means "divine wind" and refers to the typhoon that destroyed the fleet of the Mongol leader Kublai Khan in the 13th century. American victory dealt a death blow to Japan's navy.
 * __Collapse of Japan__:**

The U.S. and the Allies would continue their push towards Japan. Iwo Jima became one of Nimitz's targets. Walking on the island was difficult and running almost impossible since the island was volcanic ash rather than sand. Capture of the island would be important since it was 660 miles from Japan. The U.S. suffered 30% casualties, but won the battle. The famous marine flag raising took place on Iwo Jima. Fighting for Okinawa would be the next step since it was 350 miles from Japan. The U.S. would sink the //Yamato// and take the island. The U.S. was able to control the waters with use of the submarines, which accounted for 60% of the sinkings. America used "wolf pack" tactics like the Germans in the Atlantic. The U.S. also gained control of the air. The B-29 Superfortress became available, which was bigger and faster than the B-17. U.S. General Curtis LeMay was put in charge of bombings in the Pacific by overall commander of the Army Air Force General Henry "Hap" Arnold.

The Manhattan Project was a secret operation set up with the purpose of producing an atomic bomb. The U.S. feared that Hitler might get the bomb first. General Leslie Groves was in charge of the operation. The A-bomb "Gadget" was tested in the desert of New Mexico. At the Potsdam Conference (Truman now president) the Allies agreed on unconditional surrender of Japan, eliminate those who led Japan into war, occupy Japan after the war, and destroy Japan's military and war capacity. In addition, Truman told Stalin about an unusual destructive weapon, though Stalin didn't think it was something as devastating as an A-bomb. The U.S. dropped the first A-bomb on Hiroshima when Japan didn't surrender. Hiroshima was a major assembly point for the Japanese naval convoys, center for defense, and headquarters for part of the Japanese army. It took place on August 6, 1945 when Japan didn't surrender by the August 3rd deadline. The bomb was dropped by Colonel Paul Tibbetts who flew the //Enola Gay//. The bomb dropped was "Little Boy." Japan still didn't surrender, so the U.S. dropped another A-bomb, this time on Nagasaki. Nagasaki was a center for making ships. The bomb was dropped August 9 and named "Fat Man." Emperor Hirohito agreed to surrender if he could remain as emperor, which the Allies agreed but Japan would be put under control of Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Pacific. The A-bomb brought the world into a new age of technology. September 2, 1945 was the official surrender accepted by MacArthur aboard the battlship //Missouri//. World War II was over.

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