1. World War II Pacific Theater
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2. Background
There were four major theaters, or campaigns, in World War II; the Pacific, Mediterranean, North African, and Northern European. Of the four, probably the most significant was the Pacific Theater. This theater mainly dealt with the conflict between the United States and the Empire of Japan. This is the campaign that started World War II when Japan invaded Manchuria in This campaign formally brought the United States into the war in It was also the last campaign to be resolved, ending the war in August It also had deep impact on the future, being the campaign in which nuclear weapons were first used in warfare. Most of this part of the war was fought in the Pacific Ocean and the inhabited islands located there.
At the start of the war, the Japanese were led by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, but he was killed during Operation Vengeance. He was succeeded by Admiral Mineichi Koga and Admiral Soemu Toyoda. The Allied naval forces were led by Admiral Chester Nimitz.
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3. Attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941
On December 7, 1941, a U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by a Japanese air strike. Japan’s surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet was staged because Japan was about to wage war against Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. The attack wrecked two U.S. Navy battleships, one minelayer, and two destroyers beyond repair, and destroyed 188 aircraft. There were 2,388 people killed and 1,178 wounded. Damaged warships included three cruisers, a destroyer, and six battleships. Fortunately, vital fuel storage, shipyard, maintenance, and headquarters facilities were not hit. Japanese losses were minimal at twenty-nine aircraft and five midget submarines, with 65 servicemen killed and wounded. They expected that this move would cripple American efforts to effectively counterattack Japanese forces for years. By that time, Japan expected to solidify its empire across Asia and the Pacific Rim.
An aerial view at the beginning of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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4. U.S. Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers
Battle of Midway June 4–7, 1942
The Battle of Midway was a decisive victory for the Americans, and is considered to be the most important naval engagement of the Pacific Campaign of the Second World War. The Imperial Japanese Navy was weakened, after losing four fleet carriers and more than two hundred fighter pilots. Both sides suffered significant losses. The Japanese were unable to rebuild their naval forces, but the Americans consistently provided reinforcements and more ships. So, the United States was at a significant advantage and was able to go on the offensive. The Japanese strived to win this battle so they could try and negotiate the United States’ departure from the Pacific.
U.S. Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers
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5. Battle of Iwo Jima February 19, 1945-March 26, 1945
The United States invasion of Iwo Jima was known as Operation Detachment. The mission was to capture two airfields, which could be used to launch more extensive bombing of Japan. This was believed to be the fiercest battle of the Pacific Theater. This was the first American invasion of a Japanese homeland. The Japanese were heavily fortified, and the island consisted of plenty of hidden artillery. However, the United States had the Japanese vastly outnumbered. The Americans invaded Iwo Jima with 110,000 troops compared to 21,000 Japanese troops. The Japanese casualty rate was significant, 20,703 Japanese were killed, including many who committed suicide rather than be captured. Only about two hundred were captured. The United States earned a decisive victory.
The raising of the flag at Iwo Jima
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6. Conventional Bombing of Japanese Cities
By this time, conventional bombing of Japanese cities by the United States was a regular occurrence. Before the dropping of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United States firebombed and destroyed many of the cities in Japan. The commander of the U.S. Army Air Corps, Gen. Curtis LeMay, was quoted as saying that by September 1945, he would have no more targets left to bomb. Prior to the fire bombings, American B-29s dropped leaflets into the cities to warn the citizens to get out of town. Many Japanese felt that this was a psychological warfare tactic, and they were not going to fall for it. They were sorry they didn’t follow the Americans’ advice once the bombs started falling. Nevertheless, these bombing were just a precursor of what was to come in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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7. Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki August 6–9, 1945
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks against the Empire of Japan by the United States. The attacks were ordered by President Harry Truman. More than 220,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a result of the bombings, half of which were directly killed by the bombings. Six days after the detonation of the Nagasaki atomic bomb, the Japanese Empire surrendered to the Allied Powers. To this day, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only nuclear weapons used in the history of warfare.
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8. “Little Boy” August 6, 1945 CICERO © 2008
The code name for the Hiroshima atomic bomb was “Little Boy.” It was developed by the Manhattan Project during World War II. It was dropped from a B-29 Superfortress. This was second atomic bomb built by the Manhattan project, and first ever to be used as a weapon. It was dropped over the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, The city of Hiroshima was chosen as the first target because of its large size, and its perception of being a Japanese army depot. The initial bombing killed approximately 70,000 people, and by the end of 1945, due to burns, radiation-related diseases, and lack of medical resources, the death toll was estimated between 90,000 to 140,000 people. Eleven known American prisoners of war were killed also.
“Little Boy” atomic bomb
Mushroom cloud from the bombing
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9. Mushroom over Nagasaki atomic bomb
“Fat Man” August 9, 1945
Three days after the bombing in Hiroshima, the second atomic bomb was detonated on Japanese soil by the United States. This was dropped over the city of Nagasaki. The damage was terrible, if less extensive then that of Hiroshima. Like the “Little Boy,” this bomb was dropped from a B-29 bomber. Nagasaki was not the original target. The city of Kokura was the original target, but on the morning of the air raid, Kokura was riddled with cloud cover, and there was not much visibility. So, the target was changed to Nagasaki. The bomb detonated at a little over 1,500 feet above the city. The heat of the blast reached 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and winds were close to 630 miles per hour. More than 40,000 people were killed immediately, and by the end of 1945, the death toll had reached 80,000, due to burns and radiation illnesses. Long-term effects of the radiation caused birth defects and cancers among Japanese survivors for generations.
“Fat Man”
Mushroom over Nagasaki atomic bomb
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10. Japan Surrenders August 14–September 2, 1945
With the destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japanese leaders decided to accept the uncompromising terms the Allies set down for ending the war. On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its surrender. The Emperor of Japan stated that Japan’s surrender was due in large part to the United States’ possession and use of nuclear weapons.
The signing of the Potsdam Declaration
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