1. War in the Pacific

2. Background Japan invades China in 1937.
Japan joins the Axis in Sept 1940.
US, British, and Dutch impose oil embargo in July 1941 on Japan
Japanese expect armed conflict with U.S. continue false negotiations.
US population focused on war in Europe.

3. Situation Successful opening offensive!
Growing Japanese Empire starved for resources
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Pre-emptive Strike
Successful opening offensive!
Border extended 14,200mi
Over half the earth’s circumference
Each attack in an area larger then European and Mediterranean Theatres combined

5. Defensive Phase
Offensive Phase
Pearl Harbor
Wake Is.
Kiska/Attu – Aleutians
Philippines (Bataan)
Guam
“Turning Point”

6. Midway - June 1942 Japanese get greedy. US breaks Japanese code.
Not satisfied w/ original perimeter.
Want base to bomb Hawaii.
Destroy US naval fleet.
US breaks Japanese code.
Jap. complex plan with many targets.
Aleutians, Midway, Fleet, etc.
First naval battle fought entirely with airplanes.

7. Midway: The Tide Turns
Japanese lose four heavy carriers, all planes, and many of their best pilots
US loses A/CC USSYorktown.

8. Defensive Phase
Offensive Phase
Tarawa
Marianas (Saipan, Tinian, Guam)
Iwo Jima
Okinawa
Firebombing Tokyo
Pearl Harbor
Wake Is.
Kiska/Attu – Aleutians
Philippines (Bataan)
Guam
Hiroshima, Nagasaki
“Turning Point”

9. Offensive Phase “Twin Thrusts” MacArthur from south Purpose
Push back and destroy the enemy
By-Pass enemy strongholds
Regain the Philippines

10. Offensive in the Southern Pacific
MacArthur

11. Twin Thrusts – Nimitz Nimitz from across the Pacific Purpose
Carrier Fleet vulnerable to land air bases
Purpose
Cut the enemy in two
Break enemy will to fight
Firebombing
Prepare to invade Japan

12. Offensive in the Central Pacific
Nimitz
Tarawa

13. 1943 1944 (Mac) March Bismark Sea
(Nim) November Tarawa and Makin (Gilberts)
1944
(Nim) February Kwajalein & Eniwetok (Marshalls)
(Mac) February-June New Guinea
(Nim) June-August Saipan, Tinian, Guam (Marianas)
B29s able to bomb Japan
(Mac & Nim) October Leyte Gulf
Destroyed much of Japanese Navy
Largest Naval Battle in History

14. LVT – Landing Vehicle, Tracked
Amphibious Tractor or AmphTrac or Amtrac or “Alligator”

15. Flame Throwers – Filled with Napalm – Gasoline mixed with naphtha that sticks to flesh and burns extremely hot flames.

16. Iwo Jima (Nimitz)
9 Feb 1945
Objective: Capture Airfields
1st wave of Marines gets ashore easily but then Japanese attack.
2 days - Southern half of island in US control.
Takes 34 more days to secure remainder
(8 square miles total).

19. Iwo Jima 36 days, 26,000 US casualties including 6,800 Killed
“Throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete.”
36 days, 26,000 US casualties including 6,800 Killed 
27 Medals of Honor awarded.   
ONLY 1,000 out of 20,000 Japanese survived   
By the end of the war 2,400 B-29s w/ 27,000 crewmen made unscheduled landings on IWO.

20. What “trends” can you identify?
Using the data below, create a bar graph or line graph showing U.S. casualties in the Pacific theater in WWII.
What “trends” can you identify?
Make a prediction of the casualties of an invasion of Japan.
Battle American Dead American Wounded
Tarawa (Gilberts) 1,001 2,300
Guam (Marianas) 3,000 7,000
Saipan (Marianas) 3, ,160
Iwo Jima 6, ,200
Okinawa , ,500
Japan ????? ?????

21. 1945 February-March Iwo Jima (Nim.) March Tokyo raids
Low level fire-bombing runs.
Kills 80,000 Japanese civilians
Designed to force surrender but didn’t.
April-June Okinawa (Nim.)
Japanese home island – very tough resistance
August
6th Hiroshima
9th Nagasaki
15th Japan surrenders.
September 2 VJ Day

22. A New Formula for Mass Destruction
Japan warned, but refused to surrender.
Planners estimate 3-5x as many casualties as at Okinawa.
Hiroshima
6 August 1945
60-70k killed or missing
Nagasaki
9 August
40k killed
Logical outcome of “Total War”?