MAJOR BATTLES
Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese went forward with their plans to bomb America, and consequentially began the Pacific War. The Japanese targeted Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their siege lasted just two hours, but it caused catastrophic damage. The Americans had not expected the attack, and were not prepared. Bombs and planes filled the skies, and the Japanese were relentless with their attempts. The US lost twenty vessels, including eight massive battleships, 200 planes, and 2,000 American soldiers. Another 1,000 were wounded. One of the most tragic events that happened was the sinking of the USS Arizona. At 8:10, a 1,800 pound bomb was dropped on the Arizona's ammunition. It sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside. Fortunately, their aircraft carriers were stationed far from the site. Luckily, the Japanese missed the important facilities at Pearl Harbor. They missed pivotal oil depots, shipyards, repair shops, and submarine docks. These misses allowed the Navy to rebound quickly from the losses. One day after these deplorable events, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan. In his iconic speech (listen to 0:40-1:05), FDR stated: "No man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it. There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. There can be no reasoning with an incendiary bomb." America was shocked, and with Pearl Harbor, Japan initiated a long and costly with the US.
The Battle of Coral Sea
The Battle of Coral Sea occurred over a four day span in May of 1942. This battle had a historic impact because it is considered to be the first air-sea conflict. The Japanese's plan was to take control of the Coral Sea by taking Port Moresby, a place in Southern New Guinea. However, Britain, an Allied force, intercepted the plans and immediately contacted the US. When the Japanese landed in Port Moresby, they were attacked by aircraft carrier planes. The Americans were commanded by Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, and prevailed because of the Japan's lack of supplies. In the end, Japan's air force did not have enough planes to continue fighting. The US used two large aircraft carriers and other ships, but the carriers were the only weapons used in combat. Although they lost the USS Lexington, this was still a strategic Allied victory that began to shift momentum in the Allies' direction.
The Battle of Midway
In June of 1942, the Battle of Midway took place. The Japanese realized that they had to expand their defensive perimeters, as they were having trouble defending against air raids. Their target was the Midway Island, a tiny island about a 1,000 miles off the coast of Hawaii. They deported six aircraft carriers, eleven battleships, thirteen cruisers, forty-five destroyers, submarines, and more. This was an astounding amount of military power and nearly all of Japan's navy. The American defense had been crushed recently because of the Pearl Harbor bombings, and it only consisted of three aircraft carriers, eight cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and the airbase on Midway Island. Luckily, for the Americans, they had the element of surprise. The US deployed their torpedo bombers first, but this was a colossal failure. Not one torpedo hit their targets. However, they drew the Japanese planes down to sea level with their torpedo bombers (the vast majority was destroyed). Their distraction opened up the skies for American dive bombers. Japanese bombs were set up on deck, as they had been prepared to be used against the torpedo bombers. The bombers aimed at the ammunition and within a few minutes, the dive bombers set three of Japan's four aircraft carriers ablaze. This forced the Japanese to retreat. The Battle of Midway was one of the main turning points of the war, as it put Japan on the defensive side.
The Battle of Guadalcanal
The Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major offensive move by the US. About two months before America became involved, Japan started building an air base in the Solomon Islands. This was a strategic move by the Japanese, as it had the potential to cut off the US's communication with Australia. This was an interesting battle, as it involved ground, sea, and air combat. About two-thirds of 31,400 Japanese soldiers stationed there were killed, whereas just 2,000 of the estimated 60,000 American troops died. This battle was devastating to Japan, as any hope of a counteroffensive attack was beginning to dwindle. Japan had few remaining seasoned naval officers, and America continued to grow stronger.
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was far and away the most devastating battle for both the Americans and Japanese. The tiny island of Iwo Jima was an ideal place to land damaged B-29 planes and was overall a strong target for an air base. The war began with a 70 day aerial bombing period where the US dropped 5,800 tons of explosives on the island, and later, a three day bombardment by the US Navy. However, the bombing did not make a significant impact. The vast majority of Japanese soldiers were hidden in tunnels, ditches, and bunkers. About an hour after the bombing ended, 30,000 American soldiers reached Iwo Jima. To their surprise, there were no other soldiers in sight. At first they believed that the bombs had already killed everyone, but as they travelled further inland, the Japanese surprised them with heavy artillery. Their machine guns caused a total of 2,420 deaths after just one day of fighting. Terrible terrain did not allow the US to build a proper foxhole, and they were forced to continue traveling inland. Their bullets were ineffective against the well-hid Japanese, and they had to use grenades and flamethrowers to exterminate them. Reporter Robert Sherrod stated their advance was,"a nightmare in hell... The Marines died with the greatest possible violence. Nowhere in the Pacific have I seen such badly mangled bodies. Many were cut squarely in half. Legs and arms lay fifty feet away from any body." In the end, the Americans won, purely because they had thousands more troops than the Japanese. During this war, the iconic Flag Raising in Iwo Jima picture was taken by Joe Rosenthal. In total, the Japanese lost 18, 844 men, whereas the US lost 6, 821 but with 19,217 more wounded.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the Pacific War in a devastating fashion. The bomb was created by the Manhattan Project, a group led by Julius Robert Oppenheimer. They built the bomb in a desert in New Mexico, and deported it in a B-29 Superfortress. In total, the bombs killed about 129,000 people, and consequently forced the Japanese to surrender. Hiroshima occurred on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki occurred on August 9, 1945.
Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese went forward with their plans to bomb America, and consequentially began the Pacific War. The Japanese targeted Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their siege lasted just two hours, but it caused catastrophic damage. The Americans had not expected the attack, and were not prepared. Bombs and planes filled the skies, and the Japanese were relentless with their attempts. The US lost twenty vessels, including eight massive battleships, 200 planes, and 2,000 American soldiers. Another 1,000 were wounded. One of the most tragic events that happened was the sinking of the USS Arizona. At 8:10, a 1,800 pound bomb was dropped on the Arizona's ammunition. It sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside. Fortunately, their aircraft carriers were stationed far from the site. Luckily, the Japanese missed the important facilities at Pearl Harbor. They missed pivotal oil depots, shipyards, repair shops, and submarine docks. These misses allowed the Navy to rebound quickly from the losses. One day after these deplorable events, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan. In his iconic speech (listen to 0:40-1:05), FDR stated: "No man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it. There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. There can be no reasoning with an incendiary bomb." America was shocked, and with Pearl Harbor, Japan initiated a long and costly with the US.
The Battle of Coral Sea
The Battle of Coral Sea occurred over a four day span in May of 1942. This battle had a historic impact because it is considered to be the first air-sea conflict. The Japanese's plan was to take control of the Coral Sea by taking Port Moresby, a place in Southern New Guinea. However, Britain, an Allied force, intercepted the plans and immediately contacted the US. When the Japanese landed in Port Moresby, they were attacked by aircraft carrier planes. The Americans were commanded by Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, and prevailed because of the Japan's lack of supplies. In the end, Japan's air force did not have enough planes to continue fighting. The US used two large aircraft carriers and other ships, but the carriers were the only weapons used in combat. Although they lost the USS Lexington, this was still a strategic Allied victory that began to shift momentum in the Allies' direction.
The Battle of Midway
In June of 1942, the Battle of Midway took place. The Japanese realized that they had to expand their defensive perimeters, as they were having trouble defending against air raids. Their target was the Midway Island, a tiny island about a 1,000 miles off the coast of Hawaii. They deported six aircraft carriers, eleven battleships, thirteen cruisers, forty-five destroyers, submarines, and more. This was an astounding amount of military power and nearly all of Japan's navy. The American defense had been crushed recently because of the Pearl Harbor bombings, and it only consisted of three aircraft carriers, eight cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and the airbase on Midway Island. Luckily, for the Americans, they had the element of surprise. The US deployed their torpedo bombers first, but this was a colossal failure. Not one torpedo hit their targets. However, they drew the Japanese planes down to sea level with their torpedo bombers (the vast majority was destroyed). Their distraction opened up the skies for American dive bombers. Japanese bombs were set up on deck, as they had been prepared to be used against the torpedo bombers. The bombers aimed at the ammunition and within a few minutes, the dive bombers set three of Japan's four aircraft carriers ablaze. This forced the Japanese to retreat. The Battle of Midway was one of the main turning points of the war, as it put Japan on the defensive side.
The Battle of Guadalcanal
The Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major offensive move by the US. About two months before America became involved, Japan started building an air base in the Solomon Islands. This was a strategic move by the Japanese, as it had the potential to cut off the US's communication with Australia. This was an interesting battle, as it involved ground, sea, and air combat. About two-thirds of 31,400 Japanese soldiers stationed there were killed, whereas just 2,000 of the estimated 60,000 American troops died. This battle was devastating to Japan, as any hope of a counteroffensive attack was beginning to dwindle. Japan had few remaining seasoned naval officers, and America continued to grow stronger.
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was far and away the most devastating battle for both the Americans and Japanese. The tiny island of Iwo Jima was an ideal place to land damaged B-29 planes and was overall a strong target for an air base. The war began with a 70 day aerial bombing period where the US dropped 5,800 tons of explosives on the island, and later, a three day bombardment by the US Navy. However, the bombing did not make a significant impact. The vast majority of Japanese soldiers were hidden in tunnels, ditches, and bunkers. About an hour after the bombing ended, 30,000 American soldiers reached Iwo Jima. To their surprise, there were no other soldiers in sight. At first they believed that the bombs had already killed everyone, but as they travelled further inland, the Japanese surprised them with heavy artillery. Their machine guns caused a total of 2,420 deaths after just one day of fighting. Terrible terrain did not allow the US to build a proper foxhole, and they were forced to continue traveling inland. Their bullets were ineffective against the well-hid Japanese, and they had to use grenades and flamethrowers to exterminate them. Reporter Robert Sherrod stated their advance was,"a nightmare in hell... The Marines died with the greatest possible violence. Nowhere in the Pacific have I seen such badly mangled bodies. Many were cut squarely in half. Legs and arms lay fifty feet away from any body." In the end, the Americans won, purely because they had thousands more troops than the Japanese. During this war, the iconic Flag Raising in Iwo Jima picture was taken by Joe Rosenthal. In total, the Japanese lost 18, 844 men, whereas the US lost 6, 821 but with 19,217 more wounded.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the Pacific War in a devastating fashion. The bomb was created by the Manhattan Project, a group led by Julius Robert Oppenheimer. They built the bomb in a desert in New Mexico, and deported it in a B-29 Superfortress. In total, the bombs killed about 129,000 people, and consequently forced the Japanese to surrender. Hiroshima occurred on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki occurred on August 9, 1945.
Here's a video of a compilation of all important Pacific War-related radio broadcasts
Please watch the footage between 7:50-9:30.
Please watch the footage between 7:50-9:30.