WWII in the Pacific 4 8 13 Pacific theater of Operations o Pearl harbor didn t destroy air craft carriers Battle of the Coral Sea May 1942 o Stopped Japanese threat to Australia o Ships don t see each other It s done entirely by airways o Japanese main goal was to take over Australia o Fight it out to pretty much a draw But it stopped the Japanese push to the south Battle of Midway June 1942 o Only thing on Midway Island was an airfield some buildings and some supplies o The Japanese wanted it for it s airfield They could use it to attack Hawaii o At this point in the war we ve more or less crack the Japanese naval code o War done completely by airways o At the end 4 Japanese aircraft carriers and 248 aircrafts are destroyed United States lost 1 aircraft carrier and 150 aircrafts It also destroyed Japanese aircraft capabilities o This war stops Japanese offensive operation and changes them to focus on defense General McArthur fled from the Philippines to Australia o I shall return Attack o General Nimitz wanted to island hop o General McArthur wanted to attack Philippines 1944 he makes it back to the Philippines o They were both allowed a try o 1945 we begin closing in on Japan Battle of Iwo Jima Feb to March 1945 o US 6 000 killed and 19 000 wounded o Japan 21 000 killed o Very bloody battle o This island is strategically important Emergency landing point for aircraft if the Atomic Bomb was going to be used First island that s actually Japanese soil Battle of Okinawa April to June 1945 o Over 95 000 killed including many civilians who committed suicide o The first time where we confront the Japanese civilian population o Use of flamethrowers were instrumental o US lost 10 000 troops and 35 000 wounded Double victory o 99th pursuit squadron the Tuskegee Airman o Help achieve victory in the Pacific and victory at home against racism o Eleanor Roosevelt supported black pilots o 1941 formation of 99th squadron o 1943 sent to Africa o 1944 part of bomber escort o Red tails o Highly decorated unit Atomic Bomb o Truman took over Presidency He looked at the number of soldiers that would have been killed on both sides Estimated 500 000 US casualties o Hiroshima Aug 6 1945 166 000 killed Military industrial city After we dropped this bomb we offered the Japanese the ability to surrender o Nagasaki Aug 9 1945 80 000 killed Military industrial town Japanese finally surrendered Aug 1945 Japanese war atrocities o Rape of Nanking o Bataan death march o Chemical weapons o Human testing o Treatment of prisoners o Cannibalism o Comfort women kidnapped Chinese women and forced them into prostitution for the Japanese soldiers The Holocaust o 6 million Jews were murdered o 3 million Soviet Prisoners o 2 million Poles o 1 5 Roma people gypsies o In 1941 80 of the victims of the holocaust were still living o Wannsee Conference Jan 1942 o Ordinary people committed these crimes
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