#3 - Condensed Notes: The War For The Islands – War in the Pacific

1. Getting to Japan

  1. The ultimate objective was the home islands of Japan unless Tojo and his government conceded defeat before invasion proved necessary.
  2. These home islands lay 2000 miles from America’s remaining Pacific bases in Hawaii and Australia, between each of which a formidable chain of Japanese island fortresses interposed to block an American amphibious advance.
  3. Was it better to proceed along the pathway of the great islands of the East Indies or to leap across the stepping-stones of the tiny, isolated atolls of the north Pacific?
  4. Admiral Nimitz, commander of the Pacific Fleet, HQ at Hawaii, was in charge of the Pacific Ocean area and MacArthur, commander of army forces in the region with HQ in Australia, was in charge of the South-West Pacific Area.
  5. The decision was made to strike Guadalcanal, east of New Guinea. The battle would cost the Japanese 22,000 killed and wounded. The Americans lost a little over a thousand dead.
  6. The US established the tactical method they would employ across the width of the Pacific to beat the Japanese into subjection:
  1. Commit elite landing troops heavily supported by ground-attack aircraft and naval gunfire
  2. Take and hold key islands at the perimeter of Japan’s area of conquest
  3. Use these re-captured islands as stepping-stones towards the home islands, aka “Island Hopping”
  1. While the emperor’s soldiers were dependent upon their concept of honor in sustaining their resistance the Americans could call up overwhelming firepower to kill them in the thousands.
  2. It was an unequal contest which in the long run the Americans were bound to win.
  3. Bataan Peninsula Philippines) falls to the Japanese after 4 months of intense fighting.
  4. Doolittle strike at TokyoApril, 1942 . US will not get as close to the Japanese homeland until the war’s end.
  5. May,1942, Australian and US fleet intercept a Japanese strike force aimed at Australia. Battle of Coral Sea ensued and established a naval battle in which the opposing ships never saw each other, a naval air battle. First Japanese invasion stopped and turned back.
  6. An intercepted message alerted US of a massive Japanese invasion force headed for Midway to resume the attack on Hawaii. US was outnumbered 4-1 with orders “to inflict the maximum damage on the enemy”. The Japanese lost 4 irreplaceable carriers, a cruiser, and 322 planes, Pearl Harbor avenged.

2. General George Kenney and Anti-Ship Tactics

  1. General Kenney found that Flying Fortresses dropping bombs from high altitude towards Japanese naval vessels were highly inaccurate. He trained his medium range bomber pilots to attack at low level with guns and fragmentation bombs.
  2. The B-25s employed in this manner enjoyed great success. Kenney added the P-38 Lightning a long-range, twin-engine fighter to the mix. It was no match for the Zero in dogfights but was used for strategic strikes against massed formations of Japanese aircraft.
  3. The Lightning would dive from a high altitude into these formations. In an effort to reverse the success that the Lightnings and B-25 were having Yamamoto assembled the largest available force of his own aircraft and committed them against Guadalcanal. It will be the first Japanese defeat on land.
  4. Yamamoto chose to visit his men and encourage them to greater efforts. Magic intercepted the cipher communicating his plans to visit Bougainville.
  5. A squadron of P-38s ambushed his plane on April 18, 1943. It was destroyed with a burst of 20mm cannon fire and fell, burning, into the jungle. Bougainville is located in the Solomon Islands slightly northeast of Papua New Guinea.

3. Tarawa November, 1943

  1. With the string of American victories the offensive was expanded. The US had enormous confidence in its navy.
  2. The light carriers could carry 50 planes and maneuver at 30 knots. The Essex class carriers had 100 planes and powerful guns. They too could move at 30 knots. These “fast carrier task forces” cruised in the company of attack cruisers, battleships, destroyers and transports.
  3. Packing a lethal punch they moved towards the Philippines and made nine island atoll landings on their way there. Tarawa was one of the first landings in November 1943.
  4. Tarawa was defended by 5,000 Japanese. The landing was difficult, by nightfall 500 marines were dead and one thousand more were wounded. A landing on an undefended beach put US tanks into the fray.
  5. The following day barbaric fighting took place with the Americans steadily gaining ground. During the night the Japanese made a “death charge” into American guns. The morning found 325 enemy dead.
  6. The battle was ended. Almost all of the 5,000 Japanese defenders were dead. One thousand Marines had lost their lives and 2,000 more were wounded. The Tarawa battle was closely studied.
  7. Replicas of the Japanese defenses were built and practiced against. Command ships were used to direct naval and air attack fire and coordinate it with landings.
  8. The American leap had left many Japanese island garrisons in the rear. The decision was made to allow these islands to “wither on the vine” as malaria, dysentery and hunger enervated the Japanese defenders w/o risk to American soldiers and pilots.

4. The Fall of the Marshalls and Marianas Island Chains - Summer 1943

  1. With the Marshalls in the possession of the US the military focus now shifted to the Marianas Isles. Guam and Saipan were the most obvious landing places.
  2. Saipan was a large island with a garrison of 32,000 men. The Americans pounded the island with 2400 16 inch shells before landing 20,000 soldiers. During the landing the air force and 8 battleships continued the bombing onslaught.
  3. American fast carrier task forces encountered Japanese carriers and in the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot” of June, 1943 shot down 243 of 373 Japanese planes. The Americans lost 29. American submarines sunk 2 more Japanese aircraft carriers as well. The following day another Japanese carrier was sunk.
  4. This Battle of the Philippine Sea reduced its aircraft strength by 2/3.
  5. The defenders of Saipan were without re-supply. They ran out of ammunition and chose suicide to surrender. The survivors of the 30,000 defenders along with many of the islands 22,000 villagers killed themselves.
  6. The islands were now transformed into huge air bases. The new B-29 Super Fortress was able to reach the Japanese home islands directly. Japan began to experience sustained bombing of its industries and population centers.

NAME:______Per:______Date: ______

#3 -The War for the Islands – War in the Pacific

  1. What was the US objective concerning Japan?
  2. What two US commanders were in charge of the Pacific?
  3. What was the first island the US decided to strike?
  4. What was the result?
  5. The US employed at tactic called “Island Hopping”. How would this tactic help the US reach the end result they wanted?
  6. What Japanese concept or belief would work in the favor of the American forces?
  7. B-25 bombers and P-38 Lightning fighters were used against what Japanese forces?
  8. Admiral Yamamoto were killed when and where?
  9. How many planes were carried by light carriers and the Essex class air craft carriers?
  10. What ships were in their battle formations?
  11. What was the end result of the Battle at Tarawa in November, 1943?
  12. What decision did the Americans make concerning the Japanese islands left behind?
  13. What effect did the Battle of the Philippine Sea have on Japanese aircraft?
  14. After the battle of the Mariana Islands Chain, what was the US target?