WW Pacific 1943
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Transcript WW Pacific 1943
The U.S. in the Pacific
1943-45
Jan.-Sept. 1944: MacArthur’s forces
keep jumping up the New Guinea coast
New command arrangement in the
Central Pacific, mid-1944
3rd Fleet:
William F. Halsey, Jr.
5th Fleet:
Raymond A. Spruance
Navy builds an
advanced
supply,
maintenance,
and repair
system
it floats
also uses rapidly
constructed bases
Navy advances in the Central Pacific
November 1943: The Gilbert Islands
Makin and Tarawa Atolls attacked
Key position at Tarawa – Betio Island
Bloody fight at
Tarawa
Improved Performance:
Marshall Islands, Jan. - Feb. 1944
Kwajalein Atoll
Bombardment of Truk
Eniwetok Atoll
Next Objective: The Marianas Islands
Saipan, Tinian, & Guam captured
The Japanese navy comes out to
fight…
Results in the Battle
of the Philippine Sea,
June 19-20, 1944
…and loses its naval air power
“The Great Marianas
Turkey Shoot”
Saipan,
June-July 1944
Next stop:
The
Philippines
Harbinger of future combat:
Peleliu:
Sept. 15 – Oct. 15
Casualties
U.S.: 9,600
Japanese: 10,900
Battle of Leyte
Gulf,
Oct. 23-26, 1944
Biggest naval battle in
history.
Results in destruction
of the Japanese fleet
First use of kamikaze
attacks
MacArthur Returns…
U.S. forces land at
Leyte, Oct. 20, 1944
…and spends the rest of the war
liberating the Philippines*
Leyte secured by end of 1944
Luzon – invaded January 1945:
Manila captured: Feb.- March, 1945
Most of island secured by mid-summer
Japanese resist under surrender in August
1945
Growing kamikaze danger:
Luzon, Jan. 4-15, 1945
U.S. Navy suffers 2,100 casualties
5 ships sunk; 18 severely damaged
Success: U.S. subs against Japan
Sink 2.3 million tons of Japanese shipping
in 1944.
Japanese oil tanker fleet: shrinks from
700,000 to 300,000 tons.
Only 10% of oil produced in Southeast
Asia on 1944-45 reaches Japanese home
islands.
Disappointment: China
Chinese Nationalists don’t fight Japanese.
Operation MATTERHORN: attempt to use
China for bomber bases:
Logistical difficulties.
Japanese launch mainland offensive that
pushes back bases.
Navy captures Pacific bases that are better for
bombing Japan.
The Final Campaigns:
Iwo Jima & Okinawa
Iwo Jima:
Feb. 19 –
March 26,
1945
Images of Iwo
Jima
Okinawa:
April 1 –
June 21,
1945
Carnage on Land
U.S.: almost 40,000 combat casualties
7,600 KIA
32,000 wounded
+ 26,000 dead from disease/accidents
Japanese:
100,000 soldiers killed
150,000 (?) civilians die as well
Carnage at Sea
During campaign, Japanese launch 10
kamikaze assaults
Sacrifice of 1,500 pilots & planes
U.S. losses
64 ships sunk or damaged beyond repair
60 more require extensive repairs
10,000 sailor casualties (half killed)