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
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3rd Fleet:
William F. Halsey, Jr.
5th Fleet:
Raymond A. Spruance
Navy builds an
advanced
supply,
maintenance,
and repair
system
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it floats
also uses rapidly
constructed bases
Navy advances in the Central Pacific
November 1943: The Gilbert Islands
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Makin and Tarawa Atolls attacked
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Key position at Tarawa – Betio Island
Bloody fight at
Tarawa
Improved Performance:
Marshall Islands, Jan. - Feb. 1944
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Kwajalein Atoll
Bombardment of Truk
Eniwetok Atoll
Next Objective: The Marianas Islands
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Saipan, Tinian, & Guam captured
The Japanese navy comes out to
fight…
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Results in the Battle
of the Philippine Sea,
June 19-20, 1944
…and loses its naval air power
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“The Great Marianas
Turkey Shoot”
Saipan,
June-July 1944
Next stop:
The
Philippines
Harbinger of future combat:
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Peleliu:
Sept. 15 – Oct. 15
Casualties
U.S.: 9,600
Japanese: 10,900
Battle of Leyte
Gulf,
Oct. 23-26, 1944
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Biggest naval battle in
history.
Results in destruction
of the Japanese fleet
First use of kamikaze
attacks
MacArthur Returns…
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U.S. forces land at
Leyte, Oct. 20, 1944
…and spends the rest of the war
liberating the Philippines*
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Leyte secured by end of 1944
Luzon – invaded January 1945:
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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
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U.S. Navy suffers 2,100 casualties
5 ships sunk; 18 severely damaged
Success: U.S. subs against Japan
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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
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Chinese Nationalists don’t fight Japanese.
Operation MATTERHORN: attempt to use
China for bomber bases:
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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
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U.S.: almost 40,000 combat casualties
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7,600 KIA
32,000 wounded
+ 26,000 dead from disease/accidents
Japanese:
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100,000 soldiers killed
150,000 (?) civilians die as well
Carnage at Sea
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During campaign, Japanese launch 10
kamikaze assaults
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Sacrifice of 1,500 pilots & planes
U.S. losses
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64 ships sunk or damaged beyond repair
60 more require extensive repairs
10,000 sailor casualties (half killed)