War In The Pacific Flashcards
What was the objective of Japan in the Coral Sea?
To take New Guinea to get to Australia and cut off American supply lines
When was the battle of the Coral Sea?
May 1942
What was the outcome of the Coral Sea?
The U.S. stopped the Japanese and maintained their supply lines
When did the Americans break the Japanese code?
March 1942
What was the battle fought with only aircraft carriers?
The Coral Sea
What ships did the Japanese damage at the Coral Sea?
Sank the Lexington; badly damaged the Yorktown
When was the battle of Midway?
June 1942
What was the objective of Japan at Midway?
Destroy the American fleet and take Midway to invade Hawaii
What was the American objective at Midway?
Nimitz wanted to ambush the Japanese
What was the outcome at Midway?
The U.S. stopped the Japanese; 4 Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk in the battle; the U.S. lost the Yorktown
What was the turning point of the war in the Pacific?
Midway
Why were the Americans successful at Midway?
They knew the Japanese code
When was the battle of Guadalcanal?
August 7, 1942 - January 1943
What was the objective at Guadalcanal?
To stop the Japanese plans for an invasion of New Guinea and take the nearly finished airfield
Was Guadalcanal successful?
Yes
What is a battle of attrition?
Outlasting your opponent
Key factors of the battle of Guadalcanal
25,000 Japanese killed; the airfield was renamed Henderson field
When was the battle of Tarawa?
Fall of 1943
What was the objective of Tarawa?
The first target of the American island hopping campaign
What was the outcome of the battle of Tarawa?
1,000 marines were killed but the U.S. took the island
What did the battle of Tarawa show the U.S.?
They needed LVT’s/amphtracs - nicknamed alligators
When was the battle of the Marshall Islands?
January 30, 1944
What was the second major naval objective in the Central Pacific?
The Marshall Islands
What was the outcome of the Marshall Islands?
The Americans took the island
This battle was much easier with the newfound use of LVT
The Marshall Islands
When was the battle of the Marianas?
February 1944
What 3 islands make up the Marianas?
Saipan, Tinian, and Guam
What was the objective at the Marianas?
Take the islands to build a base for the new heavy bomber (b-29 super fortress)
What plane could fly farther than any other in the world?
B-29
When was the battle of Iwo Jima?
February 19, 1945
What was “Operation Detachment”?
The battle of Iwo Jima
How far was Iwo Jima from Japan?
660 miles
What were the main objectives at Iwo Jima?
Climb Mount Suribachi; take 3 inland airfields; next stop in the island hopping campaign
What was the bloodiest battle of the entire war?
The battle of Iwo Jima
Where was the famous flag raising at Iwo Jima?
Mount Suribachi
When was the battle of Leyte Gulf?
October 1944
What was the objective of Leyte Gulf?
MacArthur and the U.S. wanted to take back the Philippines
What was the outcome of Leyte Gulf?
The battle ended when Japanese ships retreated, believing that more ships were Inbound from the U.S.
What was the largest naval battle in history?
The battle of Leyte Gulf
When was the first time Kamikaze pilots were used?
The battle of Leyte Gulf
What does “Kamikaze” translate to in Japanese?
“Divine Wind”
When was the battle of the Philippines?
January 1945
How was the battle of the Philippines fought?
Urban combat - house to house
When did the battle of the Philippines end?
The end of the war
When was the battle of Okinawa?
April 1, 1945
What was “Operation Iceberg”?
The battle of Okinawa
What battle was delayed because of Iwo Jima?
The battle of Okinawa
What did the battle of Okinawa show the U.S.?
It would cost 10 million Japanese lives to take over the mainland; easier to drop atomic bombs
Who was the commander of forces on Bataan? What did he do on April 9, 1942?
General King; surrender
Explain the Bataan Death March
Japanese lied when they claimed the American troops would be treated with respect. They believed in death over dishonor and they made American troops walk from one end of the country to the other without food/water as punishment for their surrender
What was the goal of the Doolittle Raid?
To improve American morale
Was the Doolittle Raid successful?
Yes, it did improve morale, although many pilots landed in unfriendly China and were killed
How did the Japanese react to the Doolittle Raid?
They were livid because of the fact that the emperor could have easily been killed; proved to Japan that America must be eliminated
How did the Japanese defend Iwo Jima?
They dug tunnels under mountains and hid there
How long did the U.S. “soften” Iwo Jima?
72 days
On Okinawa, what was the Japanese main line of defense?
The Shuri line
When was the Potsdam Conference?
July 1945
What did Truman want from Stalin at the Potsdam Conference?
Help to end the war in the Pacific?
When did Truman find out the A bombs were ready?
The Potsdam Conference
What is the Enola Gay?
The B-29 plane that dropped “little boy” on Hiroshima
What was the Boxcar?
Dropped the “fat man” on Nagasaki
Why did the Japanese surrender?
They were shocked by the bombs; the soviets declared war on them; they were left alone in the war
