Major Battles Of The Pacific Theater

War in the Pacific, during World War II, was fought between the Empire of Japan against the Allied Forces that included the US, Britain, Netherlands, and Australia. Although the Pearl Harbor attack occurred on Dec 7th, it was already Dec 8th in Japan, and thus this is considered the official date of the beginning of World War II in the Pacific. On December 8, 1941, Japan attacked Guam, Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, Wake Island, and Hong Kong.

Two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, on Feb 8, 1945, the Japanese made an all-attack on Singapore. Controlled by the British, the Allies had 90,000 troops on the Island under the command of General Arthur Percival. The Japanese unexpectedly attacked from the jungle side of the Island with 36,000 soldiers led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita. After seven days of desperate fighting, the Allied force surrendered, and 80,000 men were taken as prisoners. Historians considered this the worst military disaster in the history of England.

The Java Sea is between Java and Kalimantan in the Dutch Indies. On Feb 27, 1942, this famous sea battle occurred between the Imperial Japanese fleet and an Allied Fleet of US, British, Dutch, and Australian ships. The Allied goal was to stop the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies (called Indonesia today). The Japanese dominated the battle by sinking two heavy cruisers and three destroyers, causing 2,300 men to die, including Commander Karel Doormen. The Japanese had no losses, and the invasion was only postponed by one day, an overwhelming victory for Japan.

The Coral Sea is located between Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. This four-day intense aircraft carrier battle occurred between the Japanese and American fleets between May 4-8, 1942. It was entirely fought with planes, and no ship-to-ship firing happened; each side was evenly matched, with two aircraft carriers and approximately 140 aircraft.

The US withdrew first and lost the carrier Lexington; another carrier was damaged, and a destroyer and an oiler sunk, with 530 deaths. The Japanese lost the carrier Shoho, a destroyer, three small Navy ships were sunk, and 966 sailors were killed in the battle. Both sides declared victory in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Guadalcanal is the largest of the Solomon Islands, northeast of Australia. The battle is known as the turning point in Japanese expansion in the Pacific during World War II and is often referred to as a campaign because of the long duration of the conflict and how significant battles were fought on land and sea. The conflict started on Aug 7, 1942, with the US Marines invading and capturing the Japanese airfield.

It took six months to capture the entire Island from the Japanese. The Japanese gave up Guadalcanal after losing 24,000 men, 680 planes, and 24 warships. The US also had heavy losses, with 7,100 deaths, 615 aircraft lost, and 24 warships destroyed. A definite victory for the US; not only was the Japanese expansion halted in the Pacific, by the Allied shipping and communication lines to Australia remained open.

Saipan and Tinian were Japanese colonies since receiving them after World War I from Germany. During the beginning of World War II, the Japanese high command decided to fortify Saipan, Guam, and Tinian to ensure they would never fall into Allied hands. Their concern was that the US-based B-29 bombers could reach and bomb Japan from these three islands.

On Feb 15, 1944, the Allied made an all-out assault on Saipan, with an Armada of 535 ships carrying 127.000 military personnel, to face the 32,000 Japanese defenders. The battle began on June 15, 1944, and lasted 24 grueling and bloody days, ending with the deaths of 30,000 Japanese soldiers and all of their top officers. The US lost 3,500 fatalities and over 13.000 casualties.

Fought off the coast of Saipan, just four days after the invasion of the Island, the Japanese and American carriers met on June 19, 1944. The goal of the Japanese was to defeat the American fleet and stop the assault on Saipan; the US goal was to destroy the Japanese fleet and safeguard the 500 ships and troops on Saipan.

It was an overwhelming victory for the Americans, three Japanese carriers were sunk, and 400 aircraft were destroyed. The Japanese Navy was severely weakened, and the Japanese Airforce was devastated and would never be the same.

The strategic island of Leyte in the Philippines was wanted by both the Japanese and Americans due to its harbor, which, like Pearl Harbor, was a perfect port for warships. During World War II, the Battle of Leyte Gulf became the largest naval battle in the history of man, involving 270 warships.

It resulted in a stunning victory for the Allies. Japan lost four carriers, three battleships, ten large cruisers, eleven destroyers, and 12,000 sailors and officers. In contrast, the Allies lost three carriers, three destroyers, and 2,500 casualties.
The Battle of Leyte was a total disaster for the Imperial Navy that they never recovered from for the remainder of World War II.

The Battle of Iwo Jima will go down in history as one of the fiercest battles of World War II. Iwo Jima is a small island, only five by 2.5 miles, located about 760 miles south of Tokyo. The battle became known worldwide due to the Associated Press picture of the US flag raising on Mount Suribachi.

An Allied Fleet of 450 ships descended on Iwo Jima with 70,000 hardened Marines, which faced 22,000 Japanese defenders in which all but 1,000 were killed. The battle raged for 34 days, from Feb 19 to March 26, 1945. The victory was not easy, with 20,000 American wounded and 6,800 killed.

The last major battle of World War II in the Pacific was fought on the island of Okinawa, which the Japanese considered part of their homeland. Located just 400 miles south of Kyushu, Japan, the Island is 66 miles long and 7 miles wide. It is known for being one of the war’s bloodiest battles because of the well-organized and fierce resistance that lasted for 83 days, beginning on April 1, 1945.

Imagine, 1300 ships were sent to the Battle of Okinawa, including a sizeable British carrier group. Never has a battle in the Pacific seen such a fleet of warships, which were guarding and transporting an invasion force of 180,000 US Marines and Army soldiers. This became the largest amphibious landing of War in the Pacific.

The Japanese were relentless in their defense and even threw ten mass Kamikazes suicide bombers with hundreds of planes against the invading Allied fleet. The mass suicide of Japanese pilots did not stop the invasion but cost the fleet a depressing 4,900 naval causalities.

The loss of life was tremendous for both sides and the civilians of Okinawa. The Japanese lost approximately 100,000 soldiers, the locals also lost 100,000 lives, about 30 % of the Island’s population, and the Americans suffered 12,500 killed and another 37,500 wounded. The US military high command knew they got a taste of what it would be like to invade mainland Japan.