"Island Hopping" Strategy

Introduction to Island Hopping

Island Hopping

• Strategy used in the Pacific Theater to take only strategic (importantly positioned) Japanese-held islands.

• General MacArthur would choose which island to conquer next, *based upon the island's defenses and its distance from Japan.

Battle of the Coral Sea

May 1942

The first air-sea battle in history

Allied codebreakers had learned about enemy communications to discern Japanese plans

The Japanese had many more ships but divided them into a number of widely separated groups.

U.S. Victory resulted in the loss of many Japanese planes, which would hurt Japan later in the war.

The Battle of Midway

June 1942

Americans desperate for victory against the Japanese.

Battle of Midway, the Japanese had a naval fleet of 150 ships, the largest ever. U.S. was outnumbered 4:1.

Japanese code had been broken and the American forces were ready for the ambush at Midway.

The U.S. won against the heavily favored Japanese at Midway

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The Pacific Theater Before Island Hopping

The Japanese dominated the Pacific Theater

Japanese pushed the US forces all the way back to the Island of Midway, the closest island to the islands of Hawaii.

The American effort in the Pacific seemed lost and without hope.

The President Dies

*President Roosevelt was sick and died and Vice-President Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President!

Island Hopping

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Fighting in the Philippines

October 1944 - Aug. 1945

How?

Battle of Guadalcanal

August 1942 - Feb. 1943

Japanese: 300,000 killed or wounded

Americans: 47,000 killed or wounded

US Army takes Manila;

MacArthur returns

Another strategic victory for the U.S.

First offensive by US land forces in the Pacific theater.

Secured what had been holdings of Great Britain

and continue to supply U.S. military

US Marines: 1,600 killed

Japanese: 14,000 killed

MacArthur, the mastermind of Island Hopping, decided to take advantage of the opportunity presented in 1943;

Took islands that were within range of the American planes gasoline tank.

*The plan was to bomb Japan before American forces invaded the Japanese home islands.

Iwo Jima

Feb. - March 1945

Tarawa

Nov. 1943

Japanese: 21,800 killed 200 POW’s

Americans: 7,000 dead, 19,000 wounded

US Marines raise the US flag over Mt. Suribachi.

Over 25% of the Medals of Honor awarded to US Marines in WW II were given for conduct on Iwo Jima. 99% of stationed Japanese soldiers died.

The US was now in fuel range to successfully bomb the mainland of Japan.

US Marines: 1,000 killed

Japanese: 4,836 killed

US Marines take the island despite “kamikaze” attacks

Kamikaze - suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels

Island hopping worked for the U.S. because of the strategic planning of the campaign. Japanese outnumbered Americans

Needed to move swiftly and win decisive battles, such as Midway and Iwo Jima.

Attack islands with the least amount of defenses, but were also vital to advancement.

All the islands attacked were used to reach Japan and each contributed to the war effort.

Okinawa

April - June 1945

Saipan

June - July 1944

US Marines: 3,426 killed

Japanese: 24,000 killed

Japanese civilians hide in caves and jump off cliffs after hearing rumors of American atrocities.

Japanese: 109,000 killed

Americans: 49,000 killed or wounded

500 Japanese surrender (matched the total for the whole war).

“Kamikazes” sink 36 US ships and damage 200 more.

Island was to a staging area for a possible invasion of Japan.

Heavy Casualties

*The Americans had heavy casualties as they fought to take Japanese-occupied islands.

*The Japanese were unwilling to accept defeat, and fought hard.

*With the victory at Iwo Jima, the end of WWII and victory in the Pacific Theater was near.

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