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Was a decisive U.S. naval victory against Japan, a turning point in the Pacific War, where American forces, using code-breaking intelligence, ambushed a Japanese fleet, sinking four of their aircraft carriers while losing only one carrier (USS Yorktown) and inflicting devastating losses on Japanese pilots, crippling their naval air power and shifting the balance of power in the Pacific to the Allies.
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Was the forcible transfer of approximately 75,000–80,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) by the Imperial Japanese Army. It is remembered as one of the most horrific war crimes of World War II due to the extreme brutality, starvation, and mass murder inflicted upon the captives.
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Was the first U.S. air attack on Japan's home islands. Was a daring, innovative operation that shifted the momentum of the Pacific War by striking the Japanese homeland, fostering hope in the U.S., and forcing Japan into overextending its forces.
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Was a brutal, six-month Allied campaign in the South Pacific, marking the first major U.S. land offensive against Japan in World War II, where American forces fought to seize a crucial airfield, leading to fierce land, sea, and air battles, and ultimately halting Japanese expansion, proving a critical turning point in the Pacific War by putting Japan on the defensive.
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Was a surprise Japanese naval air strike on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Using torpedoes and bombs from carrier-launched planes, inflicting heavy damage on ships and aircraft, killing over 2,400 Americans, and directly leading to the United States' declaration of war on Japan, officially entering World War II.
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Was a brutal, costly fight where U.S. Marines captured the volcanic island from heavily entrenched Japanese forces, securing vital airfields for B-29 bombers heading to Japan, but at immense casualties, making it one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history and a symbol of extreme valor, epitomized by the iconic flag-raising on Mount Suribachi.
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Was last major Pacific campaign before Japan's invasion, where U.S. forces secured the island from fanatical Japanese resistance, incurring heavy casualties and using intense naval/air power, ultimately serving as a costly precursor to the atomic bombings that ended the war. It involved savage fighting, massive kamikaze attacks, and significant Okinawan civilian involvement, due to its ferocity and scale, leading to over 12,000 American deaths and over 100,000 Japanese.
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the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb, "Little Boy," on Hiroshima, Japan, causing immense destruction with a flash of heat and light, killing around 80,000 instantly and devastating over 90% of buildings, with many more dying later from burns and radiation, contributing to Japan's surrender and ending WWII.
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was the second use of an atomic bomb in warfare, dropped by the U.S. B-29 "Bockscar" with the plutonium bomb "Fat Man," killing an estimated 40,000 people instantly and causing immense destruction, leading to Japan's surrender days later and ending World War II, though exact casualties are unknown due to the devastation and long-term radiation effects.
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Was announced by Emperor Hirohito on August 15, 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, culminating in the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, officially ending the war. This act, accepting the Potsdam Declaration for unconditional surrender, led to the U.S. occupation and marked the beginning of global peace.
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Was the largest naval battle in history, a decisive American victory that crippled the Japanese Navy, secured the U.S. invasion of the Philippines, and established Allied control of the Pacific, featuring a complex Japanese plan that unraveled due to American bravery, superior tactics, and communication failures, leading to massive Japanese losses in ships, planes, and experienced personnel.