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Japan's carrier task force launches a surprise strike on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, sinking or damaging battleships and aircraft. The attack killed over 2,400 Americans and led the United States to declare war on Japan the next day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2kSnlS4xX8 -
The first naval battle fought entirely by carrier aircraft. Opposing fleets never directly sight one another. Although tactically indecisive, it halts Japan's advance toward Port Moresby and protects the sea lanes to Australia.
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U.S. codebreakers aid a pre-planned ambush that destroys four Japanese fleet carriers. The victory cripples Japan's offensive capability and shifts strategic initiative to the United States in the Central Pacific. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIQ1ntrhhHI
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U.S. Marines land to seize Henderson Field, triggering months of savage land, sea, and air battles. Control of the airstrip proves decisive for supply routes, and Japan ultimately evacuates the island in early 1943 -
U.S. forces storm the fortified atoll of Betio in the Gilberts, suffering heavy casualties on coral reefs and beaches. The brutal three-day fight exposes amphibious shortcomings and drives improvements for later island landings. -
The Capture of Saipan in the Marianas places Japan within range of B-29 strategic bombers. Its fall triggers political shock in Tokyo and enables sustained bombing of the Japanese home islands.
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U.S. carrier pilots and anti-air defenses annihilate waves of Japanese aircraft in the so-called "Great -
The largest naval battle in history unfolds around the Philippines, including actions at Surigao Strait and off Samar. The Allied victory isolates Japanese forces, opening the way for the campaign to liberate the archipelago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N7-3eKKjdY
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U.S. Marines assault a volcanic fortress honeycombed with tunnels and pillboxes. After a month of ferocious combat, the airfields provide a crucial emergency landing site for damaged B-29 bombers.
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The last and bloodiest major battle in the Pacific features massive kamikaze attacks and brutal ground fighting. Civilian suffering is immense, and the island becomes a staging area for a possible invasion of Japan. Apr 1 - Jun 21, 1945 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZTlJCdFNJs -
B-29 Enola Gay drops “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, devastating the city and causing immense loss of life. The unprecedented weapon shocks the world and puts pressure on Japan’s leadership to surrender. -
A second bomb, “Fat Man,” is detonated over Nagasaki three days after Hiroshima. Combined with the Soviet entry into the war against Japan, it accelerates Tokyo’s decision to capitulate.
https://www.britannica.com/video/247463/Hiroshima-what-happened-75th-anniversary-atomic-bombing-Hiroshima-Japan-World-War-II -
Emperor Hirohito broadcasts Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, effectively ending hostilities. Celebrations erupt worldwide as the Pacific War comes to a close in principle. Formal Surrender aboard USS Missouri -
Japanese officials sign the Instrument of Surrender on the deck of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The ceremony formally ends World War II and begins the Allied occupation of Japan,