Lesson 30

WW II: The Pacific – Rolling Back the Perimeter

Lesson Objectives

•  Understand and analyze the Japanese and American strategies for the war in the Pacific and Asia.

•  Analyze the impact of the military revolution during the interwar years on the war in the Pacific theater.

•  Become familiar with the timeline of events in the Pacific war.

•  Interpret and analyze the two U.S. strategies for rolling back Japanese’s defensive perimeter.

US Strategy

Isolate Japan

Roll back defensive perimeter

• Southwestern Pacific

• Central Pacific

Destroy industrial capability, will to fight

Invade home islands

Maps.com

US Strategy

Roll back defensive perimeter

Isolate Japan

Two Routes to Japan

Pacific Commanders

MacArthur, Roosevelt, NimitzJuly 1944

Pacific Commanders

MacArthur, Roosevelt, NimitzJuly 1944

Island Hopping

History Animated

May 42 – Aug 45

Nov 43 – Feb 44

Jun-Aug 44

Feb-Mar 45

= Bypassed Japanese Bases

Rabaul

Lessons from Dieppe

Need:

• Specialized vehicles

• Increased fire support

• Specialized landing craft

• Alternative to capturing a port

Review

Not usually a factor in island hopping

Campaigns limited in scope

Carrier War

Carrier War

The documentary follows the WWII exploits of the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) (unidentified in the film), in its first major operations following its commissioning in 1943.   The life of the crew is documented from July 1943 to June 1944, from its passage through the Panama Canal through assaults on Marcus, Kwajalein, Truk and Tinian Islands, and culminating with the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

( 1:00:51 )

Amphibious WarDoctrine

LTV-2LTV-2

LTV(A)-4

Specialized Vehicles

Amphibious Tractors

Amphibious WarDoctrine

LCM[R]

Fire Support

Battle for TarawaGilbert Islands, 20-23 November 1943

Why Tarawa?Needed for B-29 Bases

Needed to support Marianas

Needed to support Marshalls

Orientation of following aerial photo

Tarawa Atoll

Betio Island

Tarawa

First assault on a heavily defended island in the Pacific War

After three hour bombardment, assault force headed to beach

Planners had not accounted for neap tide (reduced flow)

Not enough water over reef for landing craft (Higgins boats)

Amtracs able to proceed, but many Marines forced to wade

Tarawa

Tarawa

“Bloody Tarawa”

Tarawa24 November 1943

Tarawa

Forces Committed:

US: 35,000 Marines & Army Japan: 2,600 Imperial Marines

Losses:

US: 1,019 killed, 2,101 wounded Japan: 4,690 killed 146 captured

~ 2,200 laborers

Marines re-evaluated doctrine & procedures

With the Marines at Tarawa

Philippines

MacArthur returns to the Philippines

Lesson 31

WW II: The Pacific – Total War

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