WWII Pacific Theatre Brief Summary

Soon after Pearl Harbor, Japan was able to quickly gain control over a large area of the Pacific including the Solomons, Burma, Aleutians, and the Philippines. About 6 months after Pearl Harbor, the Allies were able to intercept and break many of the Japanese codes allowing the United States to engage the Japanese Naval fleet strategically at their weakest points. In 1942, the U.S. Navy brought on the first carrier battle in history in the Coral Sea at the Battle of Midway. The Battle began when the Japanese aircraft carriers sought out the few remaining American carriers that were able to escape Pearl Harbor. Japanese Commander, Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, specifically took his fleet close to Pearl Harbor near Midway Island to draw out the U.S. Navy and pummel any counterattack. However, due to the Americans' capability in decoding Japanese messages, Pacific fleet commander Chester Nimitz was well prepared to engage the Japanese. Nimitz was able to strategically place his carrier fleet to surprise the Japanese fleet as they were setting up for their airstrikes on Midway. Nimitz successfully sunk four Japanese carriers including the Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu killing approximately 5,000 seamen. Nimitz was also able to sink the heavily armed Mikuma, and destroy over 300 planes. It was at this point that Isoroku's naval fleet was severally defeated and unable to move forward with much force. After the success at Midway, the Allies were capable of continuing on with a massive offensive strike throughout the Pacific. Admiral Nimitz began the offensive with Marine Landings on the islands of Solomons and Guadalcanal. U.S. General MacArthur led a strike with the Austrailian allies and U.S. Army on the Papuan peninsula in New Guinea. Both campaigns took Nimitz and MacArthur on long and bloody battles however in the end both were successful. Nimitiz and MacArthur now continued on campaigns on many of the Pacific islands to take out the enemy at its weakest areas.