How the US won the Pacific theatre of WWII

Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces in 1941, the United States entered World War Two on the side of the Allies.

While it was decided that America would help support Britain in Europe, their primary focus was on defeating the Empire of Japan in the Pacific region.

As a result, the Pacific Theater of World War II was one of the most important of the war for America.

This is where the United States and Japan fought for control of the islands in the Pacific Ocean.

The most difficult aspect of this part of the war was the vast open spaces each side had to cover in order to engage each other.

Since most of this theatre of the war was fought on the ocean, the control of the various Pacific islands became the most important strategic objective for American forces.

While we won't have enough space to cover all of the battles in this region between 1941-5, this article will explore the three most significant sea battles in this theater: Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal.

The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought from May 4–8, 1942. By the end of April 1942, the Japanese were ready to seize control of the Coral Sea in order to extend their defensive perimeter in the South Pacific.

This was the first naval battle in history where both sides fought without ever sighting each other's ships.

The Japanese navy intended to sail around the eastern coast of Papua New Guinea and capture its capital city of Port Moresby.

The Allies decided to stop them. On the 3rd of May, the Japanese had landed troops at Tulagi and sent their ships into the Coral Sea.

On May 5 and 6, 1942, opposing carrier groups sought each other out and, on the 5th of May, the Japanese had their first success.

Then, on the morning of May 7, the two fleets finally located and attacked each other.

The Shoho was sunk by aircraft from the Lexington and the Yorktown.

The Americans also damaged two Japanese carriers, the Shokaku and the Zuikaku. This forced the Japanese to retreat from the Coral Sea. 

In the end, both sides had suffered significant damage. The Japanese had lost one carrier and damaged another. 

For the US, the USS Lexington was heavily damaged and later scuttled, while the USS Yorktown was damaged but later repaired

This was a strategic victory for the Allies because it stopped the Japanese advance in the Coral Sea and saved Australia from a possible invasion.

In the end, the Japanese withdrew, and the Allies claimed victory. The United States and Australia were able to stop the Japanese from taking over New Guinea.

Despite the setback in the Coral Sea, the Japanese planned to use their fleet to destroy the American fleet.

The Japanese set a trap for the United States: they attacked the island of Midway, hoping that the United States would come to defend it.

However, the US Pacific Fleet’s commander, Admiral Chester Nimitz, had been warned of Japanese attack plans since the Japanese secret military code had been cracked, so the U.S. fleet lay a counter-trap for the Japanese.

Nimitz chose to bring in two aircraft carrier groups as an ambush.

The Battle of Midway was fought from the 4-7th of June in 1942, just six months after the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was one of the most important battles of the war and is often referred to as 'the turning point of the Pacific War'. 

On the morning of the 4th of June, American dive-bomber planes were able to disable three Japanese carriers in the space of about five minutes.

Over the course of the battle from June 4 to June 7, 1942, the Japanese lost four carriers, 248 aircraft and over 3,000 men.

In comparison, the Americans lost one aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown, which was sunk on the 7th of June.

Ultimately, the United States Navy defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy near Midway Atoll, inflicting heavy damage on the Japanese.

The United States Navy's victory halted the Japanese advance in the Pacific and turned the tide of the war in favor of the Allies.

The Battle of Guadalcanal was fought from August 1942 to February 1943. It was a land and sea battle between Japan and the United States for control of the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands chain. 

In early August 1942, the United States had landed Marines on the island of Guadalcanal and were trying to build an airstrip.

However, the Japanese were trying to stop them. 

Throughout August, the Japanese navy and air force continually bombed and attacked the American forces who had no place to hide on the small island.

The Japanese made several attempts to land soldiers on Guadalcanal, but they were always fought off.

During September, the Japanese began shelling the island at night. These attacks came so regularly, that they were nicknamed the 'Tokyo Express' by the US forces.

While these attacks resulted in some American casualties, it did not achieve any significant goals and, by November, the Japanese finally gave up trying to take the island.

By February 1943, the Japanese withdrew from Guadalcanal. 

The Guadalcanal campaign was brutal, with both sides fighting fiercely. In the end, the United States was victorious, and they were able to complete the construction of the airstrip, called Henderson Field, on the island.

Its completion allowed the U.S. to launch more effective operations in the Solomon Islands and beyond.