World War II

World War II. Pacific Theatre. Airpower played a decisive role in the war in the Pacific theater of war, both in supporting the advance of U.S. forces in the central and southwest Pacific, and in direct attacks on the Japanese homeland. At the outset, Japan carried the offensive in the conflict, conquering the Philippines and Guam, and threatening Australia. In order to reverse this tide, and boost morale on the home front, Roosevelt approved an attack on the Japanese homeland by a force of Army Air Forces B-25 bombers, flying from the aircraft carrier Hornet. This April 1942 air raid, commanded by Lt Col (later General] Jimmy Doolittle, strengthened support for the war on the home front, while forcing Japan to build up its air defenses at the expense of its forces on the offensive throughout the Pacific., Army Airmen supported General Douglas MacArthur's operations in the southwest Pacific as well as operations in China and Burma and naval offensives in the central Pacific. The campaign resulted in capturing key airbases from which U.S. Army Air Forces could launch B-29 bomber raids at the Japanese Home Islands. MacArthur's air commander, General George Kenney, orchestrated MacArthur's air arm with ingenuity and aggressiveness., The relentless attacks on Japanese cities and industrial sites were a significant step in the direction of the war's end, and as such supported the case for an independent Air Force. When the Japanese government still resisted unconditional surrender, President Truman decided to proceed with atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, hoping to end the war before having to launch a costly amphibious assault. Finally, the Japanese surrendered on 2 September 1945., During the course of the war, the Army Air Forces grew from a strength of 51,165 members in 1940, to 2,282,259 in 1945, as the service conducted operations in every theater of war. In orchestrating this immense growth in size and capability, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Hap Arnold, left a permanent legacy of service and professionalism for today's air warriors.