World War II Pacific

World War II Pacific. What Started the War? On December 7, 1941, the Japanese conducted a major carrier-based air strike on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii crippling our Pacific Fleet. The next day, the United States and our allies declared war on Japan., Where and How Was It Fought? It was fought all over the Pacific, China, Burma, and India. Because Japan's army had occupied many hundreds of Pacific Islands/coastal mainland and countries and its huge navy controlled much of the Pacific region, our strategy was to drive the Japanese back to Japan, one island at a time. Much of the ground fighting was hand to hand while some of the fiercest naval battles in history were being waged at sea. Because of Japan's refusal to surrender and to limit the number of American casualties in a Japanese invasion, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Japan was warned if they did not surrender they should "expect a rain of ruin" - but Japan ignored the warning. On August 9, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, which quickly led to Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, known as V-J Day., How Costly was this war? 426,000 American casualties: 161,000 dead, 248,316 wounded, and 16,358 captured. Material losses were 188 + warships, including 5 battleships, 11 aircraft carriers, 25 cruisers, 84 destroyers, and destroyer escorts, and 63 submarines, plus 21,255 aircraft. Japan lost twice as many ships and aircraft., Did you know? Japan's huge empire was reduced to four main islands forming present-day Japan. Alabama had over 6,000 and Jackson County had over 100 killed in world war two.