第二次世界大战-太平洋战场

Background Information

The attack on Pearl Harbor surprised the Americans, who had not anticipated a strike so far east or one mounted solely by carrier-born aircraft.


Further attacks?
– –
Southwest Pacific: New Guinea and Australia Central Pacific and northern Pacific: Midway and Aleutian Islands
Continued Japanese Advance
– ―Day of Infamy‖ - Franklin Delano Roosevelt


Hitler declares war on the U.S.
American public opinion changes in favor of war
To war we go...
Continued Japanese Attacks
of the war.

Japan would then consolidate gains throughout China and the Pacific. Possibility of U.S. agreeing to Japanese territorial gains to make peace.

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Commander in Chief
–
Japanese Combined Fleet
Wounded at Tsushima Strait Lived in the United States
– –
Boston - Studied English Washington D.C. - Naval Attaché

Burma Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) - ―Southern Resources Area‖
–
–
Rich in oil ―ABDA‖ naval forces (Australia-Britain-Dutch-American) Defeated at the Battle of the Java Sea - 27 February 1942
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor: Japan’s Plan

Southern drive into Indochina and Dutch East Indies for oil. Strike at Philippines and Singapore to knock out local American and British Forces.
Sea Power and Maritime Affairs
Lesson 12: The US Navy in the Pacific, 1941-1945
Learning Objectives

Comprehend the political and economic forces that led Japan to strike at Pearl Harbor and the Far East.

Comprehend the Japanese strategy for an early victory and their concept of the postwar Pacific power balance.
Comprehend the impact of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Battles of Coral Sea and Midway on the transformation of the aircraft carrier's role in naval warfare. Know the significant highlights of the evolution of US operational strategy in the Pacific, including major battles or campaigns and instances where strategy was flawed or ambiguous. Know the strategic significance of the employment and refinement of amphibious landing tactics by the US Navy and US Marine Corps. Comprehend the reasons the geopolitical world order was changed as a result of Japan’s actions in striking at the Western powers in 1941.
The Attack

Six newest and largest Japanese carriers at core of striking force Sortie from Kuriles, rendezvous 7 Dec, 200 miles N of Pearl Harbor Launched 183 aircraft at 0600, strike 0755 90% of damage inflicted by 0825
– First Invasion repulsed 8 December 1941 – Taken 23 December 1941
Continued Japanese Attacks

Hong Kong - 25 December 1941 Thailand, Philippines, Borneo invaded in December 1942 Singapore - 15 February 1942

Against war with the U.S. Demanded Pearl Harbor Attack
–
Destruction of U.S. Pacific Fleet
September 1940: “If I am told to fight regardless of the consequences, I shall run wild for the first six months or a year, but I have utterly no confidence for the second or third year.”
– Naval tactics change to support carrier strikes – Circular formations developed to protect carriers
Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

U.S. declares war on Japan
Will drain naval resources from Pacific Ocean. U.S. Atlantic Fleet already involved in convoy escort against U-boats.
– Good possibility of U.S. involvement in Europe as well.
Pearl Harbor — Japanese Plans

Attack on Pearl Harbor conceived by Admiral Yamamoto:
– Great risk — U.S. would surely enter the war. – Greater potential gain — U.S. Pacific Fleet would be knocked out
– Submarines, repair facilities, and oil tanks also left
unharmed by attack

Result generally not anticipated by American naval planners before Pearl Harbor

Biblioteka Background Information



Japanese-American Relations tense: Japan challenged America’s ―Open Door‖ policy by attacking Manchuria in 1931. In 1937, Japanese expansion in China resulted in attack on American gunboat, the Panay, by Japanese aircraft. Roosevelt adopted economic sanctions leading to an oil embargo by Americans, British and Dutch (July 1941)
Pearl Harbor
7 December 1941 ―Tora Tora Tora‖
Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

Battleship fleet effectively destroyed Carriers survive and become new capital ships

Malay Peninsula attacked - December 1941
– British battleships HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales sunk

10 December 1941

Guam taken
– 10 December 1941

Wake Island
Background Information


The Japanese struck for the oilrich Dutch East Indies(Indonesia), Singapore, and the surrounding Britishowned Malaya, Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. The Japanese camouflaged their plans with diplomatic negotiations in Washington. The United States expected an assault somewhere in the Pacific because cryptanalysts, in a technique called ―Magic,‖ had broken the Japanese Diplomatic Code.
The Attack
U.S. Pacific Fleet - Pearl Harbor

No clear warning from Washington.
– Intercepts did not identify Pearl Harbor as a target. – Slow communications between Washington and
Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Battleships in berths at Pearl for weekend liberty.
– ―Battleship Row‖
Carriers Lexington and Enterprise delivering aircraft to Midway and Wake Islands. Yamamoto - ―Climb Mount Niitaka‖ message to Vice Admiral Nagumo to commence attack.