WWII Midterm

Anguar (September - October 1944) and Peleliu (September - November 1944) (3)

- Both invaded to capture / create airstrips - Angaur Casualties < 2,000 - Peleliu Casualties > 10,000 (predicted to last - 4 days, but it lasted over 2 months)

Why the need for codes? (3 reasons )

- During WWI wireless radio allowed leaders to communicate with units instantaneously and vice versa. It ended the need to lay it strong up wire thus saving time and equipment - Codes were developed to keep combatants from listening in on each other's plans and communications. Though codes were routinely broken - The need for better ways to secure codes was clear and during the interest period (between WWI + WWII) different methods were created

Flamethrowers (2 bullet points)

- Flamethrowers were used to kill Japanese in pillboxes, buildings and caves. - Operators were usually in more danger than regular troops as the short range of their weapon required close combat, and the visibility of the flames on the battlefield made them a prominent target for snipers

Enigma (3(

- It involves using an Enigma machine, which is similar to the type writer - There could be over one hundred trillion possible configurations and hence it was difficult to decipher enigma - The Germans thought this machine to be indecipherable by merely ensuring the security of the rotar settings combinations

Tinian (July - August 1944) (3)

- Secured after a week of fighting - construction crews were brought in immediately to extend the airfields there to accommodate - location of the atomic bombs loading after the war

Transposition Cipher (2)

- The letters are rearranged according to some predetermined rule or key - For example, words might be written backwards, so that "all the better to see you with" becomes "lla eht retteb to ees joy htiw." Another transposition key is to swap every pair of letters, so the previous message becomes "la tl eh eb tt re to es ye uo iw ht."

Caesar Shift Cipher (2 things)

- This code is named after Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. He used it to communicate with officers across the Roman Empire - The code works by shifting all the letters in the alphabet across by a certain number of places. For example, a shift of 5, would move all the letters along 5 places. So A would become F, B would be G, etc.

Guam (July - August 1944) (4)

- drawn out pre invasion bombardment - fierce fighting occurred before the Japanese were driven into the mountains - last Japanese hold out on Guam - Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, Jan 1972

Casualties : US 1. Carriers lost - 2. Aircraft lost - 3. Dead

0 123 109

While fighting, the US forces had to deal with ________ degree heat, strong Japanese fortifications, and a poisoned water supply due to the poor decision to store water in ____________

115, oil drums

during what period of the war were U.S submarine attacks on Japanese shopping increasingly effective?

1943-1945

Casualties: i. Japanese 1. Carriers lost - 2. Aircraft lost - 3. Dead

3 350+ 2,987

By the first evening, __,____ Marines had landed. About __,____ more would follow (Kuribayashi's Restraint)

30,000 , 40,000

Kwajalein and its surrounding islands were taken on February ______, 1944.

7

Kuribayashi's Surprise

After allowing the Americans to pile up men and machinery on the beach for over an hour, Kuribayashi calls for machine guns, mortars, and artillery to rain down on the beach.

Worse ________ and worse ______

Aircraft, pilots

Angaur and Peleliu were invaded in September of 1944. Both islands were targeted to capture or create ______

Airfields

Immediately after securing Tinian the US constructed ______________________ to accommodate the use of _______

Airfields, B -29s

The Allies learn through enacting Operation Cartwheel which of the following?

All of the above

What did Allied leaders decide at this conference?

All of the above

which of the following is true about Yamamotos death?

All of the above

What happens on Manila in February, 1945?

Allied troops reach outskirts of Manila. The fortress of Corregidor was assaulted via paratroopers and amphibious landings. Allies needed Corregidor because it threatened the entrance to Manila Bay, where the US was planning on building up a fleet for an expected invasion of Japan.

Once the Allies take the Gilberts and the Marshalls what do they do with them?

Allies built naval bases, fortifications, and airfields on the islands to prepare for an assault on the Marianas.

What happens to Manila in March, 1945?

Allies clear out Manila

Probably the most important code breaking event of the war was the successful decryption by the ______ of the ______ "Enigma" Cipher. Decryption of the Enigma Ciphers allowed the Allies to read important parts of _______ radio traffic on important networks and was an invaluable source of military intelligence throughout the war. Intelligence from this source was eventually called ______

Allies, German, German, ULTRA

Decision (Philippines Campaign)

American and Filipino would invade and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines.

Peleliu Postivies :

American ground forces at Peleliu gained experience in assaulting heavily fortified positions such as they would find again at Okinawa and Iwo Jima ( closer to the Japanese Mainland)

The US Marines utilize ________________________ to commence the battle

Amphibious landings

What significance does the island of Majuro have?

An important base for conducting air operations against the rest of the Marshall Islands and eventually the Marianas.

Tinian is the location of where the US loaded _______________ bombs used to attack Hiroshima and Nagasaki towards the end of the war.

Atomic

the japanese capture Rabaul in New Britain in February of 1942 from the .....

Australians

Nimitz's idea (Philippines Campaign)

Blockade the Philippines and landing on Formosa. This would give the Allies control of the sea routes to Japan from southern Asia, cutting off substantial Japanese garrisons.

US believes a majority of the Japanese are killed by the ____________/_______ ______. (Landings of Iwo Jima)

Bombardments, bombing raids

In order to ... Neutralize Japanese bases in the central Pacific the US needed to invade

Both

What happened by the end of June 1945? When did the Japanese surrender? When was the surrender formally signed?

By the end of June, the enemy pockets were compressed into isolated pockets where fighting continued until the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945 (formally signed September 2nd, 1945).

Where did the British, US, and Chinese leaders meet to discuss the War in the Pacific?

Cairo, Egypt

The Tarawa battle would be the first major battle of the...

Central Pacific

PRONG 2: Admiral _________________________________________ led operations in the Central Pacific.

Chester W. Nimitz

Due to the tunnel system, bunkers that were _______ by flamethrowers were __________ shortly after

Cleared, reoccupied

What was the purpose for landing on Mindoro?

Construct an airfield to rule the skies over Luzon, which is located directly above Mindoro (and has the capital city of the Philippines).

Why did the US need Mindoro?

Construction of Airfields

In what month/year did the landing on Mindoro occur?

December, 1944

As February turned to March the Marines continued north, slowly picking apartment Japanese _________ positions. (Iwo Jima)

Defensive

What weather was experienced on Leyte? Where did the advance continue to?

During many torrential rains and over difficult terrain, the advance continued across Leyte and onto the major island of Samar, just north of Leyte.

Number Ciphers

Each letter of the alphabet is given a number to represent it. The code could start at 0-25 or 1-26 or anywhere at all

Japanese launch waves of air attacks with devastating losses. Result :

End of Japanese naval power

U.S fighter (Mariana's) Name :

F6F hellcat

Marines land on the black sands of Iwo Jima on ________ 19th, 1945 and inched their way forward off the beaches (Landings for Iwo Jima)

February

What date do the allies capture the entire atoll?_

February 23

However, this was only ________ 23rd, 1945. The battle would not end until _____ (Mt. Suribachi Falls) *comes after they thought raising the flag on Iwo Jima was a sign of triumph and victory*

February, March

What caused friction between these two groups?

Fighting mentality / Political battle Marines : Agressive Army : Slow /cautious

Why was losing Saipan especially hard for the Japanese?

First loss of Japan territory they owned before the war started

What did the U.S continue to do following the additional landings on various islands within the Philippines?

Following additional landings on various islands within the Philippines, the U.S. continued their steady advance against stubborn resistance.

Japanese General Kuribayashi _______ these attacks, much to the chagrin of his underlings, because he considers them ______. (Kuribayashi's Restraint)

Forbids, futile

What was the purpose of "island hopping"?

Gain military bases and secure the many small islands in the Pacific

the battles of midway and ________ are together considered the turning points of the pacific war

Guadalcanal

What was a major reason for such a huge disparity in the casualties suffered?

Hellcat - zero U.S pilots - Japanese pilots

In what way could Eniwetok be crucial for the invasion of the Mariana's (the next group of islands closer to Japan)?

Housed enough room for airfields

Allied intelligence intercepts Imperial code informing them of the Japanese troop placements. How does the US respond (name the islands and WHY they're chosen)?

However, Allied intelligence intercepted Imperial code, informing the Americans of which islands were more heavily defended. The Americans decided to invade the least protected but strategically important islands of Majuro, Kwajalein, and Eniwetok.

Japanese General Kuribayashi focused not on stopping the US on the beaches of Iwo Jima (like many other generals tried and failed to do) but rather focused his defenses ______. (Preparations for Iwo Jima)

Inland

American ____________ was overconfident that Iwo Jima would fall in a _____. (Preparations for Iwo Jima)

Intelligence, week

MacArthur's Idea (Philippines Campaign)

Invasion of the Philippines. • (When he left in '42 he told the Filipino people he would return)

The iconic photograph of Marines raising the flag on ___ ____ seems like a moment of _______, a victory in battle (Mt. Suribachi Falls)

Iwo Jima, triumph

The invasion of Majuro begins in late ______________________ of 1944.

January

What month/year does the Invasion of Luzon begin?

January 1945

The message that the Battle of Tarawa sent to the US was...

Japan can be defeated, but at a very high cost

In 1943, the U.S naval intelligence intercepted messages that outlined a tour by the ________ Admiral Yamamoto

Japanese

US Marines expect the typical ________ last ditch effort (banzai charge), but none come. (Kuribayashi's Restraint)

Japanese

Yamamoto was the commander of the ____________ Navy and an excellent leader

Japanese

Battle of the Philippine Sea: As the US lands/fights at Saipan... June 18th :

Japanese detect U.S fleet

Peleliu Fighting Conditions :

Japanese fortifications and tactics provided for stiff resistance at Peleliu. Heat indices were around 115 degrees F and the Marines soon suffered high casualties from heat exhaustion. Further complicating the situation, the marines water was distributed in empty oil drums, contaminating the water with the oil residue

Battle of the Philippine Sea: As the US lands/fights at Saipan... June 19th :

Japanese launch waves of air attacks with devastating losses.

At night the _______ would come out of their caves/tunnels in groups to harass _______ in their foxholes. (Kuribayashi's Restraint)

Japanese, Marines

By deciphering ________ codes the U.S Navy were ale to counted a planned attack at ______ Island in 1942

Japanese, Midway

Operation Cartwheel begins when?

June 30, 1943

US had been bombarding Iwo Jima sporadically since ____ 1944. Unknowingly, very little of the bombardment was damaging to the ________ positions. (Landings for Iwo Jima)

June, Japanese

operation vengeance was a US military operation entirely dedicated too .....

Killing Isoroku yamamoto

Where does the US land first in Philippines Campaign?

Leyte

After General _________ had been evacuated from the ___________ in March 1942, all of its islands fell to the ________

MacArthur, Philippines, Japanese

Did Nimitz or MacArthurs plans win in the Philippines Campaigns? And what was the plan

Macarthurs, to invade

The island is declared "secure" on _____ 16 (Iwo Jima)

March

Battle officially ends on _____ __th, 1945 (Iwo Jima)

March 26

In order to ... Provide bases for strategic bombing against Japan the US needed to invade

Marianas

The islands of Guam and Tinian, both located in the _______________________, were secured in July and August of 1944

Marianas

effects of losing the ________ were felt was hundreds of B-29s firebombed Tokyo in March of 1945, destroying 267,000 + buildings and killing 83,000 + civilians

Marianas

The Japanese pull back to the Absolute National Defense Zone, which included the islands chains of ______________________ and ___________________

Marianas, Palau

Which two branches of the military fought together on Saipan?

Marines and army

_______ would walk by cleared bunkers only to be shot at by newly placed ________ soldiers.

Marines, Japanese

Which island chain was easier to capture?

Marshall's

By July 5th, the US has the Japanese pinned down on the northern tip of the island, what happens next?

Mass suicides, U.S secures island, banzai Babies were thrown against rock walls by their mothers, people dived off cliffs into shark infested waters, held into grenades before jumping • nearly 8,000 civilians die • U.S used loudspeakers to convince populace to stop

The most stunning example of U.A Naval code breaking in the pacific resulted in the Battle of ______

Midway

at this point (early 1943) the Japanese predominantly use Rabaul as .....

Naval Headquarters and Main Base in the South Pacific

The Allies begin to realize that they don't need to capture Rabaul. They have another option. What is that option?

Neutralize its importance by cutting it off from supply & subject it to bombing

With the landing area secure, more troops and heavy equipment came ashore, and the invasion proceeded _____ to capture the airfields and the remainder of the island. Most Japanese soldiers fought bravely and to the death. (Iwo Jima)

North

When did the Landing on Leyte occur?

October 20, 1944

Ground forces at Peleliu gained experience in assaulting heavily fortified Japanese positions, similar to those they would experience at _________ and _______________

Olinawa, Iuo Jima

The US takes Majuro in ____________ day/s with ____________ casualties.

One, No

What was the name for the invasion of the Mariana and Palau Islands?

Operation forager

The Japanese cipher (_________) was broken by the US Army Signals Intelligence Service before the US entered the war, intelligence from this source was called ________

PURPLE, MAGIC

The result in Midway code breaking was a massive victory that was the turning point of the _______ War

Pacific

In order to ... Support the Allied drive to retake the Philippines, the US needed to invade

Palau

Also, capturing these islands, it was hoped, would help in the future US fighting for the ____________________

Philippines

• The hell cat fighter was not only better armored and better suited for dogfights, but they were operated by better ______

Pilots

The deciphered messages allowed American air forces to intercept Yamamoto and shoot down his ______

Plane

The Allies begin an assault on Kwajalein on the same day that Majuro is taken. What ended up destroying a large percentage of the Japanese defending force?

Pre-invasion naval and air bombardment was extremely effective. Out of roughly 3,000 Japanese soldiers, only about 300 were left to guard the island.

The main way that the Allies attempt to help the Chinese throughout 1943 is by doing what?

Providing them supplies

Why target Iwo Jima? (4) reasons

Reason 1: The Japanese on Iwo Jima radioed reports of incoming bombers back to mainland Japan so they could prepare a defense. Reason 2: Japanese aircraft stationed there could intercept B-29s or conduct bombing against the Marianas. Reason 3: The US wanted to provide a landing/refueling site for its aircraft taking part in bombing missions/ escorts. Reason 4: Iwo Jima could become a staging area for Operation Downfall (invasion of Japan).

Which island was landed on in June of 1944, and what island chain is it part of?

Saipan / Marianas

Japanese pride took a nosedive, at the loss of ______ was the first loss of japanese territory they owned _______ the war broke out

Saipan, before

Where does most of the fighting in the Pacific Theater occur in 1943?

South and Central Pacific

PRONG 1: General Douglas MacArthur led operations in the :

South west Pacific

What did the Japanese use on Mindoro, but they could not not the US presence. Mindoro was lightly ________ and easily _____. ________ construction began immediately.

Strong attacks by Kamikazes could not stop overwhelming US presence. Mindoro itself was lightly defended and easily taken. Airfield construction began immediately.

November 20th-23rd, 1943 the Battle of _________________ occurs.

Tarawa

Despite winning the battle in the end, the US sustains as many casualties at Tarawa in 76 hours as they do during the entirety of...

The Guadalcanal campaign

Peleliu Negatives :

The battle was controversial in the United States due to the islands lack of strategic value and the high casualty rate. The defenders lacked means to interfere with potential US operations in the Philippines and the airfield captured on Peleliu never played a key role in subsequent operations

Describe how island hopping worked

They took control of those islands, and quickly constructed landing strips and small military bases. Then they proceeded to attack other islands from the bases they had established. Slowly the US army moved closer to Japan, taking control of many of the surrounding islands."

When did the Japanese gain control of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands?

Three days after the attack of Pearl Harbor

If the Allies capture these next island chains they would be in range of ____________

Tokyo

Though island hopping would be successful, what would be its major downside?

Took a long time and was very costly. "The US soldiers were not used to the guerilla style of fighting, and the Japanese had the advantage of controlling many of the islands. Further, many US soldiers succumbed to illnesses such as Malaria, dysentery and skin fungus."

Pigpen Cipher

Traces back to the 18th century. It substituted each letter with a picture/symbol

• The Japanese fielded many pilots with very low amounts of hours in ________

Training

Meanwhile, the Japanese were constructing a complex ______ system within the caves/hills/mountains of Iwo Jima. This system connected positions, so that a pillbox that had been cleared by US marines could be reoccupied very quickly. This would cause major __________ for the US. (Preparations for Iwo Jima)

Tunnel, casualties

Japanese launch waves of air attacks with devastating losses. The battle was known as the great :

Turkey shoot

what happens to the above mentioned individual? (isoroku yamamoto)

US forces have intelligence of his itinerary and shoot down his plane

What do the US landing forces do on Leyte?

US landing forces hook up with Filipino Guerrillas after establishing beachheads

Morse Code

Unlike most other ciphers, it is not used to conceal messages. Each letter of the alphabet, the digits 0-9, and certain punctuation symbols, are replaced by a sequence of short and long beeps, often called "dots and dashes"

After the U.S. takes the Gilbert Islands in late 1943, what problem does Japanese Admiral Mineichi Koga have to deal with? What does he end up deciding to do?

Unsure of which islands the Americans would strike, no aircraft to inform him. Ordered Admiral Masashi Kobayashi to disperse his 28,000 troops primarily to the outer islands of Maloelap, Wotje, Jaliuit, and Mili.

Scytale Cipher

Used by ancient greeks/spartans during military campaigns. Involves a parchment with a message wrapped around a cylinder. The recipient winds the parchment on a cylinder the same size to decipher

What happens in April, 1944. What fort? (Philippines Campaign)

Various smaller islands in the area hold out. • Fort Drum

Japanese fighter (Mariana's) Name :

Zero

Cipher :

a secret or disguised way of writing

Code :

a system of words, letters, figures or other symbols substituted for other words, letters, etc. especially for the purposes of secrecy

Operation __________ focused on getting rid of the japanese in the Bismarck Archipelago, with a special focus on the city of Rabaul

cartwheel

who was the overall allied commander in the pacific?

chester nimitz

how do the allies find out about the japanese plan?

code breaking

the allied attack on the japanese convoy is a ___________

complete success

fighter escorts are to bombers what ________ are to transport ships

destroyers

who is the commander of the combined fleet of the imperial japanese navy?

isoroku yamamoto

why was japan dependent on water transport?

it is an island nation

in march of 1943 where do the japanese send troops to reinforce their position i the southwest pacific?

new guinea

Guadalcanal was the first _____ of the pacific war for the allies

offensive

to hide allied knowledge of Yamamoto's whereabouts due to code breaking, the military does what?

says coast watchers reported Yamamotos location to the US

the next focus for the allies after the guadalcanal campaign was ....

the Bismarck Archipelago

Cryptology :

the study of codes, or the art of writing and solving them

what did the U.S do to take advantage of Japan being an island nation?

uses submarines to destroy japanese shopping

Japan was dependent on what for shipping and supplying its troops in WWII?

water transport