Digital Artifact Project - Century of War
us involvement in world war II
Dec 8, 1941 - August 15, 1945
- December 7, 1941, Japan's air fleet bombs Pearl Harbor, and destroys most of America's Pacific Naval Fleet. Sparks American outrage, and entrance into the war against the Axis powers.
- World War II, brought with it larger alliances, larger airplanes, more power ground equipment, and more advanced naval technologies.
- The three key battles for US forces utilized all three of the above listed, including:
- Battle of Midway (June 4-7, 1942) - American forces defending Japanese overtake of Pacific Islands, specifically the base at Midway. The use of aircraft and naval ships was overwhelming, and the country with better logistics overcame.
- D-Day (June 6, 1944) - Allied forces overtake German positions on the beaches of France in an attempt to gain a foothold into Europe. Navy barrages were used to decimate ground positions, and airplanes were used to drop paratroopers to land behind enemy lines.
- Invasion of Iwo-Jima (February 9, 1945) - US Marines land on Japan after days of heavy navy and airforce bombing raids. The whole island was secured March 16, 1945.
- Hitler commits suicide March 27, 1945, and one week later, Germany surrenders to Allied forces.
- Manhattan Project - The high classified research and development project for the atomic bomb. Researchers were skeptical as to what would really happen upon the completion of this bomb. The two atom bombs were dropped over Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 & Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945, which led to Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945.