User Reviews

America's efforts to defeat Imperial Japan in World War 2 played out drastically differently from fighting against the Nazis in Europe. The US made heavy use of what's known as an island hopping campaign under two accomplished naval officers in order to seize enemy territory and achieve victory. A few months after Pearl Harbor, japanese bomber aircraft attack mainland Australia. With japanese forces tearing up New Guinea to the north, many australians felt it was only a matter of time before they got invaded. However, japan was overextended and didn't press their advantage. On new guinea, australian forces fighting in the malaria-infested jungles were eventually able to turn back the japanese with American assistance. After they were removed from new guinea, the japanese would be subjected to america's strategy of island hopping. The plan called for famed General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz to create separate prongs of US forces that would extend hundreds of miles into the Pacific Ocean in order to root out japanese resistance. MacArthur, in charge of american naval forces in the south pacific, was tasked with commanding thousands of troops to swing upwards towards the Solomon Islands, swing left towards new guinea, and stop in front of the Philippines. Nimitz, in control of the central pacific, would oversee american forces making great leaps across different islands controlled by the japanese. Late in 1943, he started in the Gilbert Islands and attacked a small island called Tarawa (part of Kiribati today). Tarawa, a very small island only around 800 yards wide, needed to be taken because it had an airstrip japanese planes could use to attack american ships. Despite its size, tarawa proved to be an extremely difficult fight as japanese forces were deeply entrenched in fortified positions. The island would be secured, but over 1000 marines would be killed trying to do it. After tarawa, Nimitz's forces headed for the Mariana Islands. Here, they encountered Tinian, Saipan, and Guam, the latter being a US territory that had been occupied. A large american fleet protecting the landings on these islands was positioned towards the west of saipan, and a japanese fleet began to approach from the northwest. American carriers launched all the fighter planes they had available. What followed was an aerial bloodbath known to history as the marianas turkey shoot. In a single day, american carrier planes had basically obliterated japanese air power. American planes continued to search for the japanese fleet the following day, which enabled them to attack it. Unfortunately, it was so far away that returning planes had barely any fuel to land back on their carriers. Many planes were forced to crash in the ocean, and many pilots couldn't find their way back onboard in pitch darkness. Eventually, the controversial decision is made for the carriers to turn their lights on, risking being seen by the enemy. At a cost of 3000 dead, american forces capture saipan. Tinian and guam (less defended) soon follow. As Nimitz's forces swung southwest, an american force was given by him to MacArthur's leadership as the two prongs began to converge. The objective here was the Palau Islands, which needed to be taken before the philippines was invaded. One of these islands, Peleliu, was a horrible experience. Stubborn japanese defenders were dug into a labyrinth of caves, and every entrance had to be blasted with flamethrowers or machine guns. 40 percent of americans fighting on peleliu would either die or be wounded. In October 1944, MacArthur came back to the philippines. The invasion kickstarted the largest naval engagement in history: The Battle of Leyte Gulf. Four large japanese naval forces were steaming towards the philippines from Formosa, Borneo, and japan itself. Their goal was to destroy american supply forces in a recessed body of water next to the island of leyte. After a series of large ship battles hundreds of miles apart, the japanese navy was basically broken as a fighting force. Meanwhile, land fighting on the philippines reaches the capital city of Manila. For the first time in the pacific ocean, american forces come face to face with large scale urban fighting. Many civilians are killed for no reason by the japanese. After manila, only two more island obstacles lay in america's path of attacking japan: Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The former was attacked in February 1945. A volcanic island dominated by a tall volcano named Suribachi, iwo jima was probably the closest place to Hell in the pacific war. As marines landed on the ash filled beaches under covering fire from ships, japanese forces again hold their fire until their enemy is right under their guns. The savage naval shelling didn't achieve the desired outcome, and japanese positions would have to be cleared out up close and personal by ground troops. After much fighting, marines reached suribachi's summit and raise an american flag, immortalized in one of the most famous photographs of all time. However, the the fight for iwo jima was far from over. Marines and tanks hit the beach and push inland and squeeze japanese forces off the island. Huge amounts of supplies are landed to resupply the assault. The americans begin to make use of iwo jima's airfields, their bombers now able to hit japan with impunity. At long last, US forces arrive at the last island fortress, okinawa. On April 1st, america attacked. Fighting more desperately than ever, the japanese employ suicide tactics and send pilots into battle specifically to crash into american warships. Meanwhile, marines come up against a heavily dug in japanese force, where defenders once again prefer death to giving up. After the nightmare on okinawa, where more americans died than anywhere else in the pacific, the road to japan is now open. Still, the mere idea of invading a country as zealous as japan nauseates soldiers and planners alike. Thanks to a top secret new weapon, the invasion would never happen and japan would be crushed by the power of the atom instead. Like all other installments of this great series, this one provides interesting world war 2 information in a way that is quite easy to grasp. The footage is amazing as always, and much of it is colorized. Unusual, since even the footage taken years before 1945 is. Speaking of which, it is a lot more visceral this time around and really shows how horrid the pacific war was. Just to give an idea, I can't think of any other World at War episode that shows dismembered bodies. While the nazis were always the greater evil during the war, this episode shows how fighting japan was just as bad if not worse, due to their unwillingness to go down without a fight.