World War II Chronicle Series -- Island Battle (Famous Battles of the U.S. against Fascism)

Author: Lin Jingyun (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Battle for the Islands – A Record of the Famous Anti-Fascist Campaigns of the United States
The United States was one of the countries that entered World War II relatively late. On December 7, 1941, after Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the next day Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and on the 9th, he declared war on Germany. The U.S. entry into the war strengthened the military strength of the Allies. In 1942, Roosevelt announced in his State of the Union address that the country would mobilize 18,000 contractors that year, producing 68,000 aircraft, 45,000 tanks, 20,000 anti-aircraft guns, and 8 million tons of merchant ships annually. The United States participated in hundreds of battles in Europe, among which the largest strategic battle in military history was the Normandy Landing Campaign. The Allied forces, including the U.S. and Britain, deployed a total of 2.88 million troops; 13,700 aircraft in the air force; and 900 naval vessels of various types. The campaign lasted 43 days, during which the Allies dropped 10,000 tons of bombs. In this battle, the German army suffered casualties of 117,000, while the Allied forces suffered 122,000 casualties. The United States and Japan fought hundreds of battles on various islands in the Pacific. Each island battle cost both sides heavy losses. In the Okinawa Campaign alone, the U.S. deployed over 450,000 troops, 1,500 ships, and 2,500 aircraft, dropping over 10,000 tons of bombs. The Japanese army suffered over 90,000 casualties, with 7,400 captured, losing 783 aircraft, 16 ships, and 4 ships damaged. The U.S. military suffered over 70,000 casualties, losing 763 aircraft, 36 ships, and damaging 368 ships. Okinawa was the last battle of the Pacific War. Occupying Okinawa opened the door to Japan's homeland and established a base for attacking Tokyo, forcing Japan to surrender.