World War II in the Pacific
    Chronology Dec 1941--Aug 1945

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    By the time the U.S. entered WW2, war had been going on for almost two years in Europe, four years in China, and almost five years in Africa. The following is a summary of some of the actives in the Pacific in the First Year of World War Two.  To understand, we begin at the beginning.

    China.

    Modern China began with the overthrow of the Ch'ing dynasty in 1912.  President Yuan accepted Japanese 21 points of influence.  On his death in 1916, the massive country of China was divided among his subordinates and local war lords.  International commercial interests had spheres of influence.    The battle for national political influence was fought by backing of various coalitions of war lords, specially by  Russia and Japan, traditional rivals, each of which wanted to consider China as a puppet state.  By the middle 20's, Chaing Kai'shek had thrown off this communist sponsors and Chaing Tso-lin had been murdered by his Japanese backers.  Chaing consolidated a  national government, albeit with a communist rival; Russia controlled the (outer) Mongolian Peoples Republic; and Japan concentrated power north of the Great Wall.

    Japan

    Japan had started three previously victorious wars: Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 obtained Formosa and the Pescadores.  The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 gained Port Arthur and Korea.  First World War gained the former German colony on the China coast and islands in the north Pacific and 21 point concessions from China. The imperial military, not under the parliamentary Diet, occupied Manchuria and governed it as the puppet state of Manchukuo.  Japan was to start two more wars in the next few years.

    Chronology

    1932
    Jan 7 .  US protests Japanese aggression in Manchuria.
    Jan 29. Japs raid and bomb Shanghai, profess "destiny".
    Feb18. Japanese declare Manchuria to be Manchukuo, a ward of Japan.

    1933  
    Feb   . Japan occupies Jehol province in China; to be annexed to Manchukuo.
    Feb 24. League of Nations calls for Japan to retire from Manchuria.

    1934  
    Chaing attacks communist province of Kiangsi.
    Long March of communists from Kiangsi
    1935
    More of northeast China is occupied by Japanese.
    Mao Tse-tung emerges a leader from Long March, 6000 miles.
    1936
    Feb 26. Attempted coup gains military increased power in Japanese government.
    Chiang Kai-shek declares Japan is at war with China.
    Dec   . Sian agreement ends civil war between communists and nationalists in China.
    1937
    June 7 . Formal start of Sino-Japanese War by staged attack on Marco Polo bridge in Peking.
    July 28. Peking occupied.
    Quick victories in northern China.
    Nov    . Take Shanghai in eastern China.
    Dec 13. Japanese "Rape of Nanking" - 200,000 murdered - shocks the world.

    1938
    Fall .   Japanese advance up Yangtze River in east central China
    May .  Japanese link northern and eastern conquests of China.
    July 11.  USSR-Japan clash.
    1939
    Russian troops defeat Japanese incursion at Nomonhaniu
    Sep 3 . War declared in Europe.
    1940
    June 24. Japanese pressure Vichy for French Indochina, start build up of troops for invasion of southeast Asia.
    Aug 27. U.S. passes selective service
    1941   (daily)
    Japan occupies coastal cities of southern China and southern French Indo-China.
        For Japan to gain control the population of China required the resources of the East Indies. The US had suspended strategic trade with Japan.  The western powers were involved in a European war. The United State was gearing up its military that would soon put Japan at a disadvantage. Japan felt the time to take the East Indies and Indochina was now. The goal was destroy the retaliatory capabilities of the U.S., British, and Dutch navies and to establish a defensive ring of fortified islands.  This was to take six months. After that, a settlement could be established to retain the conquests.  Then, Japan could return to the war to take China and complete her "destiny" to control the orient.

    Jan 17. Koh Chang naval fight between French and Thai
    July 26. MacAuthur  to head US forces in the Far East.
    Oct 5 . U.S. organized reserve called to active duty by year-end.
    Nov 25. Japanese convoy of war and troop ships sighted on way to East Indies.
    Nov 26. Strike fleet departs Japanese waters for Pearl Harbor. 
    Dec 4 . Invasion fleets set sail for Malaya and Thailand.
    Dec 7 . (U.S. time) Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Midway, Wake Island.   Simultaneously,
    Dec 8 . (Tokyo time) Japanese attack Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaya, Philippines
    Dec 8 . U.S. declares a State of War exists with the Empire of Japan.
    Dec 9 . (Tokyo time) Japanese Imperial Rescript declares a State of War with the US and UK.
    Dec 9 . Japs sink Repulse and Prince of Wales off Malaya. 2-1/2 min video
    Dec 11. German/Italian axis declares war on U.S.
    Dec 11. U.S., others respond with war on Germany and Italy.
    Dec 1941 - -  . . . Japan Sweeps . . .
    27Nov41 Japanese fleets depart to attack east and invade west Pacific
    07Dec41 Japan raids Pearl Harbor, Midway, Wake Island, takes Guam
    07Dec41 Japan Declares War. Bombs Philippines
    07Dec41 Japan invades Siam, Maylaya, Hong Kong
    08Dec41 Japan takes Gilbert Islands
    09Dec41 Japan sinks Repulse, Prince of Wales
    10Dec41 Japan takes Guam, Makin, Tarawa.
    10Dec41 Japan lands on Luzon, P.I.
    11Dec41 Wake Island defended.
    11Dec41 Japan invades Burma
    16Dec41 Japan invades North Borneo
    19Dec41 Japan invade Mindanao, Philippines
    22Dec41 Japan main landing on Luzon. Philippines
    23Dec41 Japan bombs Rangoon, Burma: 2,000 killed.
    23Dec41 Japan invades Wake Island
    25Dec41 Hong Kong surrenders
    31Dec41 Japan occupies Manila
    - - 1942 - -  . . . Holding Actions . . .
    11Jan42 Japan invades Dutch East Indies
    24Jan42 Battle of Makassar Strait
    15Feb42 Singapore surrenders
    19Feb42 Battle of Badoeng Strait
    19Feb42 Japan bombs Darwin, Australia
    27Feb42 Battle of Java Sea
    09Mar42 Java surrenders
    13Mar42 Japan lands in Solomons
    05Apr42 Japan raids Ceylon, Indian Ocean
    09Apr42 Bataan surrenders.
    18Apr42 Doolittle Raid on Tokyo
    7-8 May Battle of Coral Sea
    08May42 Corregidor falls, Philippines surrendered
    20May42 Burma surrenders
    4-6Jun42Battle of Midway
    07Jun42 Japanese take Attu, Aleutians
    07Aug42 Marines land at Guadalcanal
    09Aug42 Battle of Savo Island
    19Aug42 Raid on Dieppe
    23Aug42 Battle for Stalingrad starts
    24Aug42 Battle of Eastern Solomons
    26Aug42 Japan lands at Milne Bay, New Guinea
    05Sep42 Japan evicted at Milne Bay New Guinea
    11Oct42 Battle of Cape Esperance
    12Oct42 Columbus Day, Carnegie Hall, announced Italian nationals no longer considered enemy aliens.
    25Oct42 Battle of Santa Cruz
    08Nov42 Allied invasion of North Africa.
    12-15NovNaval Battles of Guadalcanal
    30Nov42 Battle of Tassafaronga
    - - 1943 - -  . . . The End of the Beginning . . .
    02Jan43 Buna taken on N. coast of New Guinea.
    31Jan43 Germany surrenders army at Stalingrad
    09Feb43 Guadalcanal declared secure
    22Feb43 Kasserine Pass, Tunisia. First U.S. army battle, defeated
    2-4Mar43 Battle of Bismarck Sea
    26Mar43Battle of the Komandorski Islands (Alaska)
    18Apr43 Yamamoto shot down by P-38's.
    11May-30JunU.S. retakes Attu, Aleutians.
    21Jun43 New Georgia, Solomons
    06July43 Battle of Kula Gulf
    12July43 Battle of Kolombangara
    5-17Jul43Kursk, Russia, largest tank battle stops German advance.
    09July43Allies invade Sicily
    05Aug43 Germany expelled from Russia
    06Aug43 Battle of Vella Gulf, Solomons
    09-17Sep43Salerno, Italy
    01Oct43 Naples taken
    13Oct43 Italy declares war on Germany, its one-time Axis partner.
    00Oct43 VAdm Fletcher becomes Commander, North Pacific under Nimitz.
    01Nov43 Marines land on Bougainville, Solomons
    02Nov43 Battle of Empress Augusta Bay
    05Nov43 Sara, Princeton raid Rabaul to protect Empress Augusta Bay
    21Nov43 Makin and Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.
    24-26Dec Battle of North Cape. Scharnhorst sunk while on convoy raid.
    26Dec43 Cape Gloucester, Solomons -- 1st Marines invade New Britain continuing Operation Cartwheel to isolate Rabaul.
    - - 1944 - -  . . . the Long Road to Victory . . .
    22Jan-23MayAnzio, Italy.
    29Jan44 Army lands in Admiralty Islands.
    31Jan44 Marines land on Marshall Islands.
    07Feb44 Kwajalein, Marshalls
    12Feb44 Zionist Menachem Begin begins to blowup British in Palestine.
    18Feb44 Massive naval air raid on Truk, Carolines.
    19Feb44 Marines land on Eniwetok Island.
    15Mar44 Japan invades India.
    22Mar44 US lands at Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea
    04Jun44 Allies enter Rome
    06Jun44 D-Day, Normandy
    15Jun44 B-29s bomb Japan from China
    15Jun-9JulySaipan, Marianas
    19Jun44 Japanese carrier fleet defeated in Philippine Sea, "Turkey Shoot"
    21July-10AugGuam
    24July-01AugTinian
    25July44 Breakout from Hedgerows, Normandy
    15Aug44 Allies invade southern France.
    21Aug44 Falaise Pocket
    22Aug44 Japanese retreat from India
    25Aug44 Liberation of Paris
    15Sep-13OctInvasion of Peleliu, Palaus
    17Sep-26SepA Bridge Too Far
    20Oct44 US Landing on Leyte, Philippines
    23Oct-26OctJapanese battle fleet destroyed at Leyte Gulf.
    24Nov44 Start B-29 raids on Japan from Tinian
    28Nov44 Antwerp port opened
    15Dec44 Landing on Mindoro, Philippines
    16Dec44 Battle of the Bulge
    - - 1945 - - . . . the War is Concluded . . .
    09Jan45 Landing on Luzon
    16Jan45 Battle of Bulge, Allies link up.
    4-11Feb Yalta. USSR to enter Pacific War
    13Feb45 Fire bomb Dresden
    19Feb-16MarIwo Jima
    03Mar45 Manila liberated
    07Mar45 Remagen Bridge
    09Mar45 Fire bomb Tokyo
    21Mar45 Mandalay, Burma regained.
    22Mar-23MarPatton & Montgomery cross Rhine
    22Mar45 Arab League declares war on Axis
    01Apr-21JunOkinawa
    12Apr45 FDR dies, Truman President.
    30Apr45 Hitler suicide.
    03May45 Rangoon freed
    07May45. Germany surrenders.
    10Jun45 Australians invade Borneo
    30Jun45 Luzon declared secure [fighting continued]
    16July45Atomic bomb test Alamagordo, NM
    06Aug45Hiroshima
    08Aug45 USSR invades Manchuria.
    09Aug45 Nagasaki
    14Aug45 Japan surrenders.
    02Sep45 Signing on USS Missouri
    - - - - - - -
    04July46 Philippine independence.
    24Sep49 USSR atomic bomb.
    25Jun50 North Korea attacks South Korea.
    01Nov52 U.S. hydrogen bomb.
    08May54 Dienbienphu, Vietnam.
    22Nov'55USSR hydrogen bomb.

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    Last updated on July 4, 2001
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