The+Philosophy+of+Island+Hopping

Island Hopping: Island hopping is going from island to island by a series of shorter trips, and cutting off Japanese supply lines, and to capture certain key islands to get American bombers within range of Japan.It also allowed the allied powers to bypass Japanese strong points.

During the Battle of Midway over 75 planes and ships were destroyed.

After the [|Battle of Midway], the United States launched a counter-offensive strike known as "island-hopping," establishing a line of overlapping island bases, as well as air control. The idea was to capture certain key islands, one after another, until Japan came within range of American bombers

The Japanese were now caught in a logistical nightmare. Wanting to follow up on their earlier attack on Midway, they armed their bombers with bombs. However, in the midst of battle, scouts spotted the American Fleet, so the bombers were ordered refitted with torpedoes. Simultaneously, the Zeros defending the Fleet returned to their carriers for rearming and refueling. At this moment, more American attackers appeared,Within five minutes all of the planes were launched and the battle shifted completely with an American Victory. ([|http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/midway.htm)]



Led by General [|Douglas MacArthur], Commander of the Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific, and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, the first stage of the offensive began with the Navy under Nimitz, and Marine landings on Guadalcanal and nearby islands in the Solomons.



Americans first used a counter-attack to capture the remainder of the Solomon Islands and next the Japanese jungle fortress on Buna and Gona. The New Georgia Campaign had the highest number of non-combatant casualties due to Jungle Disease.

In 1943 a thrust on the Gilbert Islands paved the way for the assult on Marshall Islands. November 20th marines stormed Tarawa atoll known as "Bloody Tarawa". 76 hours in which 17 out of 4,500 survived and 1,000 dead Americans out of the 5,600 (3,000 were wounded in the battle).

Iwo Jima was America's next target. It had three air stripes that the Japanese used for their Kamikaze attacks. 70,000 American troops highly out-numbered the 27,000 Japanese troops. America easily won the battle and gained yet another of the Japanese's key islands.