War in the Pacific
Click to relive the experience
of Pearl Harbor |
Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. The attack severely damaged the American fleet and prevented, at least for the short term, serious American interference with Japanese military operations. In response, the United States declared war on Japan. Following Germany's declaration of war on the United States, the United States also declared war on Germany.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan achieved a long series of military successes. In December 1941, Guam and Wake Island fell to the Japanese, followed in the first half of 1942 by the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, and Burma. Thailand remained officially neutral. Only in mid-1942 were Australian and New Zealander forces in New Guinea and British forces in India able to halt the Japanese advance. |
Kamikaze Warfare
The Japanese used a tactic called Kamikaze where pilots would purposefully fly into enemy warships. During WWII, about 3,860 Kamikaze pilots died.
Application
Directions: Use what you know and what you see to match the aircraft with the descriptions below. Answers are located on the Assessments page.
A. Kawanishi N1K2- Ja Shiden Kai "George"
"George" is the unlikely Allied nickname for the best Japanese naval fighter produced in quantity during World War II. This land-based fighter sprang directly from a floatplane fighter design, the N1K1 "Rex".
B. Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Aichi chief engineer Toshio Ozaki designed the Seiran (Clear Sky Storm) during WWII to fulfill a requirement for a bomber that could operate exclusively from a submarine. To support Seiran operations, the Japanese developed a special fleet of submarine aircraft carriers to bring the Seirans within striking distance.
C. Kyushu J7W1 Shinden
The Shinden (Magnificent Lightning) is one of the few experimental aircraft with a canard configuration to fly during WWII. Canard is a French term describing an aircraft with the main wing mounted at the rear of the fuselage and a smaller wing mounted at the front.
D. Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko "Irving"
Nakajima designed the Gekko (Moonlight) as a three-seat, daylight escort fighter. First flown in 1941, the aircraft was modified as a night fighter in 1943 and on its first mission shot down two American B-17 bombers to prove its capability. It was redesigned to hold only two crewmen so two upward firing guns could be mounted in what had been the radioman's cockpit. Many were also used as Kamikaze aircraft.
E. Kugisho MXY7 Ohka Model 22
Near the end of World War II, Vice Admiral Onishi Takijino recommended that the Japanese navy form special groups of men and aircraft to attack American warships in the Philippines. The Japanese used the word Tokko (Special Attack) to describe these units, known to the Allies as the kamikaze. Some 5,000 pilots died making Tokko attacks. The Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Model 22, was designed to allow a pilot with minimal training to drop from a Japanese navy bomber at high altitude and guide his aircraft with its warhead at high speed into an Allied warship.
"George" is the unlikely Allied nickname for the best Japanese naval fighter produced in quantity during World War II. This land-based fighter sprang directly from a floatplane fighter design, the N1K1 "Rex".
B. Aichi M6A1 Seiran
Aichi chief engineer Toshio Ozaki designed the Seiran (Clear Sky Storm) during WWII to fulfill a requirement for a bomber that could operate exclusively from a submarine. To support Seiran operations, the Japanese developed a special fleet of submarine aircraft carriers to bring the Seirans within striking distance.
C. Kyushu J7W1 Shinden
The Shinden (Magnificent Lightning) is one of the few experimental aircraft with a canard configuration to fly during WWII. Canard is a French term describing an aircraft with the main wing mounted at the rear of the fuselage and a smaller wing mounted at the front.
D. Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko "Irving"
Nakajima designed the Gekko (Moonlight) as a three-seat, daylight escort fighter. First flown in 1941, the aircraft was modified as a night fighter in 1943 and on its first mission shot down two American B-17 bombers to prove its capability. It was redesigned to hold only two crewmen so two upward firing guns could be mounted in what had been the radioman's cockpit. Many were also used as Kamikaze aircraft.
E. Kugisho MXY7 Ohka Model 22
Near the end of World War II, Vice Admiral Onishi Takijino recommended that the Japanese navy form special groups of men and aircraft to attack American warships in the Philippines. The Japanese used the word Tokko (Special Attack) to describe these units, known to the Allies as the kamikaze. Some 5,000 pilots died making Tokko attacks. The Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Model 22, was designed to allow a pilot with minimal training to drop from a Japanese navy bomber at high altitude and guide his aircraft with its warhead at high speed into an Allied warship.
Answers:
1. E.
2. A.
3. C.
4. B.
5. D.
1. E.
2. A.
3. C.
4. B.
5. D.