TURNING-POINT BATTLES
First major naval battle where the opposing fleets never sighted each other (May 1942).
What is the Battle of the Coral Sea?
Capturing weaker islands while bypassing heavily defended Japanese strongholds.
What is island hopping?
US general who commanded the South-West Pacific and led the New Guinea advance
Who is Douglas MacArthur?
Number of aircraft carriers Japan lost at Midway.
What is 4?
Papuan port, then an Australian territory, that Japan aimed to capture.
What is Port Moresby?
Historians call this June 1942 clash the most important naval engagement of the Pacific War.
What is the Battle of Midway?
A military attack launched from the sea onto land.
What is an amphibious assault?
The only American aircraft carrier lost at the Battle of Midway.
What is the USS Yorktown?
Casualties suffered on the Japanese side at Midway, against just over 300 American.
What is 2,500 (more than)?
Jungle track where outnumbered Australian militia fought a retreat.
What is the Kokoda Track?
The first major Allied amphibious offensive, fought over six months in the Solomon Islands.
What is Guadalcanal?
Cracking the JN-25 naval code gave the US this edge before Midway.
What is codebreaking?
A type of warship used to escort and defend other vessels.
What is a destroyer?
Japan's count of battleships in April 1942 ( pre DOOLITTLE RAID) — none yet seriously damaged.
What is 11?
The Coral Sea victory helped protect this country from possible invasion.
What is Australia?
The vital Guadalcanal airfield the Allies captured and held.
What is Henderson Field?
Bypassing strongholds like Rabaul to leave their troops cut off and isolated. Used in Island hopping strategy
What is leapfrogging?
The US long-range bomber whose raids could reach Japan's home islands from the Marianas.
What is the B-29 (Superfortress)?
Month and year Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal ended.
What is February 1943?
Battle where Australian and US forces first repelled the seaborne push on Port Moresby.
What is Milne Bay?
June 1944 carrier clash nicknamed the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot."
What is the Battle of the Philippine Sea?
Explosive-laden Japanese suicide aircraft, used heavily from 1945.
what are kamikaze?
Name any one of the four Japanese carriers sunk at Midway.
What is (Akagi or Kaga, Soryu, or Hiryu)?
Up to this many civilian Okinawans died in the 1945 fighting.
What is 160,000?
Three northern Australian towns hit by Japanese air raids.
What are Darwin, Broome and Townsville?