The Japanese Go on the Defensive

After the Japanese evacuated Guadalcanal on February 7, 1943, their fortunes in World War II shifted from the offensive and expanding their territory to a defensive posture and losing ground. The Americans had achieved their first victory in the Pacific while capturing Japanese territory. The Japanese Army and Navy suffered a crushing defeat while taking great losses in aircraft, ships, and men. Placing their priorities to challenging General MacArthur in New Guinea in the South Pacific and reallocating their military and naval assets westward, they soon realized that American air, sea, and ground power was on the rise while theirs waned.

One belief held by both sides before the Pacific war began was that their opponent was racially inferior and easily defeated. This changed after Guadalcanal. The two nations now realized the implacability of their opponent, and the war would last for several years. Many deadly confrontations lay ahead of them. The rising power of American industrial might contrasted with the ebbing Japanese economy as their losses to American arms took their toll. American ships, planes, tanks, and all sorts of war materiel rolled of its production lines in super abundant quantities. Meanwhile, Japan’s industry struggled to replace men and machines lost in battle. Japan now headed toward an inevitable but not quick defeat.

The Americans launched their campaign to capture the rest of the Solomons to isolate the Japanese base at Rabaul. Meanwhile, they also began their campaign in the Central Pacific in the Gilbert Islands on their way to recapture Guam and take the rest of the Mariana Islands. Once they achieved that goal, American B-29 bombers were within bombing range of the Japanese Home Islands, which would experience the same devastation their Nazi allies had felt. With MacArthur bypassing Japanese strongholds along New Guinea’s northern coast and the American submarines sinking ever-growing numbers of Japanese merchant ships, the Americans drew the noose of defeat around Japan ever tighter.

Guadalcanal—Another Turning Point

Many World War II historians claim there were three turning points that pointed to victory for the Allies — Midway, El Alamein, and Stalingrad. I would like to add one more — Guadalcanal. After that massive conflict, the tide of war turned against the Japanese. From then on, they would face defeat after defeat. The inevitably of an Allied victory now became surer. Nevertheless, it would take many more battles to fight and many more humans to die before that ending came to pass.

Copyright Kenneth I. Friedman © 2007-2008 - All rights reserved