The Japanese attacked the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, in a coordinated effort that spanned across the Pacific.
The Japanese wanted to deliver a blow to the US and its allies by taking much of the territory in the East.
The five battles that occurred at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor were the beginning of the war in the Pacific.
1. The battle of Guam.
US soldiers walk by a bombed out cemetery.
Associated Press
The Japanese began air raids against Guam on the morning of December 8, 1941, in the wake of the air attacks at Pearl Harbor. An invasion force from Japan landed on the island.
After defeating the local Insular Guard force, the Japanese moved on to the under-strength Marine Corps. The Marines were ordered to surrender after a brief resistance.
Six men from the US Navy fled into the jungle in order to avoid capture. George Ray Tweed, one of the five who were captured and executed, was able to hold out for over two and a half years until the US regained control of the island in 1944.
The locals thought he represented the hope of an American return to the island. He was able to pass on valuable targeting information when the Americans came back.
2. The Battle of Wake Island took place.
The battle of Wake Island took place in 1943.
AP photo
The US was off-guard when the Japanese launched their air attacks on Wake Island. The Americans threw back the initial Japanese landing attempt when the Japanese invaded in 1941.
The Japanese began to siege the island. Wake Island became a bright spot in the Pacific as American forces were pushed back elsewhere. The media referred to it as the "Alamo of the Pacific". On December 23, 1941, the Japanese launched another assault on the island.
The defenders kept putting up a strong resistance. The Marines joined the fight with no more flyable planes. The first Marine to earn the Medal of Honor was Capt. Henry Elrod.
The island was surrendered despite the intrepid defense. The defenders were treated brutally by the Japanese.
3. The Battle of the Philippines took place.
The Philippines in 1942 was the scene of Japanese bombing.
There is a Wikimedia Commons.
When the first Japanese forces hit the islands north of the Philippines, Gen. Douglas MacArthur had over 31,000 American and Philippine troops under his command.
The forces put up a determined resistance throughout December, but on Christmas Eve, the commander of the forces called for a fighting withdrawal to the Bataan Peninsula.
After his forces were consolidated on Bataan and the harbor islands of Manila Bay, they dug in to make a final stand against the Japanese. They held out until there were enough war supplies.
The survivors were subjected to a brutal Death March on their way to POW camps. Some people were able to withdraw from Corregidor. A defensive force centered on the 4th Marines and numbering 11,000 men was prepared to defend Corregidor from the Japanese.
The attack took place on May 5, 1942. The next day Gen. Wainwright decided to surrender the American forces in the Philippines.
4. The battle of Hong Kong was fought.
British prisoners of war are leaving Hong Kong.
The images are from the same company.
Japanese forces from mainland China attacked the British Commonwealth forces defending Hong Kong at 8:00 a.m. local time. British, Canadian, and Indian troops were undermanned.
There was a lack of manpower to stop the Japanese at the Gin Drinker's Line. The Japanese troops were attacking and the defenders didn't have the experience.
The defenders withdrew from the mainland portion of the colony within three days. The Japanese attacked across Victoria Harbor after the British refused to surrender.
On Christmas Day 1941, the British surrendered Hong Kong to the Japanese. The survivors were victims of atrocities by the Japanese.
5. The Battle of Singapore was part of the Malayan campaign.
An Australian anti-tank gun shoots on Japanese type 95 Ha-Go tanks on the Muar-Parit Sulong road in Malaya in 1942.
There is a Wikimedia Commons.
Singapore was a strong base for British resistance because it was an important strategic location. The Malayan Campaign was launched by the Japanese in order to capture Singapore. The first aerial bombardment against Singapore was launched by the Japanese on the first day of the campaign.
The battlecruiser HMS Repulse and the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales were sunk by Japanese aircraft in an attempt to intercept the Japanese invasion force. The British fleet in Singapore had very little naval power.
The Commonwealth forces did not fare better on land. The defenders were forced back towards Singapore by the Japanese. The entire peninsula fell to the British at the end of January 1942.
On February 8, 1942, the Japanese launched their assault on Singapore. 85,000 troops were ready to defend the city, but only held out for a week before capitulating. British resistance ended in the Pacific area.
The majority of the British men who were captured were lost in the campaign. The campaign was marked by Japanese brutality.
