Island hopping was an important part of the Allied strategy, which focused on isolating and blocking enemy forces rather than attacking them. This article will examine the effectiveness of the strategy and discuss the costs. Let's first look at how Japan's limited resources contributed to this tactic.
Allies strategy of blocking and isolating rather than attacking
"Island hopping," also known as "leapfrogging," was an Allied strategy developed by the US Navy General Staff in the early twentieth century to control Japan's area of influence in the Western Pacific. After the strategy was published in 1920 by a British journalist, Japanese imperial officers studied it and adopted it for their Southeast Asian offensive. By the end of World War II, "Island hopping" was a common tactic used by Allied troops.
After the Pacific War was over, the Allied Forces continued to "island hop," gaining ground, and moving closer toward mainland Japan. Once they had taken Rabaul and other islands, they shifted their focus to the Philippines and the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, which were Japanese strongholds. The Allied forces were able to successfully blockade these areas, starving Japan into submission.
Success of the Allied island hopping’ campaign
The Allied islands hopping campaign proved to have been a very useful strategy during WWI. This tactic, also known as Leapfrogging, allowed the Allies to move quickly and easily across the ocean, bypassing the Japanese in the process. The result was that the Japanese were unable to continue their offensive operations and would eventually be defeated by the United States.
Cost of Allied island hopping’ campaign
The United States started the "island jumping" campaign during World War II. This was a strategy to capture smaller islands and build military bases in preparation of an invasion of Japan. It was in its final stages by the 1940s. The campaign was hugely successful, but it was also very costly. The U.S. military lost more than 6,000 soldiers during the 36-day Battle of Iwo Jima. Nearly 20,000 Japanese men were also lost.
The Allied troops continued their "island hopping” campaign across the Pacific, gaining ground nearer to Japan. Okinawa was Okinawa, the last major island for the Allies. It was vital in the Allied bombing campaign to destroy mainland Japan.