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 discuss the benefits of this strategy as well as the cost. Let's examine how Japan's limited resources have led to this tactic.
Allies strategy of isolating, blocking, and not 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. Japanese imperial officer studied the strategy and adopted it in their Southeast Asian offensive after it was published by a British journalist. "Island hopping", a tactic that Allied troops used to evade enemy forces, was a well-known strategy by the end of World War II.
After the Pacific War started, the Allied forces continued to "island hop" around the Pacific, gaining ground and moving closer to mainland Japan. Once they had seized Rabaul and others islands, they moved their focus to the Philippines, Gilbert and Marshall Islands which were Japanese strongholds. These areas were effectively blocked by the Allies, which led to Japan being forced 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 Japanese were eventually defeated and they were unable to carry on their offensive operations.
Cost of Allied island hopping’ campaign
The "island hopping" campaign that was begun by the United States during World War II aimed to capture smaller islands in the Pacific and establish military bases in preparation for an invasion of Japan was reaching its final stages in the late 1940s. While the campaign was a huge success, it was also very expensive. 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 forces kept up their "island hopping” campaign throughout the Pacific and gained ground in areas nearer to Japan. Okinawa was the last major island that the Allied forces reached. It was vital in the Allied bombing campaign to destroy mainland Japan.