After the U.S. victory at the Battle of Midway,
the American-led Allies took the offensive in the
Pacific. The general strategy for this offensive
was known as island hopping.
Rather than
battle Japanese troops for control of each and
every Pacific island, the Allies bypassed welldefended
ones to strike at weaker islands in a
seemingly random order.
Typically aircraft were sent in first to soften
up
the islands. The planes bombed bases,
airstrips, bridges, and other strategic targets.
Then ships and amphibious assault vehicles
would land troops on the island to battle
enemy forces there. Time and again this
strategy found success against an everweakening
Japanese military, as the Allies
moved within easier striking distance of Japan.
