military bases at Dutch Harbor, inflicting minor physical, but considerable psychological damage. On the 3rd and 4th of June 1942, a Japanese carrier strike force attacked the U.S. In a dual operation, Japanese forces moved to attack both the Aleutians and Midway. The complete Japanese strategic objective for occupying the western Aleutian Islands continues to be researched and debated by historians and scholars – with views that include seeing the invasion as a diversionary action from attacking at Midway, expanding and establishing Japan’s defensive perimeter, and disrupting U.S. The raid served several purposes, and while the actual damage was low, the attack reinforced Japan’s interest to capture Midway with plans to invade the Aleutians. Hitting closer to home was the Doolittle raid of 18 April 1942, when carrier-launched B-25 medium-range bombers attacked Tokyo and other Japanese centers. counterstrikes on Japanese installations in the Pacific highlighted to the Japanese shortcomings in their defensive strategies. Rapid advances by Japanese Army and Navy forces saw the occupation of large sections of the Western Pacific. At the outbreak of the War, Japan controlled all of Micronesia with the exception of Guam and Wake Islands, both of which were U.S. On 7 December 1941 the Empire of Japan carried out a surprise aircraft carrier strike on the U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives, 80-G-19942. USS Arizona burning after being hit during Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941.
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