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December 8, the U.S. declared war on Japan. On December 11 Germany declared war on the U.S., one of Hitler's most serious mistakes because it brought America into the war against Germa . On both onts, ci c and European, America came into the war determined to win.
Japan moved rapidly through Asia and the ci c. On December 13 th took Guam, on December 20 Wa Island. On December 25 they took Hong Kong om the British, in January 1942 the Netherlands East Indies. On February 15 they invaded Singapore om the north in a land operation. The British couldn't even put up a de nse, because all their artillery was pointed in the wrong direction-toward the sea, om where they had been sure any attack uld come. On March 9 the Japanese took Java, on M 6 the Philippines. The U.S. rces there had been under the co and of General Douglas MacArthur, who p mised the Filipinos: "I shall return." MacArthur was supreme commander of all Allied rces in the southwest Paci c, and would eventually keep his p mise.
During all this time the Japanese appeared invincible as the U.S. re­ covered om Pearl Harbor and geared up r war. But on M 7 the U.S. eet repulsed the Japanese in the Battle of the Coral Sea, there heading o an i asion of Australia. Then came the turning point of the Paci c war: the Battle of Midw , June 4-7, 1942.
The Japanese had a power l eet of carriers with their best Zeroes ( ghter planes) and best pilots, and the eet steamed toward Midw Island. Th believed that most of the American carriers were r or damaged. But the U.S. had broken the Japanese code. miral Raymond Spruance sailed toward Midway. The eet included the carrier , one of the ships the Japanese believed out of action. urteen hundred men working around the clock had repaired the ship in 48 hours, though the job was supposed to take ninety days.
Nevertheless the American eet was outnumbered, and as the battle began the American planes were shot down at an alarming rate while in ict­ ing little damage. Three to edo squadrons were sent out, but only ur planes returned.
But the torpedo squadrons had rced the Japanese eet out of posi­ tion and le them unprepared r the next attack. Fi y- ur dive bombers om the carriers rktown and Ente rise sa three of the big Japanese carriers; later a urth went under. The Japanese admiral had to tu back. This was one of the greatest U.S. n al victories of the war. The Japanese momentum was stopped. The Japanese had lost their best ships, their best planes, their best pilots; they were never able to make good the losses.