What were the basic war strategies of the US in World War 2?

Answer 1

I can supply the basic strategy for the Pacific Theatre for you. It was to eventually obtain air bases close enough to Japan to support a complete blockade of the island and to allow our B-29 and B-17 bombers to bomb the enemy into submission, or at least soften it up for an invasion. We accomplished this strategy by the invasion and occupation of the islands of Saipan/Tinean, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. the strategy was called "island hopping". this went they didn't try to capture every island in the pacific but skip there way to bombing range of Tokyo. by surpassing these islands they saved time, supplies, troups, etc. and effectively cut off islands of Japanese troups rendering them useless. Biased answer

American strategy in Europe was to hold Germany, keep them from expanding. Thus American armed forces were used to bomb German cities and military targets. Troops were used to occupy French colonies to prevent Axis expansion into them.

It wasn't until mid 1943 that the USA even began operations on land in Europe, that being the invasion of the peripheral territory of Sicily.

After the Soviets had taken most of the fight out of the German army, the USA along with Britain finally decided to a major invasion of France, June 1944. Probably coming a year later than necessary due to British foot dragging, this invasion led quickly to German over extension and collapse.

In the air war, the USA at least ostensibly tried to maintain attacks on military or industrial targets using daylight bombing. The British had no such qualms and went directly after civilians, killing hundreds of thousands in Germany.

In the Pacific the USA was pretty much alone and thus had a much more direct and reasonable strategy. There the plan was to isolate the various Japanese island fortresses, by passing most, occupying a few for bases, and thus leapfrogging across the Pacific.

The Japanese helped out by overtending themselves in the Midway campaign which effectively took the Japanese navy out of the strategic war (June 1943).

Ultimately the USA leapfrogged all the way to the Philippines and Okinawa. It was then that the USA began its own indiscriminate massacre of civilians via a bombing campaign. There was a nod towards attacking militarily important targets but mainly the attacks were meant to kill as many Japanese civilians as possible in the hope that the government would collapse. This strategy was a failure since the Japanese never seriously considered surrender due to bombing alone. It was the combination of bombing, a starvation blockade, and a threat of Soviet invasion that finally caused the Japanese to quit in 1945.

It is important to note that the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had the greatest effect on the Japanese decision to surrender.

Answer 2

As in all wars the main strategy on every front was the destroy the enemy armed forces ability to resist. Secondary strategies were to deny the enemy economic resources. Thus the US broke the Japanese navy in 1942 and penetrated to the home islands quickly. A bombing campaign then ended the war in 1945. The Japanese still had vast armed forces in Asia and various islands but they were isolated and without re-supply, and thus unable to counterattack. In Europe much the same was done. Over and over the Germans trapped huge armies of their opponents, only to have the tables turn and same done to them. In the later stages of the war - 1944 and 45 - the defensive abilities of all armies improved so that great sweeping, surrounding movements became less effective. Brutal, frontal attack fighting became the norm - witness Normandy, battle of the Bulge, Berlin, Budapest, Rhine crossing. Today it is unlikely any nation can duplicate what Germany did in 1940-41 against another industrial nation. Do not confuse those times with the current ability of American armies, which can always defeat third world forces with overwhelming firepower. These victories have little in common with Germany's ability to destroy the excellent and modern French/British armies in 1940 or virtually the entire Soviet army in 1941.

Answer 3

Guerrilla Warfare

Genocide

Blitzkrieg (lightning warfare)

amphibious assaults

Total War/Slash and Burn/Scorched Earth

Trench warfare

Answer 4

war tactics taht were used were gilly suits, specially camoflauged suits, and bunkers, refuge areas.