Victory over Japan ends WWII As the war in Europe came to an end, the Allies were free to focus all their might on Japan. The fall of the Empire was inevitable, but the conflict ended only with the unleashing of a terrifying new force that would cast a giant shadow over the future Atomic bombs killed at least 120,000 people. Many more died from long-term effects of radiation Little Boy: Uranium-fuelled bomb used on Hiroshima Length: 3 metres Yield: 15 kilotons Fat Man: Plutonium-fuelled bomb used on Nagasaki Length: 3.3m Yield: 21kt IWO JIMA AND THE BOMBING OF TOKYO Feb 19, 1945: U.S. troops land on heavily defended island of Iwo Jima Mar 9-10: B-29s launch first low-altitude night raids on Japan, using napalm firebombs. First mission destroys 25% of buildings in Tokyo, killing over 80,000 people Mar 25: Iwo Jima captured after 72 days of intense fighting. 6,800 U.S. Marines and nearly all 20,000 Japanese defenders die Marines raising U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi becomes iconic image of victory over Japan OKINAWA Apr 1: U.S. 10th Army, backed by largest amphibious assault of Pacific War, invades Okinawa – seen as last stepping-stone towards main islands of Japan Apr 6: First major Japanese counterattack involves first large-scale attack by kamikaze planes. Yamato – world’s most powerful battleship – sent on one-way suicide mission Apr 7: Yamato sunk by U.S. bombs. Over 3,600 killed Apr 12: Franklin D. Roosevelt dies – Harry Truman (right) sworn in as president May 3: Allies recapture Burmese capital, Rangoon May 8, 1945: Germany surrenders unconditionally. World War II in Europe is over May 19: Japanese forces abandon port of Foochow in strategic withdrawal from southern China May 27: General Douglas MacArthur (above) – forced to retreat in March 1942 – recaptures Philippines Jun 21: U.S. captures Okinawa after 82 days of bloody battle taking 12,000 American lives. Japanese losses exceed 100,000 Emperor Hirohito (left) meets with his war cabinet and advocates diplomatic solution to war Jun 29: Truman approves invasion of Japan to begin November 1, expected to involve five million personnel HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI Jul 16: U.S. Army tests world’s first atomic bomb in New Mexico desert Jul 17: U.S., Britain and Soviet Union meet in Potsdam, Germany, to shape post-war world. Winston Churchill and Truman agree to use A-bomb if Japan refuses to surrender Jul 26: Atomic bomb delivered to Tinian island Japan ignores Potsdam Declaration, which demands unconditional surrender or risk “prompt and utter destruction” Aug 6: B-29 Enola Gay flies from Tinian to drop first deployed atomic bomb – codenamed Little Boy – on Hiroshima Aug 8: Soviets declare war on Japan and invade Japanese-held Manchuria in largest land offensive of Pacific War Aug 9: Second atomic bomb – Fat Man – dropped on Nagasaki SURRENDER Aug 14: World War ll ends as Japan agrees unconditional surrender. Hirohito relinquishes divine status but is allowed to remain as symbolic head of state Sep 2: Formal surrender ceremony takes place on USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay 1947: New constitution, which prohibits maintaining military for warfare, enacted 1948: Wartime prime minister General Tojo Hideki, accused of being largely responsible for Japan’s entry into war, executed for war crimes Mitsubishi Zero-Sen A6M7 “kamikaze” aircraft Furthest extent of Japanese Empire, 1942 SOVIET UNION MANCHURIA KOREA Seoul MONGOLIA Beijing Nanking Shanghai East China Sea CHINA Foochow INDIA BURMA Rangoon THAILAND Bangkok Hong Kong South China Sea FRENCH INDOCHINA JAPAN Tokyo Hiroshima Nagasaki Okinawa Iwo Jima PHILIPPINES Manila Mariana Islands: U.S. maintains direct air attack on Japan from Nov 1944 to Aug 1945 Tinian Guam PACIFIC OCEAN 500km 310 miles B-29 Enola Gay Sources: Imperial War Museum, Chronicle of the Second World War, The Times Atlas of the Second World War Pictures: Newscom, Getty Images, National Archives © GRAPHIC NEWS