USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -This practice-skipping over heavily fortified islands in order to seize lightly defended locations that could support the next advance-became known as island hopping. As Japanese strongholds were isolated, defenders were left to weaken from starvation and disease.

Detailed explanation-2: -Island Hopping: Footholds Across the Pacific The US “island hopping” strategy targeted key islands and atolls to capture and equip with airstrips, bringing B-29 bombers within range of the enemy homeland, while hopping over strongly defended islands, cutting off supply lanes and leaving them to wither.

Detailed explanation-3: -Definition of ‘island-hopping’ a. the visiting of many islands in succession, usually as part of a holiday. They went island-hopping around the Pacific Ocean.

Detailed explanation-4: -The “island hopping” plan involved winning battles on Pacific islands to gain military bases and moving across the Pacific Ocean and closer to Japan. This strategy would span three years and would take U.S. forces in almost a full circle around the Pacific.

Detailed explanation-5: -Macarthur and Nimitz planned a two pronged attack: MacArthur would push northwest along the New Guinea coast and into the Bismarck Archipelago with the eventual aim of liberating the Philippines; Nimitz would cross the central Pacific, ‘hopping’ through the Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline and Marianas islands.