The Strategy of Island Hopping
Building on the success at Guadalcanal, Allied leaders began advancing from island to island as they sought to close on Japan. This strategy of "island hopping" developed by General Douglas MacArthur allowed them to bypass Japanese strong points, while securing bases across the Pacific. Moving from the Gilberts and Marshalls to the Marianas (left), US forces acquired airbases from which they could bomb Japan. In late 1944, Allied troops under General Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines and Japanese naval forces were decisively defeated at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Following the capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the Allies opted to drop the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki rather than attempt an invasion of Japan.