After the victory in Europe the Americans focused on the Japanese. Because Japanese wanted to expand their empire without the Americans interfering they attacked Pearl Harbor.  The Japanese had already taken Hong Kong, the Philippines, parts of China, and part of Thailand.  On August 7, 1942 American forces attacked Guadalcanal where the Japanese were building an airfield. The famous flag rising at Iwo Jima was actually one of two.  The battle for Midway lasted for four days.  Out of four Japanese carriers all four were sunk in exchange for only one US carrier.  To make the Japanese surrender the Americans dropped two atomic bombs Hiroshima and Nagasaki.