Final answer:
The U.S. campaign to defeat Japan in the Pacific was known as the Pacific campaign. They employed a strategy called island hopping, capturing strategic islands one by one to isolate Japanese troops.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. campaign to defeat Japan during World War II by strategically capturing islands across the Pacific and bypassing others was known as the island-hopping campaign. This strategy was essential to overcome the vastness of the ocean and a multitude of islands that had been fortified by Japanese troops. By employing this method, American forces, led by Admiral Chester Nimitz and General Douglas MacArthur, aimed to progressively isolate Japanese troops and cut off their supply lines, creating a path that led directly towards Japan. Significant battles during this campaign included the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the capture of islands such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa, which were pivotal in achieving air superiority and preparing for a potential invasion of Japan's mainland.
The island-hopping approach involved attacking island after island, seizing those capable of holding airfields to further push Japan out of the region. For islands that were heavily defended and not of strategic importance, they were often bypassed or 'leap-frogged' to save American lives and resources. This strategic containment led to the isolation of Japanese forces on bypassed islands, effectively rendering them powerless. The Pacific campaign saw some of the most brutal combat of WWII, characterized by the fierce determination and resistance of the Japanese forces against advancing American troops.