they understood after the battle of saipan that they could not win the war. there is a new government at the war -- at that point, and the government decides to wait until one more major victory for better surrender terms from the united states. they never get a better victory from that point on. in february 1945, the former prime minister writes a memo to emperor hero veto -- hirohito in which he says that he regrets to inform you that defeat is inevitable. he goes on to say that we have to be careful there will be a communist revolution accompanying defeat inside japan. increasingly, in the spring of 1945, the japanese are knowledge in their defeat. -- our acknowledging their defeat -- are acknowledging their defeat. why did they just surrender and stop the bloodshed why didn't -- why didn't they just surrender and stop the bloodshed? what were the terms that the united states was demanding? what kind of surrender terms were the united states demanding? this takes plate -- this takes place at the meeting in casablanca, a famous meeting between roosevelt, ch

. >> our target area was on the west side of the island of saipan and leveled it. >> after the landingthe alabama turned to the task of defeating the japanese counter stroke. japanese chief of staff eastwarded the mobile fleet nine air r carriers, five battle ships and 14 cruisers to repel the invasion. in the skies over the islands, some one,000 american aps japanese planes engaged in the greatest dog fight ever. ♪ >> i did the job of a gun raid chief. i pulled the trigger as my shipmate put the ammunition many. did you hit anything? i sure hope we did. you never knew who hit what. all we wanted was to see the airplane splash. >> it's one of the great victories of world war ii. >> didn't work out too well for the japanese. when the day was over, the jab knees naval air force didn't exist any longer. >> roosevelt's decision to keep baseball going benefitted more than those working for victory on the home front. >> the war broadcast on the radio were so important to the men and women overseas, it gave them hope and humanity. >> it was very important to have that feeling that something g