| 1 April 1945 U.S. Forces Land on Okinawa |
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| With the northern Philippines safely in Allied hands,
and Iwo Jima available as a base for fighter escorts for bombing raids, Okinawa remained as the
last stepping-stone for the anticipated invasion of the Japanese home islands. However, here again
the Japanese had anticipated that Okinawa would be a target, and installed a garrison of 80,000
men for the island’s defense.
Landings began on April 1, but since the Japanese commander decided not to fight on the beaches, 50,000 U.S. soldiers were on shore by the end of the day. The real problems began a few days later, when the invasion fleet was subjected to withering Kamikaze attacks that damaged twenty-five ships and sank three others. Meanwhile a powerful series of fortifications, bad weather, and dogged resistance on the part of the Japanese, slowed the land offensive to a crawl. It took more than two and a half months to pacify the island, but in mid-May some of the defenders began surrendering voluntarily. Unlike previous instances, they were not fighting to the last man—a sure sign that Japanese morale was fading. Nevertheless, for the United States it was the costliest operation of the war, with American forces suffering nearly 50,000 casualties. Japanese losses, both civilian and military, were more than twice that figure. History: Campaign Maps: Personal Accounts: Photographs: |
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