By 30 April the Japanese had lost more than 1,100 planes to Allied naval forces alone. NPR. These were the first and third largest loss of life on damaged or sunken American aircraft carriers during World War II. The New York Herald Tribune, European Edition, June 22, 1945. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/world/asia/battle-okinawa.html. Half a million Allied personnel would partake in the epic battle for Okinawa. Only by a steady stream of replacements was General Buckner, who was killed in action only last Sunday, able to keep his divisions at fighting strength, so grim was the casualty toll in frontal assaults on successive ridges above Shuri. 28 days 66 days 82 days What aspect of the towns on Okinawa made them difficult for American forces to attack? While US intelligence estimated there were 89 planes on Formosa, the Japanese actually had about 700, dismantled or well camouflaged and dispersed into scattered villages and towns; the US Fifth Air Force disputed Navy claims of kamikaze coming from Formosa. Intensification and collapse of Japanese resistance, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Okinawa, The Ohio State University - ehistory - Battle for Okinawa, 24 March -30 June 1945, HistoryNet - Battle Of Okinawa: Operation Iceberg. Decisive naval clashes at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, in May and June 1942, turned the tables on Japan. Medal of Honor recipients from Okinawa are: The following table lists the Allied naval vessels that received damage or were sunk in the Battle of Okinawa between 19 March 30 July 1945. In center: (1) Admiral Minoru Ota, (2) Lt. Gen. Mitsuru Ushijima, (3) Lt. Gen. Isamu Cho, (4) Col. Hitoshi Kanayama, (5) Col. Kikuji Hongo, and (6) Col. Hiromichi Yahara, Japanese high school girls wave farewell to a kamikaze pilot departing to Okinawa, A US military diagram of typical Japanese hill defensive tunnels and installations, A Japanese Type89 150mm gun hidden inside a cave defensive system. GUAM, June 21 Organized Japanese resistance on Okinawa was officially declared ended last night when Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Pacific Fleet Commander, announced that the battle of Okinawa has been won. Elements of the 6th Marine Division had reached Ara Cape, southernmost tip of Okinawa, and only two small enemy groups remained to be annihilated. During the period 26 March to 30 April, 20 American ships were sunk and 157 damaged by enemy action. They suffered over 1,500 battle casualties in the process while killing or capturing about 4,500 Japanese. The. Of those sunk, the majority were relatively smaller ships; these included destroyers of around 300450 feet. On 19 June, Brigadier General Claudius Miller Easley, the commander of the 96th Infantry Division, was killed by Japanese machine-gun fire, also while checking on the progress of his troops at the front. Now we fired indiscriminately. On March 26 a preliminary landing was made on the Kerama Islands, about 15 miles (24 km) to the west, where some 350 small boats had been assembled for suicide attacks on the landing force. Suribachi took place on February 23, This is an order from your army commander. Because the next major event following the Battle of Okinawa was the total surrender of Japan, the effect of this battle is more difficult to consider. Japan didnt give in immediately, so Truman ordered the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9. [11]:1058, The next American objective was Kakazu Ridge (261532N 1274413E / 26.259N 127.737E / 26.259; 127.737), two hills with a connecting saddle that formed part of Shuri's outer defenses. The numbers correspond to recorded deaths during the Battle of Okinawa from the time of the American landings in the Kerama Islands on 26 March 1945 to the signing of the Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945, in addition to all Okinawan casualties in the Pacific War in the 15 years from the Manchurian Incident, along with those who died in Okinawa from war-related events in the year before the battle and the year after the surrender. Roy Appleman, The War in the Pacific, Okinawa: The Last Battle (Washington, DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History . Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers joined the bombardment, which was followed by 650 Navy and Marine planes attacking the Japanese positions with napalm, rockets, bombs, and machine guns. One source estimated that total Japanese sorties during the entire Okinawa campaign exceeded 3,700, with a large percentage being kamikaze attacks, and that the attackers damaged slightly more than 200 Allied vessels, with 4,900 naval officers and seamen killed and roughly 4,824 wounded or missing. The Tenth Army was unique in that it had its own Tactical Air Force (joint Army-Marine command) and was supported by combined naval and amphibious forces. W hen the World War II battle over the Japanese island of Okinawa officially ended 70 years ago today, on June 22, 1945, it had secured its place as the . On 1 April 1945, U.S . The Japanese had used kamikaze tactics since the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but for the first time they became a major part of the defense. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. The Japanese response to the beach landings was deceptively muted, and by April 4, U.S. Army troops and Marines had cut the island in two. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Americans always had great compassion, especially for children. On Easter morning April 1, 1945, elements of the US Tenth Army including the 7th, 27th, and 96th Infantry Divisions of the Army and 1st and 6th Marine Divisions land on the southwest coast of Okinawa. The Ten-Go force was spotted by submarines shortly after it left the Japanese home waters and was intercepted by US carrier aircraft. Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Avengers, Seafires and Fireflies on HMSImplacable warm up their engines before taking off. Casualties were enormous on both sides by the time the Americans took Shuri Castle in late May. The official surrender ceremony was held on 7 September, near the Kadena Airfield. [11]:196207, At the end of April, after Army forces had pushed through the Machinato defensive line,[32] the 1st Marine Division relieved the 27th Infantry Division and the 77th Infantry Division relieved the 96th. [16]:679[11]:745 In light of the weak opposition, General Buckner decided to proceed immediately with Phase II of his plan, the seizure of northern Okinawa. Periodic heavy air attacks continued through April. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. "Soviets declare war on Japan; invade Manchuria". [42], The most famous American casualty was Lieutenant General Buckner, whose decision to attack the Japanese defenses head-on, although extremely costly in American lives, was ultimately successful. Elements of the 10th Army drove cautiously to the north and had pacified the entire northern two-thirds of the island by April 22. [11]:1418 However, this was not the end of ground combat in northern Okinawa. By the night of 8 April, American troops had cleared these and several other strongly fortified positions. This includes stories of rape after trading sexual favors or even marrying Americans,[75] such as the alleged incident in the village of Katsuyama, where civilians said they had formed a vigilante group to ambush and kill three black American soldiers who they claimed would frequently rape the local girls there. This move sparked widespread protests among Okinawans. [99], Significant US forces remain garrisoned on Okinawa as the United States Forces Japan, which the Japanese government sees as an important guarantee of regional stability,[100] and Kadena remains the largest US air base in Asia. From 1945 until 1972, the US government administered Okinawa, 20 years beyond the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II, using the islands as a staging area for the Vietnam War. Air attack kamikaze hit conning tower base, Air attack, splashed kamikaze's bomb struck, Air attack, kamikaze strike at Kimmu Wan, hull damage. The Americans knew securing Okinawas airbases was critical to launching a successful Japanese invasion. History Individuals Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda in 1944 while in Lubang Island, Philippines before becoming a Japanese holdout. [18][19] The Kerama Islands surrounding Okinawa were preemptively captured on 26 March by the 77th Infantry Division. [20][21] The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of Japanese kamikaze attacks and the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Pacific War began with the rapid advance of Japanese forces in East Asia and across the Pacific. June 25, 2018 Background: For the first six months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the situation looked very grim for the United States in the Pacific. The ordinances mobilized the students as volunteer soldiers for form's sake; in reality, the military authorities ordered schools to force almost all students to "volunteer" as soldiers; sometimes they counterfeited the necessary documents. 90% of the buildings on the island were destroyed, along with countless historical documents, artifacts, and cultural treasures, and the tropical landscape was turned into "a vast field of mud, lead, decay and maggots". On April 10th, its attention was shifted to airfields in northern Formosa. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [80] The ministry's Textbook Authorization Council allowed the publishers to reinstate the reference that civilians "were forced into mass suicides by the Japanese military", on condition it is placed in sufficient context. Every one knew that Okinawa would be bitterly defended. The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. In addition, at least 100,000 civilians were either killed in combat or were ordered to commit suicide by the Japanese military. Troops lived on a field sodden by rain, part garbage dump and part graveyard. by Eric Hammel 6/12/2006. 28 62 91 "Press rewind: Trump, Tokyo and a welcome back to the 1980s", "Okinawa marks 68th anniversary of bloody WWII battle", "In Okinawa, Talk of Break From Japan Turns Serious", History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 19441945, "The Amphibians Came to Conquer: The Story of Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner", "Japan's Battle of Okinawa, AprilJune 1945", "footage from the National Archives.By Sgt. The 96th Division suffered the heaviest loss, but all others the 77th, 27th and 1st and 6th Marines also suffered severe attrition. Operation Ten-Go (Ten-g sakusen) was the attempted attack by a strike force of 10 Japanese surface vessels, led by Yamato and commanded by Admiral Seiichi It. The effort led the 32nd Army's staff to conclude that the Americans were vulnerable to night infiltration tactics but that their superior firepower made any offensive Japanese troop concentrations extremely dangerous, and they reverted to their defensive strategy. [38] 234,183 names were inscribed by the time of unveiling, and new names are added as necessary. This total includes conscripted Okinawan civilians. Because Japan surrendered when it did, the anticipated series of battles and the invasion of the Japanese homeland never occurred, and all military strategies on both sides which presupposed this apparently-inevitable next development were immediately rendered moot. Early claims of Japanese aircraft losses put the total at 7,800,[11]:474 however later examination of Japanese records revealed that Japanese aircraft losses at Okinawa were far below often-repeated US estimates for the campaign. [11]:283302, Buckner launched another American attack on 11 May. This time, Ushijima attempted to make amphibious assaults on the coasts behind American lines. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It was a brutal battle for both sides. The 6th Marine Division headed up the Ishikawa Isthmus and by 7 April had sealed off the Motobu Peninsula. The invasion was supported by a fleet consisting of 18 battleships, 27 cruisers, 177 destroyers/destroyer escorts, 39 aircraft carriers (11 fleet carriers, 6 light carriers and 22 escort carriers) and various support and troop transport ships. [11]:46871 Colonel Yahara had asked Ushijima for permission to commit suicide, but the general refused his request, saying: "If you die there will be no one left who knows the truth about the battle of Okinawa. Defeated but not beaten, the Japanese retreated to the southern coast of Okinawa where they made their last stand. Over the final days of March, American underwater demolition teams and minesweepers cleared obstacles from the landing beaches. To defend the escarpment, Japanese troops hunkered down in a network of caves and dugouts. It was the culmination of World War II's long, bloody, island-by-island struggle across the Pacific. This view is explained by Victor Davis Hanson in his book Ripples of Battle: because the Japanese on Okinawa were so fierce in their defense (even when cut off and without supplies), and because casualties were so appalling, many American strategists looked for an alternative means to subdue mainland Japan, other than a direct invasion. [43], Aircraft losses over the three-month period were 768 US planes, including those bombing the Kyushu airfields launching kamikazes. Subsidiary landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. [11]:265, On 4 May, the 32nd Army launched another counter-offensive. Land-based Shin'y-class suicide motorboats were also used in the Japanese suicide attacks, although Ushijima had disbanded the majority of the suicide boat battalions before the battle because of expected low effectiveness against a superior enemy. The capture of these two key positions exposed the Japanese around Shuri on both sides. Dubbed the Typhoon of Steel for its ferocity, the battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific War, claiming the lives of more than 12,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese, including the commanding generals on both sides. Japanese losses were even greaterabout 110,000 Japanese soldiers lost their lives. [86] In March 2013, Japanese textbook publisher Shimizu Shoin was permitted by MEXT to publish the statements that "Orders from Japanese soldiers led to Okinawans committing group suicide" and "The [Japanese] army caused many tragedies in Okinawa, killing local civilians and forcing them to commit mass suicide."[87]. [33][34] The castle, however, was outside the 1st Marine Division's assigned zone, and only frantic efforts by the commander and staff of the 77th Infantry Division prevented an American airstrike and artillery bombardment which would have resulted in many friendly fire casualties. The Japanese lost 16 combat vessels, including the super battleship Yamato. The Japanese military also confiscated food from the Okinawans and executed those who hid it, leading to mass starvation, and forced civilians out of their shelters. The table lists a total of 147 damaged ships, five of which were damaged by enemy suicide boats and another five by mines. The Americans suffered some 48,000 casualties, not including some 33,000 non-battle casualties (psychiatric, injuries, illnesses), of whom over 12,000 were killed or missing. The need for major repairs mounted and personnel fatigue became a problem. Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions fought for "Sugar Loaf Hill" (261319N 1274146E / 26.222N 127.696E / 26.222; 127.696). Recounting moments of key battles in the Pacific through the use of photographs and interviews. In the north, Colonel Takehido Udo was in command. [14] The number of conventional and kamikaze aircraft actually lost or expended by the 3rd, 5th, and 10th Air Fleets, combined with about 500 lost or expended by the Imperial Army at Okinawa, was roughly 1,430. Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. Ryky Shimp, one of the two major Okinawan newspapers, wrote in 2007: "There are many Okinawans who have testified that the Japanese Army directed them to commit suicide. The ship was bombarded and sank along with most of its crew. 1 and about 5mi (8km) northwest of Shuri, from what came to be known as Cactus Ridge. (US torpedo bombers were instructed to aim for only one side to prevent effective counter flooding by the battleship's crew, and to aim for the bow or the stern where armor was believed to be the thinnest.) His heroic story was brought to life on the big screen in 2016 in the film Hacksaw RidgeDoss won a Medal of Honor for his bravery. The land battle took place over about 81 days beginning on 1 April 1945. [83] He was sued by revisionists, including a wartime commander during the battle, who disputed this and wanted to stop publication of the booklet. They destroyed 70,000 US gallons (260,000L) of fuel and nine planes before being killed by the defenders, who lost two men. [11]:3912 On 29 May the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5 Marines) occupied high ground 700 yards (640m) east of Shuri Castle and reported that the castle appeared undefended. On Okinawa, the Imperial Japanese Army mobilized 1,780 schoolboys aged 1417 years into front line service as an Iron and Blood Imperial Corps (Japanese: , romanized:Tekketsu Kinntai), while female Himeyuri students were organized into a nursing unit. It was a terrible thing not to distinguish between the enemy and women and children. The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of World War II, and one of the bloodiest. . 21 Jun 2018. The Japanese had hoped that Yamato might finish off the Allied fleet after it had been weakened by the wave of kamikazes, but, with no air cover, the largest battleship ever constructed was easy prey for Mitschers carrier-based planes. [66] Thousands of civilians, having been induced by Japanese propaganda to believe that American soldiers were barbarians who committed horrible atrocities, killed their families and themselves to avoid capture at the hands of the Americans. [23]:40 At the start of the Battle of Okinawa, the US Tenth Army had 182,821 personnel under its command. All Rights Reserved. [22] This mobilization was conducted by an ordinance of the Ministry of the Army, not by law. [11]:31159, By the end of May, monsoon rains which had turned contested hills and roads into a morass exacerbated both the tactical and medical situations. The 2nd Marine Division conducted a demonstration off the Minatoga beaches on the southeastern coast to deceive the Japanese about American intentions and delay movement of reserves from there. It also resulted in the largest casualties with over 100,000 Japanese casualties and 50,000 casualties for the Allies. The United States created the Tenth Army, a cross-branch force consisting of the U.S. Army 7th, 27th, 77th and 96th Infantry Divisions with the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Marine Divisions, to fight on the island. Meanwhile, the 77th Infantry Division assaulted Ie Shima, a small island off the western end of the peninsula, on 16 April. According to the account of the battle presented in Marine Corps Gazette: More mental health issues arose from the Battle of Okinawa than any other battle in the Pacific during World War II. As of 2022, the monument lists 241,686 names, including 149,611 Okinawans, 77,485 Imperial Japanese soldiers, 14,010 Americans,[12] and smaller numbers of people from South Korea (382), the United Kingdom (82), North Korea (82) and Taiwan (34).[12]. The air and sea attacks that preceded the invasion had begun as early as October 1944, and Allied air operations carried out in March 1945 by carrier Task Force 58 under Rear Adm. Marc Mitscher destroyed hundreds of Japanese planes. Finally, Japan had had enough. Bear the temporary shame but endure it. At a court hearing, e testified "Mass suicides were forced on Okinawa islanders under Japan's hierarchical social structure that ran through the state of Japan, the Japanese armed forces and local garrisons. The American advance was inexorable but resulted in a high number of casualties on both sides. Hacksaw Ridge as the name implies was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting during the Battle of Okinawa 74 years ago. Air attack, 1st kamikaze Frances hit topside, Air attack, kamikaze hit portside of wheelhouse. Rising 476ft (145m) above the Yonabaru coastal plain, this feature was the eastern anchor of the main Japanese defenses and was defended by about 1,000 Japanese. There was heavy fighting before the area was declared secured on 21 April and became another airbase for operations against Japan. Japanese air opposition had been relatively light during the first few days after the landings. The ruthless atrocities by the Japanese throughout the war had already brought on an altered behavior (deemed so by traditional standards) by many Americans resulting in the desecration of Japanese remains, but the Japanese tactic of using the Okinawan people as human shields brought about a new aspect of terror and torment to the psychological capacity of the Americans.[13]. A few small cargo ships were also sunk, several containing munitions which caught fire. [82], The Nobel Prize-winning author Kenzabur e wrote a booklet that states that the mass suicide order was given by the military during the battle. [11]:5060, On 31 March, Marines of the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion landed without opposition on Keise Shima, four islets just 8mi (13km) west of the Okinawan capital of Naha. Local residents have long protested against the size and presence of the base.[101][102]. Buckner was replaced by Major General Roy Geiger. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were planning to use Kadena Air Base on the large island of Okinawa as a base for Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands, 340mi (550km) away. Okinawa Prefecture's estimate is over 100,000 losses.[63]. Six days later on 13 April, the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Marine Regiment, reached Hedo Point at the northernmost tip of the island. On April 1, 1945Easter Sundaythe Navy's Fifth Fleet and more than 180,000 U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops descended on the Pacific island of Okinawa for a final push towards Japan. Yet the battle had only begun, for it was realized that "these were merely outposts," guarding the Shuri Line. In addition, there were 9,000 IJN troops supported by 1,100 militia, with approximately 4,000 holed up at the underground headquarters on the hillside overlooking the Okinawa Naval Base in the Oroku Peninsula, east of the airfield. The day after Buckner was killed, Brigadier General Easley was killed by Japanese machine-gun fire. By Lily Rothman. The battle lasted. Torrential rains made the hills and roads watery graveyards of unburied bodies. Groups Second Lieutenant Sakae ba, a Japanese holdout, photo from 1937. [89] In 2011, one official of the prefectural government told David Hearst of The Guardian: You have the Battle of Britain, in which your airmen protected the British people. The troops quickly secured both Kadena and Yontan airfields. There was a hypnotic fascination to the sight so alien to our Western philosophy. Meanwhile, many parties continue to debate the broader question of "why Japan surrendered", attributing the surrender to a number of possible reasons including: the atomic bombings,[91][92][93] the Soviet invasion of Manchuria,[94][95] and Japan's depleted resources. After a largely unopposed initial advance, US forces soon encountered a network of Japanese inland defenses. 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