2. Typhoon of Steel
Codename: Operation Iceberg
Allies fought against Japan
Allies consist of USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Fought on Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa, Japan
Largest amphibious assault during Pacific War
82-day long battle (April 1, 1945 - June 22)
Overwhelming use of Kamikaze Warfare
Resulted with one of the biggest casualties during WWII
Around 150,000 casualties from both troops
Estimated 100,000 civilian casualties
3. Bloodiest Battle of Pacific War
American Loses
34 Allied Ships and Craft sunk
368 Allie Ships and Craft damaged
Fleet lost 763 Aircraft
5,000 Navy dead, 8,000 Marine/Army dead
36,000 wounded
Japanese Loses
Over 100,000 Soldiers killed
Over 23,000 soldiers sealed in caves or buried by
Japanese
Lost over 7,800 Aircraft and 16 Combat Ships
6. Allied Tactics
Land Tactics
The U.S. land forces involved included the Tenth Army, commanded by Lieutenant
General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.
Contributing land leaders include: Major General Roy Geiger, Major General John R.
Hodge
Tenth Army contained 102,000 Army and 81,000 Marine Corps
Allied land forces were entirely composed of U.S. units
Sea Tactics
Chester W. Nimitz Raymond A. Spruance british--Bruce Fraser
Most of the strike aircraft were U.S. Navy carrier-based airplanes
From April 1 and May 25, multiple Kamikaze attacks took place, involving more than 1,500
planes
The U.S. Navy took larger casualties in this operation than any other battle of the war.
British Pacific Fleet provided about a quarter of Allied naval air power (450 planes)
Compromised of 50 warships (17 aircraft carriers)
all the aircraft carriers were provided by the UK
The carrier group was a combined British Commonwealth fleet with UK, Canadian, New
Zealand and Australian ships and personnel.
7. Japanese Tactics
Led by Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, Lieutenant General Isamu Chō and Colonel Hiromichi
Yahara.
Mainly defensive Japanese land campaign consisted of 67,000 strong Army personel
9,000 Imperial Japanese Navy troops at Oroku naval base (only a few hundred of whom had been trained
and equipped for ground combat)
Large numbers of support was provided by the Townsfolk who lacked battle experience
39,000 drafted local Ryukyuan people
24,000 hastily-conscripted rear militia called Boeitai
15,000 non-uniformed laborers
1,500 middle school senior boys organized into front-line-service called the "Iron and Blood
Volunteer Units"
600 Himeyuri Students were organized into a nursing unit
8. Importance of Battle of Okinawa
Although the allies were winning the majority of the battle the
Japanese reluctance to surrender was clearly evident. The
allies had to beat the Okinawan people and land to a pulp to
get their point across. Even when they were obviously defeated
most of the Japanese leaders stationed here had died or
commited suicide. Colonel Yahara had asked Ushijima for
permission to commit suicide, but the general denied, responding
with:"If you die there will be no one left who knows the truth about
the battle of Okinawa. Bear the temporary shame but endure it. This is
an order from your army Commander." The Japanese reluctance to
surrender ultimately lead to the use of atomic bombing. The mass
number of deaths was completely unnecessary and evitable.
