Battle Of Okinawa Essay Importance

Battle of Okinawa the bloodiest and the largest amphibious invasion of the Pacific campaign also known as the “Operation Iceberg “and the last major campaign of the Pacific war. There were more troops put ashore, more bombs dropped, more supplies transported, more ships were used, more naval guns fired against shore targets than any other campaign in the Pacific. After the battle was over there were more people died during the Battle of Okinawa than all those killed during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The American forces involved in the Battle of Okinawa consisted of 182,821 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army under the leadership of Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. The U.S. Tenth Army comprised of XXIV Corps of the United States Army and III Amphibious Corps of the United States Marine Corps. The 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th are the four divisions including the two Marine Divisions the 1st and the 6th fought in the island.

The Japanese forces consisted of 100,000 troops of the Japanese Thirty-second Army under the command of Lieutenant General MitsuruUshijima. The Japanese Thirty-second Army comprised of 24th, and 62nd divisions also with the 44th Independent mixed brigade.

The campaign was planned and executed for over the two-month period in 01 April 1945-22 June 1945.

The battle occurred in the island of Okinawa. Okinawa is the largest of the islands in the Ryukyus. Running generally north to south, it is 60 miles long and 18 miles wide, with an area of 483 square miles. It is entirely fringed with reefs: on the western side the reef lies fairly close to shore and is seldom over a mile wide; on the eastern side, where the coast is more sheltered, the reef extends for some distance off shore, the widest a...

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... casualties in Okinawa were the highest experienced in any campaign against the Japanese forces. The American battle casualties were 49,151 of which were killed or missing and 36,631 wounded. The Army lost 4,693 killed and missing, Marines lost including the Tactical Air Force were 2,938 killed and missing and 13,708 wounded; Navy lost 4,907 killed and missing and 4,824 wounded. Non-battle casualties totaled 26,211 combined of all the American forces. The Japanese forces cost of the battle was even higher; approximately 110,000 Japanese lost their lives depending the island of Okinawa.

The experience that the Japanese learned demonstrates what ingenuity and strong-willed Soldiers can do, even when facing great numbers and simultaneous overwhelming lethality on land, air, and sea. Wits and diligence can endure against even the most extreme technological superiority.