Today in World War II history

[Baz]

The Battle of Okinawa, code named Operation Iceberg was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only 340 mi (550 km) away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland (coded Operation Downfall). Four divisions of the U.S. 10th Army (the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th) and two Marine Divisions (the 1st and 6th) fought on the island. Their invasion was supported by naval, amphibious, and tactical air forces.

The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, and tetsu no ame ("rain of steel") or ("violent wind of steel") in Japanese. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of kamikaze attacks from the Japanese defenders, and to the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Based on Okinawan government sources, mainland Japan lost 77,166 soldiers, who were either killed or committed suicide, and the Allies suffered 14,009 deaths (with an estimated total of more than 65,000 casualties of all kinds). Simultaneously, 42,000–150,000 local civilians were killed or committed suicide, a significant proportion of the local population. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki together with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria caused Japan to surrender less than two months after the end of the fighting on Okinawa.

The battleship USS Idaho shells Okinawa on April 1, 1945

[Jolly Amaranto]

My family lived there in the late 1950s where I attended 1st and 2nd grade on Kadena Air Force Base. That was 13 years after the battle and we still found plenty of evidence of it. We kids were constantly drilled on how to identify unexploded ordinance, avoid it and report it.

[Baz]

Corsairs over Okinawa June 10, 1945

[Baz]

U.S. Marines fire a 105mm Howitzer in Naha during the World War II Battle of Okinawa....

[dan88911]

Hey if you have an opportunity visit the National WWll museum in New Orleans. Spend the entire day.
GOD Bless America.
And everyone that fought in that war.

[jyl]

My late father in law was a sailor at Okinawa and other Pacific battles.. His ship was attacked, kamikazes crashing into ships and ocean all around them, ships burning and sinking, men burning and drowning. He didn't brag about it, didn't tell you what he'd seen, didn't wear T-shirts about it, didn't expect thanks or recognition. There was an old B&W photo of him in his uniform on the mantel and that was it.

[rattlsnak]

The greatest generation that ever lived...

[sc_rufctr]

The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945)

[sc_rufctr]

[gulf908]

Thanks Baz,

Its too easy to forget the sacrifices that generation made for the baby boomers.
Sadly too many of them have gone now but the photographs will remain forever.
The nearest Australia came to invasion was the bombing of Darwin and the mini subs in Sydney harbour.

Cheers,
Dennis