The battle of okinawa offers a stunning account of the last major campaign of world war ii and the largest landseaair engagement in history. Battle of okinawa facts for kids kiddle encyclopedia. The last battle of world war ii written by robert leckie who was a veteran of guadalcanal and peleliu details with great clarity the struggle to take the last hostile japanese held island in wwii. Marine corps troops invaded the island on easter sunday, april 1, 1945, as a last strategic move towards japan. Okinawa was the scene of a fierce ground battle at the end of world war ii.
The initial invasion of okinawa on april 1, 1945, was the largest amphibious assault in the pacific. Entries are listed below by dateofoccurrence ascending firsttolast. It took place on okinawa island in the ryukyu islands south of the four big islands of japan. In the deep blue waters around the island were more than 1,457 ships and landing craft, crammed with more than half a million men, and including a joint us army and marine corps landing force of around 182,000 troops. A novel about the navajo marines of world war two by joseph bruchac. The battle of okinawa was the last of world war ii. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. What needed to be done was build staging bases and create a military construction force to do build them to take the war to the. In the midst of feverish preparations on the island in august 1945, with the day for the assault on kyushu drawing near, there came the almost unbelievable and joyous news that the war was over. See more ideas about okinawa, battle and world war two. The ultimate battle is the full story of the last great clash of world war ii as it has never before been told.
Okinawa was the last island captured by americans before moving on to the north and invading japan. The japanese losses in the battle of midway included 4 aircraft carriers, 1 heavy cruiser and 248 aircraft. George feifer is the author of many successful books, including the battle of okinawa, originally published as tennozan. The initial invasion of okinawa on april 1, 1945, was the largest amphibious. The battle of okinawa is a stunning account of the last major campaign of world war ii and the largest landseaair engagement in history. Christopher dong is a freelancewriter based in okinawa. As a consequence, over 240,000 people, military and civilian alike, died in the battle, and more than the half of these victims were okinawan civilians. The battle of okinawa was one of the largest and costliest military actions during world war ii 19391945 and lasted between april 1 and june 22, 1945. Battle of okinawa world war ii the battle of okinawa was the deadliest campaign of the pacific during. The battle of okinawa was a great battle of world war ii. The americans knew securing okinawas airbases was critical to launching a successful japanese invasion. Battle of okinawa world war ii the battle of okinawa was the deadliest campaign of the pacific during world war ii. To be able to invade japan, the americans had to take okinawa.
Superbly researched and extraordinarily detailed, this masterpiece of military history is told at the level of the participants themselves, soldiers and civilians alike. It started in april 1945 and ended on june 21, 1945. Leckie is a skilled military historian, mixing battle strategy and analysis with portraits of the men who fought on both sides to give the reader a complete account of the invasion. Landing day for okinawa, the final land battle of the pacific war, was easter sunday, 1 april 1945. World war ii history books about the battle of okinawa. Lasting 83 days and surpassing dday in both troops and material used, the battle of okinawa was a decisive victory for the allies, and a huge blow to japan. As part of operation iceberg, the navys fifth fleet and more than 180,000 u. The battle on the island of okinawa commenced just a few weeks before germanys surrender.
Other leading and trailing events may also be included for perspective. Miracle on hacksaw ridge the desmond doss story it. On april 1, 1945, more than 60,000 soldiers and us marines of the us tenth army stormed ashore at okinawa, in the final island battle before an anticipated invasion of mainland japan. They lost 1 aircraft carrier, 1 destroyer and around 150 aircraft. The americans were planning operation downfall, the invasion of the four great islands of japan. In fact, for many years, i only knew that okinawa was a place because of mr. Tinian and okinawa, b29s and the war against japan. The battle of okinawa was fought between the united states, britain, their allies and the japanese. The battle started on april 1, 1945 and was important for the u. On this 50th anniversary of the battle of okinawa april to june 1945, we can expect an avalanche of titles about this last major battle of world war ii. It was the second biggest amphibious battle from sea to land of world war ii, after the battle of normandy.
There are a total of 27 battle of okinawa ww2 timeline april 1st june 22nd, 1945 events in the second world war timeline database. The battle of okinawa and the atomic bomb houghton. At the old battle sites in okinawa, various memorial monuments and museums were built to pray for world peace. World war ii history books about the battle of okinawa hachette. Im looking forward to reading your book, a seabees story. The 7th spearheaded the invasion of leyte in october of 1944, and fighting for the island lasted until early february of 1945, leaving the 7th little time to train for the invasion of okinawa. Okinawa was the site of the last battle of wwii, with a casualty rate in the tens of thousands. The battle of okinawa april 1, 1945june 22, 1945 was the last major battle of world war ii, and one of the bloodiest. The practice of dispatching trained historians to accompany troops into combat grew out of earlier experience, both in world war i and in the early part of world war ii, which demonstrated that the paper records produced by units. This group was formed in hawaii as a section of the 1st information and historical. This never happened, because the japanese surrendered after. The aim of the battle was to capture a large island close to japan. Media in category maps of the battle of okinawa the following 44 files are in this category, out of 44 total. This event, on april 1st, 1945, would set the stage for the pacific theaters largest amphibious battle.
The book is written with the styling of a sports reporter which makes for a quick read. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover. One of the more important battles between japan and the u. Dubbed the typhoon of steel for its ferocity, the battle was one of the. With the same gruntseyeview narrative style that distinguished his brotherhood of heroes on the battle of peleliu, bill sloan presents a gripping and uniquely personal saga of heroism and sacrifice in which at least 115,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both sides were. During world war ii there were two main battlefields, the first was of course in europe against italy, nazi germany and its allies and the other was mainly between the u. The battle of okinawa was the deadliest campaign of the pacific during world war ii. This was the last major battle of world war ii on the pacific front. Uchinaa ikusa, codenamed operation iceberg, was a major battle of the pacific war fought on the island of okinawa by united states marine and army forces against the imperial japanese army. The landing force was the new tenth army under army lt. Moscow farewell, a book of the month club main selection. The battle for okinawa was one of the most desperate of the war on 1 april 1945, 50,000 american troops landed on the island of okinawa, less than a thousand miles south west of tokyo. He commanded two corps, xxiv corps, with five army divisions, and iii amphibious corps, with three marine divisions, all told some 182,000 troops. Your book will give us more information on his service.
Battle of okinawa ww2 timeline april 1st june 22nd, 1945. Battle of okinawa, april 1june 21, 1945, world war ii battle fought between u. The battle was between the military forces of the empire of japan and the allies. S and the enemy on both sides made the logistics of war a major concern.
But thanks to the magic of reading, and a surprising. The battle of okinawa the typhoon of steel and bombs masahide ota. The americans had come back from the demoralizing defeat at pearl harbor to mount a ferocious attack against the japanese. Marines in the victory on okinawa marines in world war ii commemorative series, marine corps historical centre, washington dc, 1996. After a largely unopposed initial advance, us forces soon encountered a.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Army historians who participated in the ryukyus campaign as members of a group organized to accompany the american forces to the ryukyus and secure at first hand the materials for a history of their operations. Leckie, a prolific author of popular military books, writes stirring prose. The author presents more fact and first person accounts from all sides to allow.
The okinawa battle is considered the last great battle of world war ii, and some say also the bloodiest. The battle was part of the threepointplan americans had for winning the war in the far east. April 1, 1945 april fools day, easter sunday, and lday for the invasion of okinawa, japan. On the morning of april 1st, us navy ships rained a prelanding bombardment of 44,825 shells, 33,000 rockets and 22,500 mortar shells plus napalm attacks by carrier planes on the invasion beaches tsukiyama 1999. The last battle of world war ii by robert leckie, with the old breed. The 7th division, as part of the joint army and us marine us 10th army, took part in the invasion of okinawa. The battle of okinawa and the atomic bomb, and a new york times notable book.
Okinawa 1945the last epic struggle of world war ii. The battle of okinawa, codenamed operation iceberg, was fought on the ryukyu islands of okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in. Picture and map gallery for the battle of okinawa, the last major american battle of the second world war. When world war ii broke out the united states naval construction battalions seabees did not exist. The last battle is the work of combat historians of the 1st information and historical service, tenth army. Okinawa is located just 350 miles 563 km south of kyushu, and its capture was regarded as a vital precursor to a ground invasion of the japanese home islands. Through it all, military cameramen risked their lives to film the conflict, from brutal land combat to fierce kamikaze attacks. This was to be the biggest of the american assaults on japanese held island fortresses.
Rear admiral moreell completely understood the issues at hand. Us marine versus japanese infantryman guadalcanal 194243. See the footage they captured and experience this battle the way the soldiers saw it in color. The escarpment, nicknamed hacksaw ridge for the treacherously steep cliff, was key to winning the battle of okinawa. The losses might have been greater except for the fact that the japanese had. Okinawa was to be the last stop of the allied forces before the attack on japan. Ive wanted to know where my father was during the war and what he did. Unless we know of okinawa and its beleaguered people, we know precious little of world war ii.
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