Casualties during the battle of okinawa books

The campaign lasted for 83 bloodsoaked days, as the fighting plumbed depths of savagery. Called okinawa shima, the island was strategic to the u. By the time the final battle ended 82 days later, 14,000 americans would be dead along with 73,000 japanese soldiers and 147,000 okinawans a third of the population. Battle of okinawa april 1june 21, 1945, world war ii battle fought between u. The battle of okinawa offers a stunning account of the last major campaign of world war ii and the largest landseaair engagement in history. The ultimate battle tells the full story of the battle of okinawa as it has never been told before, using the same upclose narrative style and gruntseye view. The battle was one of the bloodiest in the pacific, with approximately 160,000 casualties on both sides. In size, scope and ferocity, it dwarfed the battle of britain. Saul david describes a battle so terrible that it persuaded president truman to reject an invasion of japan and turn instead to the atomic bomb. According to us army records during the planning phase of the operation, the assumption was that okinawa was home to about 300,000 civilians. The battle of peleliu was fought september 15 to november 27, 1944, during world war ii 19391945. Some battles, such as the battle of iwo jima, had no civilians present, but okinawa had a large civilian population.

Many of these figures are estimates, and, where possible, a range of estimates is presented. Yontan airfield was nonoperational until 0800 of 25 may because of the debris on the runway. More than 12,000 americans were killed or missing in action the highest. The battle of okinawa, which began 75 years ago, was the last major battle of world war ii and the bloodiest of the pacific campaign. Okinawa, the last major battle of world war ii, began on april 1, 1945 and. The battle of okinawa, also known as operation iceberg, took place in apriljune 1945. Under the cover of a naval bombardment of more than 100,000 shells, the american military began landing on okinawa at 8. Military planners considered the capture of okinawa and its airfields to be a crucial and necessary precondition for the. In bloody okinawa joseph wheelan presents us with a rich narrative tapestry of the final great battle of world war ii. Mar 06, 2020 kamikazes at the battle of okinawa books. It was the largest amphibious landing in the pacific theater of world war ii. Hollywood as in everything exaggerates things to the extreme. The battle of okinawa took place from april to june 1945 between the united states and japan.

Though it resulted in an allied victory, kamikaze fighters, rainy weather and fierce fighting on land, sea and air led to a large death toll on both. More than 12,000 americans were killed or missing in action the highest number lost in a single battle in the pacific war. Sources of information on us navy casualties in world war ii. 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. It is difficult to ascertain an accurate number of deaths at the battle of okinawa. To cite wheelan himself, his books scenes of nearly indescribable carnage mixed with his insightful knowledge of military history are as breathtaking as they are unforgettable. Three months of desperate combat leave okinawa a vast field of mud, lead, decay, and maggots. Okinawasen, codenamed operation iceberg, 1 was a series of battles fought in the ryukyu islands, centered on the island of okinawa, and included the largest amphibious assault in the pacific war during world war ii being the 1 april 1945 invasion of the island of okinawa itself. Battle of okinawa simple english wikipedia, the free. The battle of okinawa, one of the bloodiest of world war ii, started on easter sunday, april 1, 1945. The civilians killed or injured in the battle were at least 150,000.

The battle of okinawa was fought between the united states, britain, their allies and the japanese. Apr 01, 2020 he also appears in several books about the battle, including an extensive firstperson treatment in the book operation iceberg, the official name of the attack. The battle was between the military forces of the empire of japan and the allies. The list includes both sieges not technically battles but usually yielding similar combatrelated deaths and civilian casualties during the battles.

Armor tactics in the battle on okinawa armchair general. The following is a list of the casualties count in battles in world history. Battle of okinawa, april 1june 21, 1945, world war ii battle fought between u. It was the beginning of a merciless battle that was later. The amphibious operation to capture okinawa was the largest of the pacific war and the greatest airlandsea battle in history, mobilizing 183,000 troops from seattle, leyte in the philippines, and ports around the world.

Okinawa, the last major battle of world war ii, began on april 1, 1945 and ended june 21, 1945. Casualties totaled more than 38,000 americans wounded and 12,000 killed or. More people perished during the battle of okinawa than in the ensuing bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki combined. The battle of okinawa was the deadliest campaign of the pacific during world war ii.

Battle of okinawa world war ii audiobook by hourly. By the time american troops landed on okinawa, the war on the european front was nearing its end. During the battle of more than 80 days that lasted until june 22, 1945, japanese and american troops obliterated the island chain in a cacophony of mortar and machinegun fire. Shige nakahodo was a child during the battle of okinawa. The blood and the bomb and millions of other books are. Navy would lose 5,000 men, its heaviest losses of the entire war casualties of young kamikaze pilots on. While it was celebrated in the movie, it isnt at all as depicted in the movie.

The battle for okinawa can be described in the grim superlatives of war. Part of the allies islandhopping strategy, it was believed that peleliu needed to be captured before operations could commence against either the philippines or formosa. The campaign involved all the major services of the armed. Why were casualties so high in the battle of okinawa. World war ii history books about the battle of okinawa. The battle of okinawa and the atomic bomb, and a new york times notable book. It also resulted in the largest casualties with over 100,000 japanese casualties and 50,000 casualties for the allies. Battle of okinawa project gutenberg selfpublishing. More people died during the battle of okinawa than all those killed during the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki.

Civilians would bear the highest death toll of the battle for okinawa, with some. A japanese soldier killed at zampa point the next day was thought to be the last of the airborne raiders. According to leckie, the japanese lost 100,000 of their soldiers to this battle and 10,000 were taken prisoner. Mar 28, 2020 the us 7th infantry division had seen minor action in france at the close of wwi. It was the second biggest amphibious battle from sea to land of world war ii, after the battle of normandy. The americans suffered 14,000 dead and 50,000 wounded in the battle of okinawa, more than in the battle of the bulge in europe, the largest american battle in history.

In july 1945, after the battle of okinawa ended, colonel stevens and sergeant burns were detached from the 1st information and historical service and returned to oahu to write the history of the okinawa operation at fort shafter, where the records of all amy units which had fought on okinawa were subsequently brought together. This book provides an unforgettable picture of men at war and also the. The last great battle of world war ii hardcover march 3, 2020. One of the more important battles between japan and the u. The book then goes to argue about the goodness of using the atom bombs on mainland japan as a way to efectively shorten the war and its casualties on both sides in view of the experience of what was in store based on the battle for okinawa. Okinawa was the last major battle of wwii and one of the bloodiest. When the second world war broke out, the 7th was reactivated in 1940, largely with personnel drafted into the us army in the initial phase of the 1940 peacetime draft. Civilians on the island were caught up in the fury, and over 100,000 of them died some by committing suicide. Dec 17, 2019 of the 70,000 american marines there were 27,909 casualties, with 6,825 killed. More than 100,000 okinawan civilians perish, with over 72,000 american and 100,000 japanese casualties. World war ii casualties naval history and heritage command.

Ww ii us 10th army in the battle of okinawa history book. The tenth army sustained nearly 40,000 combat casualties, including more than 7,000 americans killed. The last battle is the work of combat historians of the 1st in formation. Hurtgen forest battle book, written for the commander, u. George feifer is the author of many successful books, including the battle of okinawa, originally published as tennozan.

The battle of iwo jima 19 february 26 march 1945 was a major battle in which the united states marine corps and navy landed on and eventually captured the island of iwo jima from the imperial japanese army ija during world war ii. The bureau of naval personnels official list of the navys world war ii casualties resulting from enemy action is a 1947 ibm printout arranged chronologically by the campaigns as listed in the secretary of the navys navy and marine corps awards manual. The last battle of world war ii, is an accurate story of how the americans invaded the island of okinawa and fought the japanese in one of the bloodiest battles of all times. Joseph wheelan author see all 4 formats and editions. Okinawa s hacksaw ridge, once the site of bloody battle, now a peaceful place to recall acts of valor the maeda escarpment today, facing what was the japanese position, as seen on april 4, 2019. The division was in california during the pearl harbor. The last battle of world war ii from the worlds largest community of readers. The american forces saw okinawa as a strategic point from where they could launch attacks on japan. I lived a couple of miles from the maeda escarpment hacksaw ridge.

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. Casualties mounted for both sides though the americans maintained the healthier advantage for lack of a better term. The bureau of naval personnels official list of the navys world war ii casualties resulting from enemy action is a 1947 ibm printout arranged chronologically by the campaigns as listed in the secretary of. The battle of okinawa was a great battle of world war ii. Civilian memories of the battle of okinawa, a remarkable new book based on japanese eyewitness testimony from one of the bloodiest land battles of the war. Civilians on okinawa american experience official site. The fighting during the battle of okinawa was savage, much of it handtohand, as the japanese troops knew the loss of okinawa would leave japan itself vulnerable to attack. Large battle casualty counts are almost impossible to calculate precisely. 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.

Find all the books, read about the author, and more. From army green book okinawa the last battle american armor, which played so important a part in the ground action, had suffered heavily. Nov 25, 2018 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. However, the peace monument which stands at the commemorative museum in okinawa lists over 500,000 deaths total. Japan lost as many as 100,000 soldiers, while the allies suffered 65,000 casualties, including 14,000 dead. During this lull, the japanese forces had retreated further while still repelling the american assaults.

By the end of may, not counting marine tank losses, there had been 221 tank casualties in the four army tank battalions and the one armored flame thrower battalion. The battle of okinawa was the largest amphibious operation in the pacific theater, and it would last nearly three months and wind up being the fiercest in the pacific theater during the war, with nearly 60 thousand american casualties and over 100 thousand japanese soldiers killed. What was the casualties for the battle in okinawa answers. By the time the battle of okinawa came to an end on 22 june, american forces had suffered more than 45,000 casualties, including 12,500 killed. There were over 100,000 japanese casualties while the american forces had roughly half the number. At the start of battle of okinawa, tenth army had 182,821 men under its command. Civilians on okinawa american experience official site pbs. After the marines sustained more than 125 casualties in eight hours in the attempt to. An additional 26,000 nonbattle casualties occurred. American deaths were 18,900 killed or missing and 53,000 injured, more than double of the soldiers killed at. More casualties and difficulties occurred then was expected. The following is a list of the casualty count in battles in world history.

Where was the last battle of the pacific war in 1945. At dawn on easter, april 1, 1945, a fleet of 1,300 u. Battle of okinawa it claimed more than 150000 japanese and american casualties. Okinawa, the last major battle of world war ii, began on april 1, 1945.

The battle, which went into the month of june, was one of the most ferocious of the war with american casualties reaching a staggering 49,151, of which 12,520 were killed or missing. Excerpt from joe hagens book memories of world war ii okinawa 22 june 1945 at 09. The battle of okinawa has been called the largest sealandair battle in history. It started in april 1945 and ended on june 21, 1945. The battle of okinawa had 12,5 americans killed in action, 38,916 wounded in action and an estimated 95,000. Okinawas hacksaw ridge, once the site of bloody battle. Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of this battle is that over 100,000 okinawan civilians got caught in the crossfire and became casualties of this terrible battle. Today, april 1, marks the 75th anniversary of the battle of okinawa, empire of japan, which was the last major battle of world war ii. May 06, 2018 during the battle of more than 80 days that lasted until june 22, 1945, japanese and american troops obliterated the island chain in a cacophony of mortar and machinegun fire under unforgiving. About 14,000 japanese soldiers surrendered during the battle for okinawa, but almost all were okinawan or japanese mainland civilians drafted just before the battle.

Timeline of events covering the battle of okinawa in the pacific theater of war during world war ii battle of okinawa ww2 timeline april 1st june 22nd, 1945 okinawa became the site of the final japanese stand of world war 2 and the staging point for the. The book is written with the styling of a sports reporter which makes for a quick read. Although the book does not summarize british pacific fleet casualties from kamikaze attacks during the battle of okinawa, an australian newspaper article published in july 1945 states that british aircraft carriers suffered only 70 deaths and 34 seriously wounded in. This was the enemys only attempt to land airborne troops on okinawa during the battle. This is also a concise examination of the battle tactics on both sides and the huge casualties during the 82 days that led to the use of the atomic bombs. Oct 23, 2014 for decades the question has lingered, as historians have challenged one of the most important american rationales for dropping the bomb. The battle lasted eightyone days, and by the time it ended, it was the bloodiest battle of the war at the pacific front. The weather across the island worsened for a time and offensives were stalled. The americans had come back from the demoralizing defeat at pearl harbor to mount a ferocious attack against the japanese. The battle of okinawa was the largest amphibious assault in the pacific war in wwii and the bloodiest. This book was first published in 1948 by the historical division, dept. The united states army in world war ii sets forth in detail the. 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.

Tenth army weekly battle casualties, 1 april30 june 1945. Battle of okinawa ww2 timeline april 1st june 22nd, 1945. To be able to invade japan, the americans had to take okinawa. The numbers correspond to recorded deaths during the battle of okinawa from the time of the american landings in the kerama islands on march 26, 1945, to the signing of the japanese surrender on september 2, 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. On an individual basis, 24 service members received the medal of honor for actions performed during the battle of okinawa. The allied operation on okinawa was the largest amphibian operation in the pacific theater of the war, with over a halfmillion allied personnel taking part of the battles in the pacific between the empire of japan and the allies, iwo jima seems to grab the. Recent studies indicate as many as 150,000 died in the fighting, a figure representing one third of the islands population. However, the peace monument which stands at the commemorative museum in okinawa lists over 500,000 deaths.

The battle raged for about a month and there were very few civilian casualties. The battle of okinawa, codenamed operation iceberg, 3 was fought on the ryukyu islands of okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the pacific war of world war ii. It took place on okinawa island in the ryukyu islands south of the four big islands of japan. Add to this the civilian death toll and the terrible cost of okinawa becomes clear. World war ii history books about the battle of okinawa hachette.

Okinawa was the last island captured by americans before moving on to the north and invading japan. In all, tenth army suffered 65,631 casualties during the campaign, with 34,736 being suffered by xxiv corps, 26,724 by iii amphibious corps, 520 to the tactical air force attached to tenth army, 2,636 to the army garrison forces of okinawa and ie shima, and 1,015. Moscow farewell, a book of the month club main selection. The american naval forces assembled there were larger than those at normandy in june, 1944, and more than 12,000 american and 100,000 japanese soldiers sacrificed their lives. Twentyfive years ago, i went to okinawa with my father for the 50th anniversary of the battle and wrote about it for the towson times and other patuxent publishing newspapers. Kamikazes at the battle of okinawa history news network.