Operation Iceberg Battle Of Okinawa

Last and biggest of the Pacific island battles of World War II, the Okinawa campaign (April 1—June 22, 1945) involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. At stake were air bases vital to the projected invasion of Japan ("Battle of Okinawa," 1996). The Battle of Okinawa remembered more for its iconic photograph of US Marines raising the US flag on Okinawa more so than any other war or battle ever fought. Okinawa the largest of the Ryukus islands played a major role in the American forces overall strategic efforts to advance to the mainland’s of Japan. Because it was the last major battle of WWII, the battle of Okinawa used lessons learned and TTP’s from all previous

One of the most complex military maneuvers of all time was the Allied invasion of Europe by way of the Normandy beaches of northern France. The carefully orchestrated invasion essential to the defeat of Hitler. The Supreme Allied Commander, who was General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Later to become president of the United States. The invasion took place on June 6, 1944. The weather so terrible that the invasion was delayed for a full day. American troops landing on Utah Beach. Encountered only mild resistance at first. In contrast, the landing at Omaha Beach much more treacherous. The coast itself was extremely dangerous, the landing took place too far off shore, and the Germans had double the forces at this site. Other Allied forces the British

The war in Europe was finished and America was still fighting Japan in the Pacific. The American people’s will to continue the war effort was falling and the government had to think of a way to end the war. They needed to take some of the Pacific to be able to get close enough to Japan to finish the war. They started by taking islands but ran into heavy Japanese resistance; soldier’s that were almost all willing to die for their emperor. That included fake surrendering, making and then hiding in elaborate cave systems, and killing other Japanese who were trying to surrender. This weighed heavily on the soldiers and made fighting incredibly hard. Even when they had an island there were Japanese who had hidden and still tried to kill the

The battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were two of the most important American operations in the Pacific Theatre against the Empire of Japan during World War Two. The goal of the two operations was to secure strategically important islands close to Japan to use for bombing campaigns. The battles for Iwo Jima(February-March 1945) and Okinawa f(April-June 1945) killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians and helped to win the war for the United States.

There were 26,000 casualties and 6,800 dead Americans at Iwo Jima, with 20,000 casualties and 1083 dead Japanese. (1. "Battle for Iwo Jima, 1945." The Navy Department Library) At Okinawa there were 65,000 American casualties and 14,000 dead, while the Japanese lost 70,000 soldiers out of the 130,000 stationed on Okinawa. (2. "Battle of Okinawa." History.com) The bloodshed from these two battles gave the Americans a taste of the militaristic Japanese, and that a battle for the homeland of Japan would be astronomically worse. The Japanese were prepared to use any means necessary to stop the Americans because of “Yamato Damashii”, which was a virtue of the samurai that went hand in hand with the Bushido code, and it made the Japanese value the country and the emperor above all else, and that fighting to the death was greater than surrender. and it came in the form of Kamikaze attacks, suicide troops, and guerilla warfare. At Okinawa, 193 kamikaze attacks were launched at the Americans damaging 368 ships and destroying 36. (3. "The Battle of Okinawa." History Learning Site) The Japanese were prepared to sacrifice everything they had to destroy American ships and troops. The Japanese also used their own people to fight against the Americans.

Okinawa, Japan was the site of the largest amphibious battle of World War II. The Battle of Okinawa resulted in the death of over 12,000 American and 100,000 Japanese soldiers, which lasted from late March through June 1945. The Battle of Okinawa was one of the main reasons President Harry Truman dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The main reason for the bombing was to put a stop to the American death toll. Approximately two months later on August 6, 1945, the massive nuclear weapon was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan. The bomb destroyed about four square miles of the city and also caused the death of 65,000 Japanese citizens. Because of this bombing, the Japanese government surrendered a week later.

In the beginning of war, Japanese victory in Pacific terrified West Cost Americans. Partial victory for Americans appeared when Japanese capital Tokyo was bombed. It was less of a material loss but huge in terms of psychological attack. It was followed by the Battle of Coral Sea in May 1942 and after that the decisive Battle of Midway Island took place. U.S. aircraft carriers destroyed three out of four Japanese carriers that sabotaged their further plans of invasion and they adopted a defensive strategy.

In the early hours of December 7th 1941, The Combined Fleet of Imperial Japanese Navy launched a preemptive military strike on the United States of America. Their target, the U.S Pacific Fleet and its headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii .Their objective to launch a lighting preventative assault on the United States, cripplingly the U.S’s ability to take part in World War Two and contribute to the Allied War effort. The Attack caught the Pacific Fleet completely by surprise, U.S forces only becoming aware of the Japanese presence as they came under fire from waves of Japanese Aircraft and Ships. Inflicting extensive damage, sinking and damaging over a dozen U.S capital ships and hundreds of Aircraft, damaging even more and killing and maiming almost four thousand U.S serviceman at the cost of only Sixty-four Japanese casualties and one captured. Well successful in a tactical sense the attack was considered by many including multiple top level officers in the Japanese military officers as a strategic blunder if not an outright calamity, as the attack causing the previously neutral U.S to enter World War Two on the side of the Allies and lend them its substantial military and industrial might, tipping the odds firmly in the favor of the Allied forces.

American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and were intensely fire bombing Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million strong stationed in the home islands guarding against invasion.” The United States seemed to show no progression in the war. President Truman knew that there was no progress being made during the war and that we were decreasing in supplies and troops to keep this fight going like this. He then had to look at his remaining option and hope that his decision was the best decision for the

Pearl Harbor came unexpected across Pacific against the U.S. and British territories--Hong Kong, Guam, Wake, Midway, the Philippines, and Malaya. On December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese planes attacked a U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. More than 2,400 Americans were killed, as well as destroying or damaging more than 100 planes and eight Navy battleships. The immediate national anger against the nature of the treachery slowly gave way to the deeper realization that Pearl Harbor was a turning point in national history. The first realization struck immediately that the safety and security of the country behind two oceans was a thing of the past.

Nearly 73 years ago, the invasion that tore Hitler apart turned the tide of World War II substantially in America's favor; within hours of men first hitting Omaha Beach, beach landing had a new meaning. After months of meeting, planning, training, supplying, and deceiving German forces, the largest joint-invasion force humanity had ever seen shipped off for their objective. For the Americans this included conquering Omaha and Utah Beaches. (Ambrose 325) Omaha Beach stood as a significant landing site because without a landing at Omaha, Utah and Gold Beaches would have a chasm between them, exposing their flank, even though Allied planners loathed landing on Omaha (321). Omaha Beach on the coast of Normandy represents the sacrifice, horror,

Japan was running low on resources, and they looked toward Southeast Asian colonies. Americans knew about the plans Japan had for Asia. The United States decoded one of Japan’s secret messages. The United States though if Japan took over European Colonies it could also threaten the United States controlled areas. We sent troops over to China so we could strengthen the resistance against Japan. Japan’s leader Isoroku Yamamoto decided to attack the fleet in Hawaii because they felt threatened by it. In the morning of December 7, 1941 the bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor by Japanese bombers. Pearl harbor is the headquarters for the United States Pacific Fleet. This attack was a total surprise. No one knew on this day that bombs would

According to Okinawa survivor and native Kinya Taira, the Japanese, who controlled the island of Okinawa during World War II “lied to us about the fate that would be facing us if we surrendered to the Allies, so we were confused, utterly paranoid, and just wanted to survive and see our families. We were, essentially, being used by the Imperial Army as body shields, as puppets, forced to go into the most dangerous areas knowing we wouldn’t make it back alive.” (“Okinawans Remember”) Despite the effects of the Battle of Okinawa on the natives of the land and the Allied soldiers who fought in it, this battle was the most crucial in ending World War II efficiently, thus the claim that the Battle of Okinawa was the most important battle in the war against the Japanese during World War II.

On December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was the target of an unannounced military attack by the Japanese Navy. This resulted in the United States entry into World War II. After almost 4 years of war, 400,000 US casualties, 6 months of air strikes on Japanese cities and an impending defeat of Japan, an ultimatum was delivered to Japan by the United States: surrender or be destroyed.

The battle of Okinawa began on April 1, 1945 and ended June . It took place over 82 days and fought on the grounds of Ryukyu, Islands of Okinawa.Okinawa was the second most deadliest battle fought in WW2. The battle was a stepping stone for an in invasion to get closer to the mainland, The battle involved the Japanese Army, minimal navy power and American and British navy support, along with Joint services of U.S Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.