Sixty Years Ago Today

Sixty years ago this morning, the last great battle of World War II began, as US troops went ashore on Okinawa

Although Iwo Jima and Normandy justifiably are remembered as symbols of sacrifice and perseverence, Okinawa was an incredibly brutal campaign. Okinawa, unlike the many previous island battles, took place on an island the Japanese considered a part of metropolitan Japan, much as if someone were to invade Hawaii:

The battle of Okinawa proved to be the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. Thirty-four allied ships and craft of all types had been sunk, mostly by kamikazes, and 368 ships and craft damaged. The fleet had lost 763 aircraft. Total American casualties in the operation numbered over 12,000 killed [including nearly 5,000 Navy dead and almost 8,000 Marine and Army dead] and 36,000 wounded. Navy casualties were tremendous, with a ratio of one killed for one wounded as compared to a one to five ratio for the Marine Corps.

That part doesn't get much play today - the kamikaze offensive was incredibly effective.

American losses at Okinawa were so heavy as to illicite Congressional calls for an investigation into the conduct of the military commanders.

Sounds familiar, huh?

Not surprisingly, the cost of this battle, in terms of lives, time, and material, weighed heavily in the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan just six weeks later.

My late ex father-in-law was on a destroyer off Okinawa, where they shot down at least one inbound kamikaze as well as two torpedo-bombers who tried to pick the ship off while on radar picket duty - an incredibly dangerous job for destroyers during the battle.

So remember Okinawa today.

Posted by Mitch at April 1, 2005 07:38 AM | TrackBack