Battle of Okinawa
Lcpl.Fisher
Lcpl.Colwell
Lcpl.Waldrip

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Key notes
• Recognizable indivisuals
• Reason for involvement
• Enemy details
• Weapons used

LEARNING OBJ. CONT.

• American losses
• Japanese losses
• Civilian losses
• Atomic bombs
• Aftermath of okinawa

KEY NOTES

• 82 day long campaign that lasted from april 1-june 22,1945 and bloodiest battle of the pacific war
• Four divisions of the U.S. 10th army and two U.S. Marine divisions fought on the island
• Japanese and US commanding generals were both killed during this battle
• Codenamed operation iceberg and was fought on the ryukyu islands
• Largest amphibious assault in the pacific war of world war 2

Key people

• Chester W. Nimitz-fleet admiral during battle of okinawa
• Lt. General Buckner- made the decision to attack the Japanese defences head on
• Gen. Ushijima- commanding general of japanese forces on the island
• Admiral minoru ota- an admiral in the imperial japanese navy and final commander of naval forces
• Sir Bernard Rawlings- commanded british task force 57 through the battle of okinawa

REASONS FOR INVOLVEMENT

• Attack on pearl harbor on december 7, 1941
• Allies were approaching japan and planned to use it as a base for air operations
• We needed to capture the island in order to advance across the pacific towards japan
• Needed as a base to prepare for the planned invasion of japan

WEAPONS USED

• M1garand- .30 caliber, 8 round mag., semi automatic,
• M1903 springfield- bolt action, semi automatic, snipers weapon of choice,
• Thompson- blowback operated, .45 caliber, sub machine gun
• M2 browning- belt fed, recoil operated, .50 caliber, used on armor vehicles,
• Flamethrower-m2a1-7, m2-2

AMERICAN LOSSES

• More than 65,000 troops killed and 38,000 wounded out of 287,000
• 28 ships sunk
• 245 tanks destroyed
• Dozens of amtracks, LVT's, and other vehicles destroyed
• Hundreds of aircraft destroyed or damaged

JAPANESE LOSSES

• More than 77,000 Japanese soldiers were killed and more than 7,000 captured
• 2,800 air craft destroyed or damaged
• 4 navy destroyers were destroyed
• 27 tanks were destroyed

CIVILIAN LOSSES

• 40,000-150,000 japanese civilians killed
• Most of the were thru suicide because of propaganda that japanese forces would spread
• Controversy if the Japanese forces would starve or even murder civilians to gain fear or more solidiers

AFTERMATH OF OKINAWA

• 90% of the buildings on the island were destroyed along with countless artifacts, historical documents, and cultural treasures
• Set up the united states civil administration of the ryuku islands (a form of military government)
• A memorial monument named the cornerstone of peace with all the names of those that died in battle was constructed in mabuni
• Largest U.S. Air base in Asia, kadena is located in Okinawa japan

QUESTIONS