Content deleted Content added
→Naval battle: 1953 rpt on Japanese sorties & bomb tonnage |
Jefflayman (talk | contribs) add wikilink |
||
| (48 intermediate revisions by 24 users not shown) | |||
Line 8:
| image_size = 300
| caption = 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945
| date = 1 April – 22 June 1945<ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.army.mil/brochures/ryukyus/ryukyus.htm|title=Ryukus|publisher=US Army Center of Military History|access-date=28 August 2020|archive-date=19 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919075025/https://history.army.mil/brochures/ryukyus/ryukyus.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=04|day1=01|year1=1945|month2=06|day2=22|year2=1945}})<ref>26 March marked the first landing on the Kerama Islands around Okinawa in the Ryukus by the 77th Division.</ref>
| place = [[Okinawa Island]] and [[Okinawa Prefecture|Prefecture]], [[Ryukyu Islands]], [[Empire of Japan]]
| coordinates = {{coord|26.5|128|type:isle_region:JP-46_source:dewiki|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
Line 15:
| result = Allied victory
| territory =
| combatant1 = '''Ground forces:'''<br />{{flag|United States|1912}}<br />'''Naval forces:'''<br />{{flag|United States|1912}}<br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br />{{flag|Australia}}<br />{{flagcountry|Dominion of New Zealand}}<br />{{flag|Canada|1921}}
| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]
| commander1 = {{nowrap|{{flagdeco|United States of America|1912}} [[Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.|Simon B. Buckner Jr.]]{{KIA}}}}<br />{{flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[Roy Geiger]]<br />{{flagdeco|United States of America|1912}} [[Chester W. Nimitz]]<br />{{nowrap|{{flagdeco|United States of America|1912}} [[Raymond A. Spruance]]}}<br />{{flagdeco|United States of America|1912}} [[William Halsey Jr.]]
<br />
| commander2 = {{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Mitsuru Ushijima]]{{KIA}}<br>{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Isamu Chō]]{{KIA}}<br>{{nowrap|{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Hiromichi Yahara]]{{POW}}}}<br>{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Minoru Ōta]]{{KIA}}<br>{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Seiichi Itō]]{{KIA}}▼
▲| commander2 = {{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Mitsuru Ushijima]]{{KIA}}<br />{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Isamu Chō]]{{KIA}}<br />{{nowrap|{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Hiromichi Yahara]]{{POW}}}}<br />{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Minoru Ōta]]{{KIA}}<br />{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Seiichi Itō]]{{KIA}}
| units1 = ''Ground units'':<br />{{flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[Tenth United States Army|'''''Tenth Army''''']]
* [[III Amphibious Corps (United States)|III Amphibious Corps]]
** [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]]
Line 29 ⟶ 31:
** [[77th Sustainment Brigade|77th Infantry Division]]
** [[96th Infantry Division (United States)|96th Infantry Division]]
''Naval units'':<br /> {{flagdeco|United States|1912}} [[United States Fifth Fleet|'''''Fifth Fleet''''']]
* Task Force 50
** [[Fast Carrier Task Force|Task Force 58]]
** {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[British Pacific Fleet|Task Force 57]]
* Joint Exp. Force
| units2 = ''Ground units'': <br /> {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Thirty-Second Army (Japan)|'''''32nd Army''''']]
* [[24th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|24th Infantry Division]]
* [[28th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|28th Infantry Division]]
Line 43 ⟶ 45:
* 60th Mixed Brigade
* 27th Tank Regiment
''Naval units'':<br />
{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|naval}} '''''[[Combined Fleet]]'''''
* [[2nd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|2nd Fleet]]
| strength1 = {{flagdeco|United States of America|1912}} [[United States Navy]]
| strength1 = ~541,000 in Tenth Army <br>~183,000 combat troops<ref>{{harvnb|Sloan|2007|p=18}}</ref> rising to ~250,000<ref name=Keegan>{{cite book|last=Keegan|first=John|title=The Second World War|publisher=Penguin|year=2005|isbn= 978-0143195085}}</ref>{{rp|567}}▼
*7 [[fleet carrier]]s,
| strength2 = ~76,000+ Japanese soldiers<br>~40,000+ [[Ryukyuan people|Okinawan]] conscripts<ref>{{harvnb|Hastings|2008|p=370}}</ref>▼
*6 [[light carrier]]s,
| casualties1 = {{flagicon|United States|1912}} '''American personnel:'''<br>'''''Battle casualties:'''''<br>~50,000, including ~12,500 dead<ref>"The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won" p. 302</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/okinawa-costs-victory-last-battle#:~:text=The%20heroism%20of%20US%20Navy,to%20the%2036%20ships%20sunk. |access-date=23 June 2023 |title=Okinawa: The Costs of Victory in the Last Battle |website=The National WWII Museum|date=7 July 2022 }}</ref><br/>'''Army:''' 19,929{{efn|3,672 killed in action, 16,027 wounded (of whom 995 died), 58 captured (of whom 37 died), 172 missing (of whom 14 were declared dead as of 31 December 1946).<ref>[https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/126/rec/9 Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths in World War II. Final Report, 7 December 1941-31 December 1946] p. 95 Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref> The number for wounded only includes those who were hospitalized. Tenth Army's after action report lists a somewhat higher total of 22,564, including 4,549 killed or died of wounds, 18,010 wounded or injured, and 95 missing.<ref>[https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/598 Tenth Army After Action Report, Ryukyus, vol. 1] 9-IV-1. Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref>}}<br/>'''Navy:''' 10,007 at Okinawa,{{efn|3,803 killed, 219 died of wounds, 5,985 surviving wounded.<ref>[https://ia804705.us.archive.org/11/items/HistoryOfTheMedicalDeptInWWIIV3/History%20of%20the%20Medical%20Dept%20in%20WWII%20v3.pdf History of the Medical Department in World War II, vol. III] Appendix Table 14, see "Bombing and Landing on Okinawa." Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref>}} 1,294 on USS ''Franklin''{{efn|807 killed, 487 wounded.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/infernoepiclifed0000spri/page/316/mode/2up?q=killed Springer, "Inferno: The Epic Life and Death Struggle of the USS Franklin in World War II] p. 317. Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref> Richard B. Frank points out that the Navy's Medical History excludes losses suffered on ''Franklin'' from its total for Okinawa; they are instead recorded under "Bombardment of Kyushu Island and Japan." This largely accounts for the discrepancy with the more commonly cited total of 4,907.<ref>Frank, "Downfall" p. 402</ref>}}<br/>'''Marines:''' 19,460{{efn|2,846 killed, 530 died of wounds, 67 missing, presumed dead, and 16,017 wounded. Due to the methodology of casualty accounting practices in World War II, a significant number of those who died of wounds were double counted as wounded in action.<ref>[https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/V/USMC-V-M.html#fn1 Frank and Shaw, "History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II, Appendix M]. Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref>}}<br>'''''Non-battle casualties''''': 26,211 to 33,096 (all causes){{sfn|Frank|1999|p=71}}<br>'''Total casualties:''' ~76,000 to 84,000<br>'''[[Materiel]]:'''<br>375 tanks destroyed<ref>[http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16635coll14/id/56035 "Survey of Allied tank casualties in World War II"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717223049/http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16635coll14/id/56035 |date=17 July 2019 }}, Technical Memorandum ORO-T-117, Department of the Army, Washington D.C.,Table 1.</ref> <br>13 destroyers sunk<br>15 amphibious ships sunk<br>8 other ships sunk<br>386 ships damaged<br>763 aircraft lost<ref name=Keegan/>{{rp|573}}<ref name=Appleman>{{citation-attribution|1={{cite book|last1=Appleman|first1=Roy|last2=Burns|first2=James|last3=Gugeler|first3=Russel|last4=Stevens|first4=John|year=1948|title=Okinawa: The Last Battle|publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]]|isbn=1410222063|url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/okinawa/index.htm|access-date=14 June 2010|archive-date=8 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108040706/http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/okinawa/index.htm|url-status=dead}}}}</ref>{{rp|473}}▼
*18 [[escort carrier]]s,
| casualties2 = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} '''Japanese personnel:'''<br>'''''Battle & Non-battle casualties:'''''<br>94,136 soldiers and sailors dead (all causes){{efn|65,908 from outside Okinawa, 28,228 from Okinawa. Okinawa number includes civilians drafted into military units.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iG5MAAAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=65%2C908 Hirofumi Hayashi, "Okinawa-sen to minshu" (Japanese).] p. 5. Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref>}}<br>4,037 dead from ''Yamato'' task force<ref>Abe 1995, ''Tokko Yamato Kantai.''</ref><br>7,401 captured (by 30 June)<ref>Appleman p. 489</ref>{{efn|Excludes 3,339 laborers and 15 civilian combatants. By the end of November, this total increased to 16,346 across all categories.}}<br>'''Total casualties:''' ~105,000 to 110,000 <br>'''Materiel:'''<br> [[Japanese battleship Yamato|1 battleship sunk]]<br>[[Japanese cruiser Yahagi (1942)|1 light cruiser sunk]]<br>5 destroyers sunk<br>9 other warships sunk<br>1,430 aircraft lost<ref name=Giangreco>{{cite book|last=Giangreco|first=D.|title=Hell to Pay Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945–47|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=2009|isbn=978-1591143161|page=91}}</ref><br>27 tanks destroyed<br>743–1,712 artillery pieces, anti-tank guns, mortars and anti-aircraft guns<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|91–92}}▼
*8 [[fast battleship]]s,
| casualties3 = 40,000–150,000 civilians dead<ref name=mcg/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149316185200.html |title=11: Battle of Okinawa |publisher=Nisei.hawaii.edu |date=1 April 1945 |accessdate=19 July 2022 |archive-date=2 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902212534/http://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149316185200.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{efn|Hayashi (cited above) lists, in addition to the 28,228 Okinawan military personnel - many of whom were poorly trained and equipped civilians - 55,246 other civilians who directly aided the military in some way and 38,754 others who died. Historian Masayasu Oshiro criticizes the last figure as low, writing that it excludes deaths from starvation and malaria. Oshiro believes 150,000 total Okinawan dead, including the 28,000 directly attached to the military, is a more accurate number.<ref>[https://www.ulethbridge.ca/lib/ematerials/bitstream/handle/123456789/488/IL%20unspoken%20memory.pdf?sequence=1 Kyle Ikeda, "Unspoken Memory and Vicarious Trauma" p. 12] Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref>}}<!-- also reverted, estimates vary and even remotely exact number will probably never be known -->▼
*10 old [[battleship]]s,
*14 [[heavy cruiser]]s,
*17 [[light cruiser]]s,
*132 [[destroyer]]s,
*45 [[destroyer escort]]s
{{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Royal Navy]]
*5 [[fleet carrier]]s
*6 [[escort carrier]]s
*2 [[fast battleship]]s
*4 [[light cruiser]]s
*12 [[destroyer]]s
* 251 [[carrier based aircraft]]
{{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Royal Australian Navy]]
*4 [[Destroyer]]s
{{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Royal New Zealand Navy]]
*2 [[light Cruiser]]s
{{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} [[Royal Canadian Navy]]
*1 [[light Cruiser]]
<ref name=Blumberg>{{cite web|url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-forgotten-fleet/ |access-date=26 September 2024 |title=The Forgotten Fleet – Warfare History Network |website= warfarehistorynetwork.com |date=2017}}</ref>
{{flagdeco|United States of America|1912}} Ground Forces
▲
| strength2 = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|naval}} [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]
*1 [[yamato class battleship]]
*1 [[light Cruiser]]
*8 [[destroyer]]s
* 1815 Aircraft of which 1050 Kamikaze
<ref> {{cite web|url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_naval_order_of_battle#/|access-date=26 September 2024 |title=Okinawa naval order of battle |website=wikipedia}} </ref> <ref name="USNIok" />
{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Service]] 850 Kamikaze Aircraft
<ref name="USNIok"> {{cite web|url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1954/may/kamikazes-and-okinawa-campaign|access-date=27 September 2024 |website=United States Naval Institute.org |title=Kamikazes and Okinawa Campaign}}</ref>
{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|army}} Ground Forces
▲
▲| casualties1 = {{flagicon|United States|1912}} '''American personnel:'''<br />'''''Battle casualties:'''''<br />~50,000, including ~12,500 dead<ref>"The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won" p. 302</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/okinawa-costs-victory-last-battle#:~:text=The%20heroism%20of%20US%20Navy,to%20the%2036%20ships%20sunk. |access-date=23 June 2023 |title=Okinawa: The Costs of Victory in the Last Battle |website=The National WWII Museum|date=7 July 2022 }}</ref><br />'''Army:''' 19,929{{efn|3,672 killed in action, 16,027 wounded (of whom 995 died), 58 captured (of whom 37 died), 172 missing (of whom 14 were declared dead as of 31 December 1946).<ref>[https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/126/rec/9 Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths in World War II. Final Report, 7 December 1941-31 December 1946] p. 95 Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref> The number for wounded only includes those who were hospitalized. Tenth Army's after action report lists a somewhat higher total of 22,564, including 4,549 killed or died of wounds, 18,010 wounded or injured, and 95 missing.<ref>[https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/598 Tenth Army After Action Report, Ryukyus, vol. 1] 9-IV-1. Retrieved 2/1/2024</ref>}}<br />'''Navy:''' 10,007 at Okinawa,{{efn|3,803 killed, 219 died of wounds, 5,985 surviving wounded.<ref>[https://
<ref name=Blumberg/>
'''Total casualties:''' ~76,000 to 84,000<br />'''[[Materiel]]:'''<br />375 tanks destroyed<ref>[http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16635coll14/id/56035 "Survey of Allied tank casualties in World War II"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717223049/http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16635coll14/id/56035 |date=17 July 2019 }}, Technical Memorandum ORO-T-117, Department of the Army, Washington D.C.,Table 1.</ref> <br />13 destroyers sunk<br />15 amphibious ships sunk<br />8 other ships sunk<br />386 ships damaged<br />763 aircraft lost<ref name=Keegan/>{{rp|573}}<ref name=Appleman>{{citation-attribution|1={{cite book|last1=Appleman|first1=Roy|last2=Burns|first2=James|last3=Gugeler|first3=Russel|last4=Stevens|first4=John|year=1948|title=Okinawa: The Last Battle|publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]]|isbn=1410222063|url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/okinawa/index.htm|access-date=14 June 2010|archive-date=8 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108040706/http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/okinawa/index.htm|url-status=dead}}}}</ref>{{rp|473}}
▲| casualties2 = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} '''Japanese personnel:'''<br />'''''Battle & Non-battle casualties:'''''<br />94,136 soldiers and sailors dead (all causes){{efn|65,908 from outside Okinawa, 28,228 from Okinawa. Okinawa number includes civilians drafted into military units.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iG5MAAAAMAAJ
▲| casualties3 = 40,000–150,000 civilians dead<ref name=mcg/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149316185200.html |title=11: Battle of Okinawa |publisher=Nisei.hawaii.edu |date=1 April 1945 |accessdate=19 July 2022 |archive-date=2 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902212534/http://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149316185200.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{efn|Hayashi (cited above) lists, in addition to the 28,228 Okinawan military personnel
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Ryukyus}}
{{Campaignbox Pacific Ocean}}
}}
The {{nihongo|'''Battle of Okinawa'''|沖縄戦|Okinawa-sen|lead=yes}}, codenamed '''Operation Iceberg''',<ref name=Nichols>{{citation-attribution|1={{cite book|last1=Nichols|first1=Charles|last2=Shaw|first2=Henry|title=Okinawa: Victory in the Pacific|publisher=Government Printing Office|year=1955|asin=B00071UAT8|url=https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/OkinawaVictoryInThePacific.pdf|access-date=18 January 2021|archive-date=24 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324103755/https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/OkinawaVictoryInThePacific.pdf|url-status=live}}}}</ref>{{rp|17}} was a major battle of the [[Pacific War]] fought on the island of [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] by [[United States Army]] and [[United States Marine Corps]] forces against the [[Imperial Japanese Army]].<ref>Feifer 2001 pp. xi, 99–106</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-07 |title=Okinawa: The Costs of Victory in the Last Battle |url=https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/okinawa-costs-victory-last-battle |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=The National WWII Museum {{!}} New Orleans |language=en}}</ref> The initial invasion of Okinawa on 1 April 1945 was the largest [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious assault]] in the Pacific Theater of [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/okinawa/default.aspx |title=The United States Navy assembled an unprecedented armada in March and April 1945 |publisher=Militaryhistoryonline.com |access-date=6 May 2012 |archive-date=16 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216031340/http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/okinawa/default.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/magazines/world_war_2/3035101.html |title=The American invasion of Okinawa was the largest amphibious invasion of all time |publisher=Historynet.com |access-date=6 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328064555/http://www.historynet.com/magazines/world_war_2/3035101.html |archive-date=28 March 2008 }}</ref> The [[Kerama Islands]] surrounding Okinawa were preemptively captured on 26 March by the [[77th Sustainment Brigade|77th Infantry Division]]. The 82-day battle on Okinawa itself lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945. After a long campaign of [[Leapfrogging (strategy)|island hopping]], the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] were planning to use [[Kadena Air Base]] on the
The United States created the [[Tenth United States Army|Tenth Army]], a cross-branch force consisting of the U.S. Army [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th]], [[27th Infantry Division (United States)|27th]], 77th and [[96th Sustainment Brigade (United States)|96th Infantry Divisions]] with the [[1st Marine Division|1st]], [[2nd Marine Division|2nd]], and [[6th Marine Division (United States)|6th Marine Divisions]], to
The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, known in Japanese as "''tetsu no bōfū''".<ref name="VeteransRH/R">{{cite web |url=http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/magazine/wwiichronicles/wwii-chronicles-issue-xxxix/okinawa-the-typhoon-of-steel/ |title=Okinawa: The Typhoon of Steel |publisher=American Veterans Center |date=1 April 1945 |access-date=12 October 2013 |archive-date=3 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503001230/http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/magazine/wwiichronicles/wwii-chronicles-issue-xxxix/okinawa-the-typhoon-of-steel/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=anniversaryRH>[http://www.stripes.com/news/at-60th-anniversary-battle-of-okinawa-survivors-recall-typhoon-of-steel-1.31175 At 60th anniversary, Battle of Okinawa survivors recall 'Typhoon of Steel' – News – Stripes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405172705/http://www.stripes.com/news/at-60th-anniversary-battle-of-okinawa-survivors-recall-typhoon-of-steel-1.31175 |date=5 April 2020 }}, Allen, David; ''Stars and Stripes''; 1 April 2005.</ref> The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of Japanese [[Kamikaze#Final phase|''kamikaze'' attacks]] and the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle was the bloodiest and fiercest of the Pacific War, with some 50,000 Allied and around 100,000 Japanese casualties,<ref name=Huber>{{cite web|url=http://www.cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Huber/Huber.asp#118|archive-url=https://www.webharvest.gov/peth04/20041016045157/http://www.cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Huber/Huber.asp#118|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 October 2004|title=Japan's battle of Okinawa, April–June 1945|last=Huber|first=Thomas|date=May 1990|website=Combined Arms Research Library}}</ref><ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|473–474}} also including local [[Ryukyuan people|Okinawans]] conscripted into the Japanese Army.<ref name=mcg/> According to local authorities, at least 149,425 Okinawan people were killed, died by [[forced suicide|coerced suicide]] or went missing.<ref name=Prefecture/>
In the naval operations surrounding the battle, both sides lost considerable numbers of ships and aircraft, including the Japanese battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}}. After the battle, Okinawa provided the victorious Allies with a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields in close proximity to Japan
==Order of battle==
Line 68 ⟶ 115:
===Allied===
In all, the US Army had over 103,000 soldiers (of these, 38,000+ were non-divisional [[artillery]], combat support and HQ troops, with another 9,000 service troops),<ref name=Rottman>{{cite book|last=Rottman|first=Gordon|year=2002|title=Okinawa 1945: The Last Battle|url=https://archive.org/details/okinawalastbattl00rott|url-access=limited|publisher= Osprey Publishing|isbn=1841765465|page=[https://archive.org/details/okinawalastbattl00rott/page/n47 39]}}</ref>{{rp|39}} over 88,000 Marines and 18,000 Navy personnel (mostly [[Seabees]] and medical personnel).<ref name=Rottman/>{{rp|40}} At the start of the Battle of Okinawa, the [[US Tenth Army]] had 182,821 personnel under its command.<ref name=Rottman/>{{rp|40}} It was planned that [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.]] would report to [[Vice Admiral (United States)|Vice Admiral]] [[Richmond K. Turner]] until the amphibious phase was completed, after which he would report directly to [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Raymond A. Spruance]]. Total aircraft
The British naval contingent accompanied 251 British naval aircraft and included a [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]] fleet with [[Royal Australian Navy|Australian]], [[Royal New Zealand Navy|New Zealand]] and [[Royal Canadian Navy|Canadian]] ships and personnel.<ref name="HobbsUNI">{{cite web|last1=Hobbs|first1=David|title=The Royal Navy's Pacific Strike Force|url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2013-01/royal-navys-pacific-strike-force|website=US Naval Institute|date=January 2013|access-date=26 April 2018|archive-date=22 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722131616/https://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2013-01/royal-navys-pacific-strike-force|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Japanese===
The Japanese land campaign (mainly defensive) was conducted by the 67,000-strong (77,000 according to some sources) [[regular army|regular]] [[Thirty-Second Army (Japan)|32nd Army]] and some 9,000 [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] troops at Oroku Naval Base (only a few hundred of whom had been trained and equipped for ground combat), supported by 39,000 [[Conscription|drafted]] local [[Ryukyuan people]] (including 24,000 hastily drafted [[Rear (military)|rear]] [[militia]] called ''[[Boeitai]]'' and 15,000 non-uniformed laborers). The Japanese had used ''[[kamikaze]]'' tactics since the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]], but now for the first time they became a major
The 32nd Army initially consisted of the [[9th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|9th]], [[24th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|24th]] and [[62nd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|62nd Divisions]] and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade. The 9th Division was moved to Taiwan before the invasion, resulting in shuffling of Japanese defensive plans. Primary resistance was to be led in the south by Lieutenant General [[Mitsuru Ushijima]], his [[chief of staff]], Lieutenant General [[Isamu Chō]] and his chief of operations, Colonel [[Hiromichi Yahara]]. Yahara advocated a defensive [[Military strategy|strategy]], whilst Chō advocated an [[Offensive (military)|offensive]] one.
Line 81 ⟶ 128:
====Japanese use of children====
[[File:Childsoldier In Okinawa.jpg|thumb|upright|Tekketsu Kinnōtai child soldiers on Okinawa]]
On Okinawa, the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] mobilized 1,780 schoolboys aged 14–17 years into [[front line]] service as an ''Iron and Blood Imperial Corps'' ({{
Among the 21 male and female secondary schools that made up these student corps, 2,000 students died on the battlefield. Even with the female students acting mainly as nurses to Japanese soldiers, they were still exposed to the harsh conditions of war.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.himeyuri.or.jp/EN/war.html|title=[Official] Himeyuri Peace Museum|website=www.himeyuri.or.jp|access-date=11 January 2023|archive-date=11 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111163642/https://www.himeyuri.or.jp/EN/war.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Line 103 ⟶ 150:
===Operation Ten-Go===
[[Operation Ten-Go]] (''Ten-gō sakusen'') was the attempted attack by a strike force of
Under attack from more than 300 aircraft over a two-hour span, the world's largest battleship sank on 7 April 1945 after a one-sided battle, long before she could reach Okinawa. (US [[torpedo bomber]]s were instructed to aim for only one side to prevent effective counter flooding by the battleship's crew, and to aim for the bow or the stern where armor was believed to be the thinnest.) Of ''Yamato''{{'}}s screening force, the [[light cruiser]] {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Yahagi|1942|2}} and
===British Pacific Fleet===
Line 114 ⟶ 161:
==Land battle==
[[File:New Mexico class battleship bombarding Okinawa.jpg|thumb|right|The battleship {{USS|Idaho|BB-42|6}} shelling Okinawa on 1 April 1945]]The land battle took place over about 81 days beginning on 1 April 1945. The first Americans ashore were soldiers of the [[77th Sustainment Brigade|77th Infantry Division]] who landed in the [[Kerama Islands]], {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}} west of Okinawa on 26 March. Subsidiary landings followed, and the Kerama group was secured over the next five days. In these preliminary operations, the 77th Infantry Division suffered 27 dead and 81 wounded, while the Japanese dead and captured numbered over 650. On March 28, 1945, 394 civilians on [[Tokashiki, Okinawa|Tokashiki island]] were forced by Japanese soldiers to kill themselves after the landing of US troops.<ref>{{cite interview |last=Shigeaki |first=Kinjo |interviewer=Michael Bradley |title=The Most Haunting Interview You'll Ever Read: When Japanese Islanders Were Ordered to Commit Mass Suicide |date=13 June 2014 |publisher=History News Network |url=https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-most-haunting-interview-youll-ever-read-when-j |access-date= 20 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Hastings|2008}}</ref> The operation provided a protected anchorage for the fleet and eliminated the threat from suicide boats.<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|50–60}}
On 31 March, Marines of the [[United States Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion|Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion]] landed without opposition on Keise Shima, four islets just {{convert|8|mi|km|abbr=on}} west of the Okinawan capital of [[Naha]]. A group of [[155 mm gun M1|{{convert|155|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} "Long Tom"]] artillery pieces went ashore on the islets to cover operations on Okinawa.<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|57}}
Line 136 ⟶ 183:
While the 6th Marine Division cleared northern Okinawa, the US Army [[96th Sustainment Brigade (United States)|96th]] and [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Divisions]] wheeled south across the narrow isthmus of Okinawa. The 96th Infantry Division began to encounter fierce resistance in west-central Okinawa from Japanese troops holding fortified positions east of Highway No. 1 and about {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=on|0}} northwest of [[Shuri, Okinawa|Shuri]], from what came to be known as [[Cactus Ridge]].<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|104–105}} The 7th Infantry Division encountered similarly fierce Japanese opposition from a rocky pinnacle located about {{convert|1000|yd|m|abbr=on}} southwest of Arakachi (later dubbed "[[The Pinnacle, Battle of Okinawa|The Pinnacle]]"). By the night of 8 April, American troops had cleared these and several other strongly fortified positions. They suffered over 1,500 battle casualties in the process while killing or capturing about 4,500 Japanese. Yet the battle had only begun, for it was realized that "these were merely outposts," guarding the Shuri Line.<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|105–108}}
The next American objective was [[Kakazu Ridge]] ({{Coord|26.259|N|127.737|E|display=inline}}), two hills with a connecting saddle that formed part of Shuri's outer defenses. The Japanese had prepared their positions well and fought tenaciously. The Japanese soldiers hid in fortified caves. American forces often lost personnel before clearing the Japanese out from each cave or other hiding place. The Japanese sent out Okinawans at gunpoint
As the American assault against Kakazu Ridge stalled, Lieutenant General Ushijima—influenced by General Chō—decided to take the offensive. On the evening of 12 April, the 32nd Army attacked American positions across the entire front. The Japanese attack was heavy, sustained, and well organized. After fierce [[close combat]], the attackers retreated, only to repeat their offensive the following night. A final assault on 14 April was again repulsed. The effort led the 32nd Army's staff to conclude that the Americans were vulnerable to night [[infiltration tactics]] but that their superior firepower made any offensive Japanese troop concentrations extremely dangerous, and they reverted to their defensive strategy.<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|130–137}}
Line 142 ⟶ 189:
The [[27th Infantry Division (United States)|27th Infantry Division]], which had landed on 9 April, took over on the right, along the west coast of Okinawa. General [[John R. Hodge]] now had three divisions in the line, with the 96th in the middle and the 7th to the east, with each division holding a front of only about {{convert|1.5|mi|km|abbr=on}}. Hodge launched a new offensive on 19 April with a barrage of 324 guns, the largest ever in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific Ocean Theater]]. Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers joined the bombardment, which was followed by 650 Navy and Marine planes attacking the Japanese positions with [[napalm]], rockets, bombs, and machine guns. The Japanese defenses were sited on [[reverse slope defence|reverse slopes]], where the defenders waited out the artillery barrage and aerial attack in relative safety, emerging from the caves to rain [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] rounds and grenades upon the Americans advancing up the forward slope.<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|184–194}}
A tank assault to achieve [[breakthrough (military)|breakthrough]] by [[Flanking maneuver|outflanking]] Kakazu Ridge failed to link up with its infantry support attempting to cross the ridge and therefore failed with the loss of 22 tanks (see [[:ja:嘉数の戦い]]). Although [[flame tank]]s cleared many cave defenses, there was no breakthrough, and the XXIV Corps suffered 720 casualties. The losses might have been greater except for the fact that the Japanese had practically all of their infantry reserves tied up farther south, held there by another [[feint]] off the Minatoga beaches by the 2nd Marine Division that coincided with the attack.<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|196–207}}
At the end of April, after Army forces had pushed through the Machinato defensive line,<ref>West Point Atlas of American Wars</ref> the [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]] relieved the 27th Infantry Division and the 77th Infantry Division relieved the 96th. When the 6th Marine Division arrived, the III Amphibious Corps took over the right flank and Tenth Army assumed control of the battle.<ref name=Appleman/>{{rp|265}}
Line 177 ⟶ 224:
[[File:Standing in the grassy sod bordering row upon row of white crosses in an American cemetery, two dungaree-clad Coast... - NARA - 513229.tif|thumb|left|upright|Two [[United States Coast Guard|US Coast Guardsmen]] pay homage to their comrade killed in the Ryukyu Islands.]]
The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-okinawa-the-bloodiest-battle-of-the-pacific-war.htm|title=Battle of Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War|date=12 June 2006|newspaper=HistoryNet|access-date=5 April 2010|archive-date=27 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527211902/http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-okinawa-the-bloodiest-battle-of-the-pacific-war.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/14/magazine/the-bloodiest-battle-of-all.html|work=The New York Times|title=The Bloodiest Battle Of All|first=William|last=Manchester|date=14 June 1987|access-date=31 March 2010|archive-date=7 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207104512/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/14/magazine/the-bloodiest-battle-of-all.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The most complete tally of deaths during the battle is at the [[Cornerstone of Peace]] monument at the [[Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum]], which identifies the names of each individual who died at Okinawa in World War II. As of 2023, the monument lists 242,046 names, including 149,634 Okinawans, 77,823 Imperial Japanese soldiers, 14,010 Americans,<ref name="Prefecture">{{cite web |title=Number of names Inscribed／沖縄県 |url=http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/site/kodomo/heiwadanjo/heiwa/7812.html
The numbers correspond to recorded deaths during the Battle of Okinawa from the time of the American landings in the Kerama Islands on 26 March 1945 to the signing of the [[Surrender of Japan|Japanese surrender]] on 2 September 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 Okinawa from war-related events in the year before the battle and the year after the surrender.<ref name="Inscription">{{cite web |url=http://www3.pref.okinawa.jp/site/view/contview.jsp?cateid=11&id=7797&page=1 |title=The Cornerstone of Peace – names to be inscribed |publisher=[[Okinawa Prefecture]] |access-date=4 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927153842/http://www3.pref.okinawa.jp/site/view/contview.jsp?cateid=11&id=7797&page=1 |archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref> 234,183 names were inscribed by the time of unveiling, and new names are added as necessary.<ref name="Book">{{cite book |editor-last=Weiner |editor-first=Michael |title=Japan's minorities: the illusion of homogeneity |pages =169ff |publisher=Routledge |year=1997 |isbn=0-415-13008-5}}</ref><ref name="Ota">{{cite web |url=http://www.jpri.org/publications/workingpapers/wp65.html |title=Recollecting the War in Okinawa |publisher=[[Japan Policy Research Institute]] |access-date=4 February 2011 |archive-date=7 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807225620/http://www.jpri.org/publications/workingpapers/wp65.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070624a1.html |title=Okinawa marks 62nd anniversary of WWII battle |work=[[Japan Times]] |date=24 June 2007 |access-date=14 September 2007 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929124636/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070624a1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 40,000 of the Okinawan civilians killed had been drafted or impressed by the Japanese army and are often counted as combat deaths.
Line 201 ⟶ 248:
Medal of Honor recipients from Okinawa are:
<br />
* [[Beauford T. Anderson]] – 13 April▼
'''Marine Corps'''
* [[Richard E. Bush]] – 16 April
* [[Henry A. Courtney Jr.]] – 14–15 May ({{abbrlink|posth.|Posthumous award}})
* [[
* [[Harold Gonsalves]] – 15 April (posth.)▼
* [[Dale M. Hansen]] – 7 May (posth.)▼
* [[Louis J. Hauge Jr.]] – 14 May (posth.)▼
* [[Elbert L. Kinser]] – 4 May (posth.)▼
* [[Robert M. McTureous Jr.]] – 7 June (posth.)▼
* [[Albert E. Schwab]] – 7 May (posth.)▼
'''Army'''
▲* [[Beauford T. Anderson]] – 13 April
* [[Clarence B. Craft]] – 31 May
* [[James L. Day]] – 14–17 May
* [[Desmond Doss]] – 29 April – 21 May
* [[
* [[
▲* [[Harold Gonsalves]] – 15 April
▲* [[William D. Halyburton Jr.]] – 10 May
▲* [[Dale M. Hansen]] – 7 May
▲* [[Louis J. Hauge Jr.]] – 14 May
▲* [[Elbert L. Kinser]] – 4 May
* [[Fred F. Lester]] – 8 June▼
* [[Richard M. McCool Jr.]] – 10–11 June▼
▲* [[Robert M. McTureous Jr.]] – 7 June
* [[John W. Meagher]] – 19 June
* [[Edward J. Moskala]] – 9 April (posth.)
* [[Joseph E. Muller]] – 15–16 May (posth.)
* [[Alejandro R. Ruiz]] – 28 April
'''Navy'''
▲* [[Albert E. Schwab]] – 7 May
* [[
* [[William D. Halyburton Jr.]] – 10 May (posth.)
▲* [[Fred F. Lester]] – 8 June (posth.)
▲* [[Richard M. McCool Jr.]] – 10–11 June
====Allied naval vessels sunk or damaged at Okinawa====
Line 239 ⟶ 290:
|+ Allied Naval vessels sunk or damaged by Japanese forces at Okinawa, primarily kamikazes, 19 March – 30 July 1945<ref><!-- All information is public domain from --> United States Navy, with casualties taken from individual action reports <!-- table format and structure is heavily borrowed from--> Morison, Samuel, Eliot, ''Victory in the Pacific, 1945'', (Copyright 1960), Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, Appendix II pp. 390–392</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:center; width:55px;" |Day
! style="text-align:center;" |Ship
! style="text-align:center;" |Type
Line 284 ⟶ 335:
| style="background:lightpink" |* [[USS Halligan (DD-584)|USS ''Haligan'']]
| Destroyer
| Mine, 3 miles SE of [[Maye Shima]], exploded two forward magazines, bow blown off<ref>Morison, ''Victory'', pp.
| 153
| 39
Line 365 ⟶ 416:
| 21
|-
| 1
| [[HMS Ulster (R83)|HMS ''Ulster'']]
| Destroyer
Line 624 ⟶ 675:
| 0
|-
| 8
| [[USS Gregory (DD-802)|USS ''Gregory'']]
| Destroyer
Line 856 ⟶ 907:
|-
| 22 Apr 45
| style="background:lightpink" |* [[Landing Craft Support#Operations|USS ''LCS(L)-15'']]
| Landing Craft
| Air attack
Line 1,428 ⟶ 1,479:
====MEXT textbook controversy====
{{See also|Japanese history textbook controversies}}
There is ongoing disagreement between Okinawa's local government and Japan's national government over the role of the Japanese military in civilian mass suicides during the battle. In March 2007, the national [[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology]] (MEXT) advised textbook publishers to reword descriptions that the embattled Imperial Japanese Army forced civilians to kill themselves in the war to avoid being taken prisoner. MEXT preferred descriptions that just say that civilians received hand grenades from the Japanese military. This move sparked widespread protests among Okinawans. In June 2007, the [[Okinawa Prefectural Assembly]] adopted a resolution stating, "We strongly call on the (national) government to retract the instruction and to immediately restore the description in the textbooks so the truth of the Battle of Okinawa will be handed down correctly and a tragic war will never happen again."<ref>[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070623a1.html Okinawa slams history text rewrite] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120604185354/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070623a1.html |date=4 June 2012 }}, ''Japan Times'', 23 June 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gheddo |first=Piero |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Okinawa-against-Tokyo%E2%80%99s-attempts-to-rewrite-history-9666.html |title=Japan: Okinawa against Tokyo's attempts to rewrite history – Asia News |publisher=Asianews.it |access-date=4 December 2013 |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620172535/http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Okinawa-against-Tokyo%E2%80%99s-attempts-to-rewrite-history-9666.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
On 29 September 2007, about 110,000 people held the biggest political rally in the history of Okinawa to demand that MEXT retract its order to textbook publishers regarding revising the account of the civilian suicides. The resolution states, "It is an undeniable fact that the 'multiple suicides' would not have occurred without the involvement of the Japanese military and any deletion of or [[Historical revisionism|revision]] to (the descriptions) is a denial and distortion of the many testimonies by those people who survived the incidents."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070930a2.html |title=110,000 protest history text revision order |publisher=Search.japantimes.co.jp |date=30 September 2007 |access-date=12 October 2013 |archive-date=29 June 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629080542/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070930a2.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2007, MEXT partially admitted the role of the Japanese military in civilian mass suicides.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/26/asia/japan.php Japan to amend textbook accounts of Okinawa suicides] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219115749/http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/26/asia/japan.php |date=19 December 2008 }} ''[[International Herald Tribune|Herald Tribune]]'', 26 December 2007.</ref> The ministry's Textbook Authorization Council allowed the publishers to reinstate the reference that civilians "were forced into mass suicides by the Japanese military", on condition it is placed in sufficient context. The council report states, "It can be said that from the viewpoint of the Okinawa residents, they were forced into the mass suicides."<ref>[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20071227a1.html Texts reinstate army's role in mass suicides: Okinawa prevails in history row] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120629080541/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20071227a1.html |date=29 June 2012 }} ''[[Japan Times]]'', 27 December 2007.</ref> That was not enough for the survivors who said it is important for children today to know what really happened.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7098876.stm Okinawa's war time wounds reopened] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606174252/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7098876.stm |date=6 June 2020 }} BBC News, 17 November 2007.</ref>
The Nobel Prize-winning author [[Kenzaburō Ōe]] wrote a booklet that states that the mass suicide order was given by the military during the battle.<ref>[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070912a3.html Witness: Military ordered mass suicides] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120629080540/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070912a3.html |date=29 June 2012 }}, ''Japan Times'', 12 September 2007.</ref> He was sued by revisionists, including a wartime commander during the battle, who disputed this and wanted to stop publication of the booklet. At a court hearing, Ōe testified "Mass suicides were forced on Okinawa islanders under Japan's hierarchical social structure that ran through the state of Japan, the Japanese armed forces and local garrisons."<ref>[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20071110a3.html Oe testifies military behind Okinawa mass suicides] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112142909/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20071110a3.html |date=12 November 2007}}, ''Japan Times'', 10 November 2007.</ref> In March 2008, the [[Osaka Prefecture]] Court ruled in favor of Ōe, stating, "It can be said the military was deeply involved in the mass suicides." The court recognized the military's involvement in the mass suicides and [[murder-suicide]]s, citing the testimony about the distribution of grenades for suicide by soldiers and the fact that mass suicides were not recorded on islands where the military was not stationed.<ref>[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080329a1.html Court sides with Oe over mass suicides] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120629080540/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080329a1.html |date=29 June 2012 }}, ''Japan Times'', 29 March 2008.</ref>
In 2012, Korean-Japanese director Pak Su-nam announced her work on the documentary ''Nuchigafu'' (Okinawan for "only if one is alive") collecting living survivors' accounts to show "the truth of history to many people", alleging that "there were two types of orders for 'honorable deaths'—one for residents to kill each other and the other for the military to kill all residents".<ref>Nayoki Himeno, [http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201205240011 Director humanizes tragedy of Okinawan mass suicides] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528075230/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201205240011 |date=28 May 2013}}, ''The Asashi Shimbun'', 24 May 2012.</ref> In March 2013, Japanese textbook publisher Shimizu Shoin was permitted by MEXT to publish the statements that "Orders from Japanese soldiers led to Okinawans committing group suicide" and "The [Japanese] army caused many tragedies in Okinawa, killing local civilians and forcing them to commit mass suicide."<ref>[https://archive.today/20130413130816/http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130327p2a00m0na014000c.html New high school texts say Japanese Imperial Army ordered WWII Okinawa suicides], ''The Mainichi'', 29 March 2013.</ref>
Line 1,454 ⟶ 1,505:
===Memorial===
In 1995, the Okinawa government erected a memorial monument named the Cornerstone of Peace in Mabuni, the site of the last fighting in southeastern Okinawa.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/summit/a_la/peace/ishiji/index2.htm |title=The Cornerstone of Peace |language=ja |publisher=Pref.okinawa.jp |access-date=6 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606184144/http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/summit/a_la/peace/ishiji/index2.htm |archive-date=6 June 2012 }}</ref> The memorial lists all the known names of those who died in the battle, civilian and military, Japanese and foreign. As of 2024, the monument lists 242,225 names.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.jp/en/japan/article_124858/
===Modern US base===
Line 1,533 ⟶ 1,584:
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinawa 1945}}
[[Category:Battle of Okinawa| ]]
[[Category:1945 in Japan]]
Line 1,543 ⟶ 1,594:
[[Category:History of Okinawa Prefecture]]
[[Category:Japan campaign]]
[[Category:Murder–suicides in
[[Category:United States Armed Forces in Okinawa Prefecture]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps in World War II]]
Line 1,559 ⟶ 1,610:
[[Category:Japan–United Kingdom military relations]]
[[Category:Itoman, Okinawa]]
[[Category:Rape in Japan]]
[[Category:Sexual violence in Asia during World War II]]
[[Category:Human shield incidents in World War II]]
[[Category:Japanese war crimes]]
[[Category:War crimes by the United States during World War II]]
[[Category:United States military scandals in Japan]]
| |||