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The battle of the Leyte Gulf was Japan’s last effort to get rid of the American presence in the pacific. The Japanese command knew that if they lost the Philippines, the war would be over very shortly. They risked all of their land troops in a last ditch effort in order to destroy some of the American ships. The Japanese plan was to draw out American forces and leave two battleships unprotected and vulnerable to attack. The United States had more numbers of everything than the Japanese did, as many as 8 times the number of small carriers and 7 more large carriers. The desperation showed as Japan used the kamikaze method, destroying their own airplanes in order to sink American battleships. Most of the attempts were successful and they hit and damaged the battleships, however some missed the ships or were shot down before they had the ability to hit the ships. This battle required a vast majority of the naval forces that Japan had left and they were still heavily outnumbered by the Americans. The Japanese lost all of their large and small carriers and one third of their destroyers. Since Japan lost this battle the Americans had the Leyte Gulf in their possession. The Philippines were very close to Japan and since the American forces had captured it they could build military bases there and regroup their numbers, and then they could invade Japan since the Leyte Gulf was such a tactical invasion position.
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last campaign of the war in the Pacific. More people died in the Battle of Okinawa than in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More than 107,000 Japanese troops were killed during this battle and perhaps around 100,000 citizens of Okinawa. This battle has been proved to be the bloodiest of the war because of this. The Allied fleet lost 34 ships and had around 12,000 casualties between the naval and land forces. The Americans also lost around 700 aircraft. The Japanese aircraft losses totaled ten times the number of what the Americans lost. The invasion was amphibious, both by land and sea. Nearly 110,000 American troops landed on the beaches of Okinawa, and the Japanese chose not to defend the beaches, so there was no opposition. Once it seemed as though the American forces had Okinawa under control, the Japanese general Ushijima ordered a counter-attack on May 3rd. This counter-attack failed and his forces were forced to retreat on May 21st. Although the attempt seemed futile, the Japanese forces stood strong. It wasn’t until June that they realized they had lost Okinawa. In reference to Tokyo, Okinawa is not that far to the south. Once the Americans had captured this island it was clear that they had the upper hand in the battle against Japan. Very soon after the victory at Okinawa the Americans dropped two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to win the war, and this victory never would have happened unless America had won the Battle of Okinawa.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, fought during October 23–26, 1944, was the last offense attck perpetrated by the Japanese. Their aim was to disrupt and destroy U.S. landings on the Philippine island of Leyte. The Battle of Leyte Gulf developed into the largest naval battle of any war and was also distinguished by the first kamikaze attacks. Admiral Toyoda Soemo launched Operation Sho-Go (victory), in which he planned to draw the Third U.S. Fleet in battle to the north so that Japanese naval forces could catch the landing forces as well as the smaller Seventh U.S. fleet. The Japanese also changed their codes before their attack and maintained a high degree of radio silence in order to prevent the U.S. from detecting them. Fortunatly, the Americans greatly outnumbered the Japanese with 8 times as small small carrier and seven more large carriers. Out of sheer desperation, the Japanese employed kamikaze’s, which destroyed their planes and their men while they attempted to wreak the most damage they could. Some kamikazes missed or were shot down before they reached the ships, disallowing the Japanese to rely solely on them. In the end, the Japanese lost three battleships, four aircraft carriers, 10 cruisers, and nine destroyers as well as many aircraft. Most important, the Japanese failed to disrupt the Leyte landings, thereby virtually ensuring that the Americans would retake the Philippines.
Battle of Iwo Jima:
The assault on Iwo Jima commenced on February 19, 1945, after 72 days of aerial and naval bombardment in which 12,600 tons of bombs had been dropped. In the three days immediately before the landings, a total of 6,800 tons of bombs were delivered, coupled with 21,926 naval artillery shells. On March 16, 36 days after the first landings, Iwo Jima was finally declared secure. "Iwo Jima", meaning sulfur island, was just 4.5 by 2.5 miles long. The Japanese managed to build three airstrips on the island and secured it by using the island’s extensive network of caves and ravines, fortifying it with steel and concrete. There were around 1,500 of these strengthened caves and 16 miles of tunnels. The Japanese thought of Iwo Jimo as a vital defense to their homeland. The Americans not only wanted to neutralize this island, but to use the airstrips as an advance base for the emergency landing of B-29s raiding Japan. The planners behind the battle knew that the island would be difficult to obtain, but they believed extensive naval and aerial bombardment prior to the ground battle would soften the island up enough for the soldiers on the ground to have a chance. As it happened thought, the initial ground plan of two weeks ended up twice as long. Suicidial resistance was typical of the Japanese, but they went to another level at Iwo Jima. At “Bloody Gorge,” a 700 yard long canyon, the Japanese managed to hold off the much larger marine forces for 10 days in their last stand. In the end, Marine casualties were 5,931 killed and 17,372 wounded, a 30 percent casualty rate. Japanese battle deaths numbered 20,703 out of the 22,000-man garrison. In addition to depriving the Japanese of a defensive base, their moral was also crushed. The Americans obtained a land strip for crippled B-29s. Around 2,251 made emergency landings before the war ended, which means Iwo Jima saved as many as 24,761 lives of aircrew members.
America’s two main reasons for attacking the island of Iwo Jima were to eliminate Japan’s merchant fleet and to destroy their remaining industrial base. Even though Iwo Jima was a very small island, it was very important because it had two airfields that could be used as emergency landing bases for America or as bases for American fighter planes. The Japanese recognized America’s interest in the island and decided to defend it with vigor. Due to the Japanese’s determination to hold on to the island, Iwo Jima proved very hard to take. However, after about a month, the Americans won.
Iwo Jima proved to be very important for America in the war. It allowed them to have attack Japan from a much closer distance. More specifically, it allowed them to send short-range fighter planes to support the bombers. The Japanese, however, suffered a major psychological and strategical blow after having lost Iwo Jima. From a strategic standpoint, they wanted the island for the same reasons the United States wanted it. From a psychological standpoint, they had just lost a battle on their homeland and were utterly demoralized. In addition to the strategic importance the island held for America (as explained previously), it also
Later in the war, the island of Iwo Jima did prove to be as crucial of a base as both the Americans and Japanese had thought beforehand. In addition, the death count at the battle itself was immense. Nearly 22,000 Japanese and 7,000 Americans died.
Liberation of Borneo:
In 1941, the Japanese took the Indonesian territory of Dutch-Borneo (or Kalimatan). From May to July of 1945, the Allied forces fought and won the last major campaign in the Southwest Pacific area.The need for the campaign in Borneo is often questioned. It is generally considered an attempt at proving to the Australia, the Allied forces, and the world that Australia was a significant part of the Allied operation in the Pacific. Strategically, the allies succeeded in pushing the Japanese further from Australia.
Three major operations took place in Borneo. In the Battle of Tarakan (May 1-25), troops’ objective was to capture airfields, which later turned out to be heavily damaged. The Australians (with some Americans) then moved to Brunei, where they took the Japanese by surprise. They fled South, and the Allied forces were able to continue to condense the Japanese-populated land. On July 7, after much bombing of the Japanese garrison, the Allies were able to land at Balikpapan. They defeated the Japanese and considered the island won by July 21.
The Liberation of Borneo was largely an attempt by Australia to bring attention to their involvement in the Pacific. They had stayed out of much of the war, including the liberation of the Philippines, and General Douglas MacArthur (of America) conducted the operation to show that Australia’s forces had not been placed in “operational backwaters.” Borneo, specifically, was selected because MacArthur believed that it would be a good strategic point to have in order to recapture Java. Once they took control of Java, they would be able to return the East Indies to the Dutch.
The Battle of Okinawa The Battle of Okinawa was the last land and sea battle in the Pacific and the final major campaign in the Pacific. Tens of thousands of Japanese, both soldiers and citizens were killed and tens of thousands of American soldiers were killed. The battle began April first, 1945 AKA L-Day. (Fun fact: This was both April Fools’ Day and Easter Sunday.) American forces had landed March 26th but the Japanese had chosen not to defend their beaches. May 3rd, the Japanese general Ushijima ordered a counterattack which, in the end, failed. The island fell June 21st, although some Japanese soldiers continued fighting for some time after. The lasting impact of this battle was that it ideally set up US forces for the land invasion they had planned and also gave them a foothold right next to mainland Japan. This stronghold eventually allowed the American forces to drop the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Battle of Iwo Jima The battle of Iwo Jima was fought for the island of the same name as the American forces were island-hopping through the south Pacific. The Japanese forces were led by General Kuribayashi. He had his troops hide in underground bunkers which were interconnected by an estimated 11-16 miles of tunnels. He called for no Japanese survivors, implying that his soldiers were to fight to the death rather than be taken prisoner. American forces bombarded the island for seventy-two days prior to their invasion of the island but the Japanese soldiers’ fortifications meant this had a smaller effect than was hoped. As a result, the island took one month for the Americans to take rather than the hoped two weeks. Although it is a small island, Iwo Jima had two airfields the Japanese used to bomb American ships. The Americans saw that if these could be used as their own air bases, the air strips would be of great tactical importance giving the Americans base close to Japan and a launching pad for further island-hopping. Having Iwo Jima as a base also allowed American bombers to be escorted by shorter-range fighter jets on missions and gave damaged American planes an emergency landing spot.
The United States out powered the Japanese force in her diminishing efforts at Leyte Gulf, in October of 1944 . The United States fleet consisted of 8 large carriers, 24 small carriers, 1 battleship and over 140 destroyers. The US air force also employed over 1700 fighter planes. Japan on the hand only had 4 aircraft (only 1 of which was significant enough in size to have the slightest chance of succeeding against the American carriers. More importantly though, Japan only had a near 7 percent of the fighter planes as the US! This truly shows how the oil embargo put on by the US, disallowed Japan to gain substantial power for its air force. In other words, the limiting of oil, allowed the US to overpower (and outnumber) the Japanese more easily. The second influence of the Ally victory was, the United States power under water. US submarines played a key role in the Ally victory at Leyte Gulf, because they helped detect/find Japanese vessels in the Pacific. The incorporation of Australia in the battle, also gave America the leading edge, because non of Japan’s allies were assisting them at Leyte Gulf.
The American’s northern campaign, issued an attack on Leyte Gulf’s northern edge. The Japanese were no match to the United States, military, army, air force, tactics, and resource availability.
The battle of Leyte Gulf is considered to be the largest naval battle of WWII. This battle took place in the waters near the Philippine islands. This battle was fought between the Allies (U.S. and Australia) and Japan. They fought each other by using their navy and air force forces. The U.S. invaded the island of Leyte to isolate Japan from the countries that it had occupied in South East Asia. As the battle began, Japan moved almost all of its remaining naval forces to intercept the U.S. navy’s 3rd and 7th fleets. As Japan was losing more and more forces, they turned to their aircraft kamikaze attacks to hurt the Allied forces. Since this was the first battle where Japan used kamikaze aircraft, some of the attempts were failures. Though some would hit an Allied ship, most would either be shot down or miss the target completely. When the planes hit the ships, they caused much damage to the point when some ships sunk. Though the kamikaze strategy was great at weakening the Allied forces, Japan had a lot less aircraft than the Allies had naval forces. Therefore, Japan suffered many losses while failing to achieve their objective. This battle helped lead to the Allied victory over Japan because after the battle, allied forces gained control over the Leyte Gulf, which supplied them with a great strategic position to invade Japan with. The battle also helped, because it stopped the Japanese forces from expanding onward.
The battle of Iwo Jima (also called Operation Detachment) was a battle where the U.S. fought for Iwo Jima against Japan. This was the first battle where the U.S. forces took the war to the Japanese homeland. The U.S. planned to take control of the two airfields on Iwo Jima to aid them in the battle. On the island, Japanese forces were heavily fortified with bunkers, heavy artillery and underground tunnels. The U.S. forces had naval and air support, to put a huge amount of firepower onto the Japanese forces. ¬In the beginning of the battle, Japan had just over 18,000 troops and the Americans had over 110,000 troops. From the start, Japanese defeat was assured because the Americans had superior arms and numbers. In the end the Americans took over the island. This battle was significant for the American’s victory over Japan because in the end, the island of Iwo Jima proved to be a great strategic point that lead to Japan’s defeat.
The Battle Of Leyte Gulf lasted from October 23-26, 1944, it was the key battle in World War II that gave the Allies control over the Pacific and one of the largest naval battles in history. The Allied assault on the island of Leyte prompted the Japanese to initiate Shō-Gō 1. This called for the Japanese Northern Force to act as a decoy luring away U.S. Forces so that the Southern Force and Center Force (by far the largest of the two) could advance on Leyte. The U.S. Admiral Halsey of the Third Fleet discovered the Center Force and engaged but only was able to partially damage the Japanese Fleet due to the bulk of the normally large force being rearmed. Following many miscommunications, Halsey later proceeded to pursue the Northern Force, leaving the San Bernadino Strait (which he had previously announced he was guarding from an impending attack by the remaining Center Force) completely undefended. Meanwhile, the Southern Force was swiftly defeated by the Seventh Fleet at the Surigao Strait. The remaining Center Force then proceeded unburdened through the San Bernadino Strait towards the island of Leyte where they encountered the Seventh Fleet which managed to hold off the much greater Japanese Fleet and force a retreat. The Third Fleet had for the most part crushed the all but worthless decoy Northern Force and when it finally turned around to assist the Seventh Fleet, the Center Force had all but fled. The Battle of Leyte Gulf is of supreme importance as it crippled the Japanese Navy as well as gave the U.S. Control over the Pacific. It is also notable that this was the first time kamikaze suicide pilots were used by the Japanese.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The island of Iwo Jima is a very small and very strategic landmass inside the Japanese island chain. It could be used by the American forces to launch bombing raids on Japan or could be used by the Japanese to intercept attacks made on the main island of Honshu as it was home to three Japanese airfields. The Japanese force of 22,000 men on the island were commanded by Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi who was adamant in his defense of the island. The American forces, headed by Admiral Nemitz, had a huge numbers advantage and planned to use it. However for two months prior to the actual invasion, bombing runs and artillery shelling from battleships were ordered in hopes of softening up defenses. To the contrary, they only served to provide better hideouts for the Japanese as their main defensive bases were fortified to be impenetrable to shelling and bombing. The actual land invasion commenced on February 19th, 1945 and despite taking 2,400 causalities, the first two days of the invasion managed to cut the island in two pieces and the U.S. was able to secure Mount Surbachi (the southern half of the island) and two airfields by the 23rd. The northern half of the island gave the U.S. considerably more trouble as the Japanese showed tremendous fortitude in their defense and most often fought to the death. Though the fighting was extremely fierce, the Marines were finally able to declare the island secure on March 16. The final Japanese counterattack, supposedly led in person by Kuribayashi on March 25th was easily squashed. Much can be said for Japanese nationalism (or the effects of propaganda) as only 216 soldiers were taken captive out of the starting 22,000. The Allied forces suffered a massive 26,000 casualties which is the only time Allied casualties outnumbered Japanese in a conflict. The Battle of Iwo Jima served immense importance soon after as it was a crucial emergency landing zone for the B-29’s that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as over 4,000 Allied aircraft.
This battle went on from October 23-25 in 1994. It was known to be the largest naval battle ever fought which resulted in victory from the Allies. In late 1944 the Allied leaders began operations in order to free the Philippines. Initially, they planned for it to take place on the island of Leyte with ground forces with the ground forces commanded by Douglas Macarther. The landings on Leyte began on October 20, 1944. The Japanese commander, Soemu Toyoda, was already aware of the American intentions in the Philippines and therefore tried to stop the invasion. It called for all of Japan’s remaining naval strength. The Japanese quickly had to draw up a desperate plan which would risk the remaining forces but would still give them a chance to destroy the American invasion fleet and would isolate the Allied ground forces on Leyte.
There were several air-raids and fleet attacks which resulted in the Americans loosing 18 aircrafts. One enormous battleship, Musashi, was the target of several air carrier groups. They took her down and she sank after being hit by 10 bombs and 19 torpedoes. The escort carrier USS Princeton was also sunk by land-based bombers during the battle as well as many others. Overall the Japanese lost 4 aircraft carriers, 8 cruisers, 3 battleships, and 12 destroyers, and over 10,000 men. On the other hand, the Allied forces only lost 1,500 men, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 destroyers, and 2 escort carriers. Unfortunately for the Japanese, this battle marked the last time that the Imperial Japanese Navy would be able to conduct such a large operation during the war. The Battle of the Leyte Gulf ‘opened the doors’ to liberation for the Philippines and cut off the Japanese from their previous conquered territories in Southeast Asia.
Battle of Okinawa
This battle was known as the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War and the first time American’s fought on Japanese soil. It was also the largest amphibious warfare, which is the use of naval firepower and strategy to push military power ashore, in the Pacific War. In April 1845, German resistance was quickly failing but the Empire of Japan were still resisting American advances across the Pacific. Okinawa, located 400 miles south of Japan, if in possession of the Allies would cut Japan’s sea lines from communication and for isolation so raw materials will not be able to come from the South. This island’s main contribution to the war was the production of sugarcane which would be converted into alcohol for torpedoes and engines.
The invasion started on April 1st, 1945 when 60,000 troops, consisting of two marine and two army divisions, landed. It was nicknamed Operation Iceberg and the landing was known as ‘Love Day’ since they landed with practically no opposition. Even though there more than 100,000 Japanese troops defending Okinawa, they chose not to defend the beaches. The landings on April first were part of their strategy to avoid casualties defending the beach against allied forces. The Japanese also dug caves and tunnels on high ground which were away from the beaches as an attempt to negate the Allies' air and sea power. In the end, the Americans were victorious although the casualties were more than 38,000 Americans wounded and 12,000 killed. Additionally, 34 allied ships and crafts were sunk and 368 damaged. The fleet had also lost 763 aircraft. On the other hand, the Japanese lost more than 107,000 men during the battle, which was approximately half of the total number of soldiers, and their pride since the Japanese were forced to surrender and the battle resulted in defeat on their very own soil.
With America in the war, tension rose between them and Japan. Japan felt threatened by America’s power, and feared that they would lose their chance of taking power of the Philippines. Japan felt that the only way to take control was to get America out of the war altogether. In order to do this, they planned on attacking American ships, in what would be known as The Battle of the Leyte Gulf. This would not be an easy attack, considering the American’s had many more ships and supplies, so Japan strategically planned their attack, in hopes that they would not have failure. Not only did they create a plan, they also changed their code so that there was no way their attack would be suspected. Despite their strong efforts, the American’s greatly outnumbered the Japanese, therefore the Japanese tried even harder to compete. They used Kamikazes to be more powerful, but unfortunately this backfired and destroyed many planes and caused extreme damage. Not only did the Japanese not gain control of the Philippines, but they also suffered severe loss in aircrafts, ships, and men. Despite Japan’s attempt, in the end Allied forces gained control of the Leyte Gulf. Unfortunately for Japan, it did the opposite of what they set out to do. In the end, this attack caused Japan’s forces to be unable to expand.
The Battle of Okinawa is known to be one of the bloodiest battles. 107,539 Japanese soldiers were killed. The fight between Americans and Japanese began in April of 1945. Unfortunately, the Japanese and American’s were not the only ones caught in the cross fire. The inhabitants of Okinawa suffered severe loss. Despite the American’s landing and suggesting an attack, the Japanese did not defend the beaches. Although much effort was put in by the Japanese, including creating tunnels in hopes of negating Allied power, the Americans became victorious. That being said, the American’s suffered extreme loss of not only weapons and ships, but also American troops.
The Battle of Okinawa The Battle of Okinawa was a large battle fought on the island of Okinawa over 82 days between April and June of 1945. The battle was fought to secure the island of Okinawa, which was just over 300 miles from the Japanese mainland. The island was to be used as a strategic launch point and airstrip for the final Allied raid on Japan, codenamed Operation Downfall. The operation began on March 26th, 1945, when soldiers of the 77th Infantry division landed in the Kerama islands, an island chain 15 miles from Okinawa. The army secured the islands over the course of week, suffering far fewer casualties than the Japanese army. This capture provided the US naval fleet providing operational support with a safe place to anchor, and prevented the opportunities for Japanese Kamikaze boat attacks. Several days later, Marines took Keise Shima, a set of islets just a few miles from the Okinawa capital. US forces placed artillery on these islands to provide support for the ground forces when they landed on Okinawa. On April 1st, the initial Allied forces began landing on western and southern Okinawa a beaches. Several different Army and Marine divisions assaulted the island from different points, while a Marine division displayed a show of force on the southeastern beaches in order to confuse Japanese commanders and slow the movement of reinforcements. The southern areas of Okinawa were taken with relative ease, but fighting on the northern beaches was heavy. The Japanese were well fortified and engaged in strong hand to hand combat. After a week of fighting, the Allies realized they had only taken out defenses leading up to the primary line. What followed were a series of offensives and counter offensives by Japanese and Allied forces. Over the course of several months, the Allied forces eventually took the island, suffering heavy casualties in the process. The taking of Okinawa provided a key point for the staging of Allied ships and as a landing strip and airfield for Allied planes. It is believed that the fierce resistance, and the high number of casualties, both civilian and military, that were suffered when taking the island led to the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan rather than participate in a ground invasion, as it was felt that a ground invasion would be too difficult and costly.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of WWII. It took place in the waters off of the Philippines, and was important towards Allied victory as it resulted in the destruction of a large portion of the Japanese fleet and the removal of Japanese access to large oil reserves. The Battle of Leyte Gulf took place between October 23rd and 26th, 1944, and featured Allied and Japanese forces, with the Allies holding a large numerical advantage, with more Allied sea vessels involved than Japanese planes. The Battle is noteworthy as the first time that the Japanese utilized Kamikaze tactics, inflicting significant losses on the Allied forces. The primary objective of the Allied assault was to prevent Japanese access to the islands surrounding the Japanese mainland, preventing defensive attacks during a final assault on the Japanese mainland, and to cut off Japanese access to oil supplies. The battle was successful in this respect, and Japanese forces were unable to reach the petroleum that was needed to fuel their large naval fleets or provide power for industry, including manufacture of weaponry and aircraft. The lack of oil meant that many of the larger and more powerful ships in the Japanese navy would remain at dock for the remainder of WWII, unable to mobilize due to the dearth of oil available to the Japanese.
The lack of oil, coupled with the destruction of a large portion of the remaining Japanese fleet, significantly reduced the threat posed by the Japanese navy, and allowed the US to continue the Island hopping process until it reached Okinawa, a battle which was shortly followed by the launch of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the conclusion of hostilities with Japan shortly thereafter.
The Battle of Okinawa, code named operation iceberg, began on Easter Sunday April 1, 1945. It was the largest amphibious invasion in the Pacific War and the last major campaign. It was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. It killed more people than the combined casualties of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Thirty-four allied ships were sunk by kamikazes, and 368 ships damaged. In the spring of 1945, the German resistance was disintegrating, but Japan continued to fervently resist American advances across the Pacific. The stakes became higher for the Japanese as they began defending their homeland and confidence became desperation. The Japanese did not view the people of Okinawa as equals but they valued the land as a colonial possession. Okinawa’s harbors and airfields were used during the war but it produced no surplus food or industrial goods to be useful to the military. The only benefit the Japanese extracted from Okinawa was the sugarcane which could be converted into commercial alcohol for torpedos and engines. For the Allies, Okinawa served a much greater purpose. The harbors and airfields were necessary for an amphibious assault and possession of Okinawa would cut off Japanese sea lines of communication and isolate it from vital sources of raw material in the south. In the first wave of the invasion, the Japanese chose not to defend the beaches even though they had 100,000 troops available. This was a mistake and gave Americans the advantage. On April 7th, the frightened desperation began to take effect. Massed formations of Kamikaze aircraft called kikusui, for “floating chrysanthemum”, for the imperial symbol of Japan, attacked the Allied forces. This hopeless plight continued as the first “baka” or piloted, suicide rocket bombs, were spotted below Japanese bombers on March 21st. Monsoon rains turned the battle fields into WWI-like conditions. The dead and wounded sank into the mud and decayed. This only worsened as General Ushijima ordered a retreat due to heavy pressure on the Shuri Line. Japanese soldiers, too wounded to travel, were given lethal injections of morphine and left behind to die. General Ushijima committed ritual suicide on June 16th, convinced that he had done his duty defending his country and serving the Emperor. On June 21, 1945, George company, 22nd regiment, Sixth Marine Diviison, the same outfit that raised the flag on the northern end, did the honors on the southern end. The Battle for Okinawa was over.
October 23 through 25, 1944 The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle ever fought. It gave the Allies control over the Pacific in just 3 days. It consisted of two preliminary strikes against the Japanese forces on the way to battle and three massive engagements once the fleets tangled. This made a total of five parts, each with its own name: The Palawan Passage: The first Japanese force to be located by American forces was Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force. They were found in the in the Palawan Passage by two submarines. Kurita didn’t deploy destroyers in an anti-submarine screen ahead of his heavy ships. This resulted in disaster for the Japanese when he was suddenly ambushed by an array of undetected torpedoes. Battle of the Sibuyan Sea: The Japanese Center Force was spotted retreating to the narrow Sibuyan Sea by planes from the USS Intrepid. The attack was successfully executed. The second wave of planes zeroed in on achieved numerous direct hits with more bombs and torpedoes. Finally, a third wave of terror was once again unleashed by planes aboard the Enterprise. Admiral Kurita turned his fleet around to get out of the range of U.S. planes. The Battle of Surigao Strait: October 24th, Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura's southern forces failed to synchronize with other Japanese central forces because of strict radio silence that had been imposed. He ventured towards the Surigao Strait where the Allied forces had set and elaborate trap consisting of torpedos, two groups of destroyers, six battleships, and then more cruisers and destroyers. Of the seven ships that entered the Surigao Strait, only one survived. The Battle off Cape Engaño: The US seized the opportunity to destroy the last Japanese carrier forces in the Pacific, a blow that would cripple Japanese sea power and allow the U.S. Navy to attack. All the Japanese carriers were sunk or disabled, Only the converted battleships Ise and Hyuga escaped and returned to Japan. They were sunk upon arrival. Battle of Samar: Admiral Kurita passed through San Bernardino Strait at 3 a.m. and progressed southward along the coast of Samar. They caught the US’s “Taffy3” off gaurd and commenced to attack it. The Taffy3 fought with ferocious determination and survived the attack, successfully warding off the Japanese threat. The Imperial Japanese Navy had begun the battle with five battleships; when the remaining forces returned to Japan, only one was combat worthy.
The Battle of Iwo Jima was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands. Capturing Iwo Jima was part of the Americans three-point plan for winning the war. By 1944, American desired to destroy Japan’s merchant fleet so that Japan’s mainland could not be supplied by the food-rich sectors of South East Asia, which the Japanese stilled had control over. On the first day of landing, February 19, 1945 the Marines took heavy casualties because the American bombings had not been effective. What it did do was give the Japanese more opportunities to find hiding-holes for snipers, and also meant that the United States’ movement inland was obstructed because the area had been heavily bomb. The island of Iwo Jima proved to be difficult to take, and the Americans only advanced several hundred meters a day.
By March 11th, the Japanese were trapped around Kitano Point. By March 16th, Iwo Jima was proclaimed secure and all resistance had come to an end on the 26th. The tiny island had been taken by America and took over a month to take over. In the process of taking over the island the Marines lost 6,891 men and 18,070 were wounded. Only 212 out of 22,000 Japanese soldiers were taken as prisoners. The Imperial soldiers showed the Americans that they could defend their positions tenaciously. Despite the heavy casualties and fighting on both sides, from the start Japanese defeat was assured. The Americans dominated an immense superiority in arms and numbers; this ensured that there were no likely scenarios in which the United States could have lost the battle.
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the largest amphibious invasion and was proven to be the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. The nickname, Operation Iceberg, had more ships, more troops on shore, more supplies transferred, more bombs dropped, and more naval guns fired against shore targets than any other operation in the Pacific. The Americans lost more than 12,000 and wounded 38,000 soldiers, and the Japanese lost 107,000 soldiers and about 100, 000 civilian perished during the battle. This battle lost more people than the killing during the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The invasion began April 1, 1945, the American gathered off shore with 10 battleships, including several Pearl Harbor survivors, Maryland, West Virginia, and USS Tennessee. Also there were 9 cruisers, 23 destroyers, and 117 rocket gunboats. Okinawa was strongly defended by its troops, but the Japanese chose not to defend the beaches. The Japanese overall strategy was to avoid casualties by not defending the beaches. Also they dug into caves and tunnels on high ground away from the beaches to countermand the Allies. The invasion was a victory for the U.S. Some military historians believed that this battle led directly to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which caused Japan to surrender later.
The Battle of Okinawa The Battle of Okinawa was fought after a long chain of “Island Hopping” was already done by the Americans. The “Island Hopping” brought Americans closer and closer to Japan and allowed them to stage attacks from shorter distances away. The significance of Okinawa was it provided an extremely well-placed air base for the US to attack Japan from. Also, in taking over Okinawa, the US would put some key Japanese air bases out of business. The battle of Okinawa was codenamed “Operation Iceberg” and had one of the highest casualty rates of all of the battle fought in World War II. The American land forces were meant to outnumber Japanese land forces eight to two and half. They were also meant to have superior firepower. The American navy suffered extremely high casualties in this battle, but accomplished their goals and landed on Okinawa. The British air fleet assisted the US in this battle; its job was to secure the air base in Okinawa and prevent Kamikaze attacks from the Japanese. The Japanese launched an attack called “Ten-Go” but this attack failed and the Japanese lost 3700 sailors while taking out only ten US planes and twelve airmen. American forces landed on Okinawa on April 1. The Tenth Army took two airbases and then went on to take northern Okinawa. There was heavy resistance by the Japanese but the area was taken. Le Shima, a small island off the coast of Okinawa, was also taken and made into an American airbase. Meanwhile, three other infantry divisions were on their mission to take Southern Okinawa. Their first objective was to take the Shuri Line which was heavily fortified. Then they went on to take Kakazu Ridge. This was exceptionally difficult because the Japanese would attack from and hide in caves along the ridge. Both sides received heavy casualties. Naval marine planes came to assist by launching rockets and dropping mortars into the caves. Eventually, the American forces flushed the Japanese out of the caves and finally took Okinawa. Iwo Jima Iwo Jima was the first battle fought on the Japanese “home islands.” The battle began February 19, 1945. When the US entered Iwo Jima, they expected to win the battle without fail because the Japanese had nowhere to retreat, they had nowhere from which to call reinforcements, and the US had superiority in arms and numbers. Still, the Japanese put up an incredible defense and fought ferociously. They had established vast bunkers and hidden artillery all over the island. Japan did not expect to win the battle of Iwo Jima, but wanted to inflict as many casualties as possible. The US captured Iwo Jima with capturing only two small airbases it held in mind. What they did not know at the time was that the Battle of Iwo Jima had secured the US with a future landing site for the plane carrying the atomic bomb. The bomb, due to lack of resources and expensive materials, was not easily or lightly replaced once lost. Many feared the failure or attacking of the plane carrying the atomic bomb somewhere in the Pacific. This could be catastrophic and prolong the war to the point where invasion of Japanese mainland would become necessary. The position of Iwo Jima provided the US with an emergency landing site for planes and a radar system near Japan that could detect planes that could possibly prevent the “delivery” of the atomic bomb to Japan. The island was also usefull in the refueling and emergency landing of other planes, not carrying such explosive baggage, but strategically it was most important for the Manhattan Project.
The Battle of Iwo Jima was the US’s attempt to capture the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. This 4.5 mile island would play a critical role in the United States’ occupation of Japan. The US wanted to take control of the island in order to use its airstrips for the impending raid on Japan. However, the Japanese saw the protection of the island as critical to national security. They had fortified the island with underground pill boxes and 16 miles of tunnels containing artillery. The attack commenced on February 19, 1945. Almost 22,000 artillery shells were expended in the conflict, and approximately 6,800 tons of explosive. During the battle, the Japanese tactic of suicide when cornered became more prominent. Due to this, almost all Japanese who took part in the conflict were killed, only 2,000 out of 22,000 survived. This number of casualties is extremely high compared to that of the United States’ side. The US lost only 6,000 men. This battle was a keystone in the US’s campaign to end the war. It allowed US forces to have a “base” to station their planes and ships before they were needed for war.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
Towards the end of the war, Japan began to grow wary of the US’s troops in the pacific. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was their final attempt to rid themselves of these forces. The Japanese followed a tactic similar to Hitler’s Blitzkrieg, hitting the US with all of the ground forces it had available. The Japanese knew that if they lost in the Philippines the war would soon be over for them. The United States outnumbered Japan’s forces severely. In some areas the US outnumbered Japan 8 to 1. This led to the Japanese getting extremely desperate and resorting to kamikaze tactics. Before long, the Japanese had succeeded in destroying sever American ships, but not without cost. The Japanese lost several airplanes to the kamikaze method and just as many lives. The United States still heavily outnumbered the Japanese at the end of the conflict. And now the US possessed the Philippines, another crucial military “base” to be used for future attacks on Japan. These attacks would eventually end the war.
The Battle of Iwo Jima started on February 9, 1945 and ended on March 16, 1945. Iwo Jima itself was a small island that the Japanese had fortified with three airstrips and burrows reinforced with concrete and steel through out the island. The Allies, especially the Americans wanted to get rid of the Japanese and use it as their own base. They U.S. bombed Iwo Jima for two and a half months while the Japanese burrowed even deeper into the island.
On Febuary 19, 1945 marines were landed on the coast of Iwo Jima. By the end of the battle 110,000 American troops would have landed and fight against the 22,000 Japanese soldiers. At first they were met with very little resistance but than the marines were fired upon. It took five days for the marines to capture both airstrips and the island highest point. This was a tough blow to the Japanese but they did not back down and still had two defensive lines in tact. They held their own and caused many marine casualties but eventually the Japanese were overpowered. There were 5931 marine casualties, while the Japanese suffered 20,703 deaths out of 22,000.
This battle was a huge blow to the Japanese and was an extremely important battle to Allies because it deprived the Japanese of a defensive base. The most crushing part of the loss for the Japanese was the loss of morale. They had lost and if they lost a battle, couldn’t they also lose a war?
For the Americans the victory was needed to have a base and to boost morale. It saved the lives of soldiers that were on crippled B-29s. Overall, the victory helped the Allies win against the Japanese.
Battle of Okinawa
The Okinawa campaign’s goal was to take the island and use it as a base to invade the Japanese mainland. The Japanese knew how important the island was and place over 100,000 troops there to protect it. The Japanese planned to hold the island and let the kamikazes destroy the navy.
Admiral Chester Nimitz led the American invasion and the first attack came on March 26, 1945. The Americans were able to take two islands off the coast of Okinawa. On April 1, the marines landed on the western coast of Okinawa. By nighttime, 50,000 troops had landed. By April 20, four fifths of the island we under American control. All that was left were the rest of the Japanese troops that would never give up. They put up a great battle as the island was named secure months later on July 2nd, 1945. The Japanese army was destroyed as 100,000 troops were killed in the battle.
During the duration of this battle, fights in the air and sea were also taking place. These also ended badly for the Japanese any their navy, army and air force were almost wiped out. This battle was extremely important, as it was the last major battle of WWII. It was the beginning of the end for the Japanese and the beginning of victory for the Allies. Because America captured the island they were able to use it as a base for the final Bombing of Japan. Without Okinawa, the Allies might not have won the war, or won as soon as the had.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was conducted by American commander General Macarthur. American and Filipino forces invaded the Philippine island of Leyte, a significant Japanese supplying port, on October17th, 1944 to end the Japanese occupation of the Philippine area and therefore disable Japanese forces. It was also Japan’s last attempt to remove American outfits from the Pacific. Lieutenant General Shiro Makino led Japanese forces throughout the Battle. The Battle or Leyte Gulf was the largest amphibious endeavor made by the Allied/ American troops in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. The first attack occurred, as mentioned on October the 17th and was followed by two later attacks of separate islands. One attack came to be known as A-Day. The Americans succeeded in defeating the Japanese on three Philippine Islands. This success gained the American’s a significant position not far from the coast of Japan for invasion. Overall, the battle was won with only a total of 49 killed, 192 wounded, and 6 missing.
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a battle fought in Iwo Jima, an area on Japanese that lay equally between the US and Japanese bomber bases in the Marianas. This Battle was fought between the American Allies and the Japanese. General Kuribayashi led the Japanese units. The US sent in their largest armada to have been active during the Second World War so far and also attempted an air raid on the Japanese however the raid was not nearly as effective as hoped due to the Japanese positions in concrete bunkers under ground. US marines invaded the beaches at Iwo Jima and were immediately met by volcanic ash scattered by a nearby volcanoe. Soldiers that did not encounter ash were easy targets for hidden Japanese gunmen. This invasion was the beginning of D-Day. The US soldiers who made it up the beaches and bombarded the hiding Japanese won the battle using liquid gas, napalm and hand grenades. The Allied forces finished the battle having suffered 75% casualties and returned to their boats with only 1 of the seven original officers. The Batlle of Iwo Jima was a ferocious battle and an epic American victory.
The taking of the island Okinawa was an important part of overall U.S. Pacific military strategy. The United States goal was to reach the heart of Japan’s industry. Okinawa is only 340 miles away from mainland Japan. This island would enable the US to provide support to China as well as be within bombing distance to Japan. The strategy was to island hop all the way to Japan. Operation Iceberg was the plan to take a chain of islands that contained Okinawa. The battle started on April 1, 1945 and lasted until mid-June, The United States partnered with Great Britain to gain this strategic island. The United States used both their Pacific fleet along with their land forces to take over the island. In a last ditch effort the Japanese started using kamikaze pilots; they would intently fly their planes into the carriers in order to destroy them. This battle had the highest amount of casualties through the whole war. It was also the first battle that the United States fought on Japanese soil. The outcome of the Okinawa battle was that 90% of the buildings on the island were destroyed; however the Americans coined the phrase “exceeded all hope”, the United had won the island they needed in order to bomb Japan.
Battle of Iwo Jima
Operation Detachment or The Battle of Iwo Jima started in February of 1945. The United States goal was to capture the two air bases on the island. The Americans knew it was going to be a difficult task, the Japanese positions on the island were heavily armed, with huge bunkers, hidden weapons, and a vast underground tunnel system throughout the island. The plan was relatively simple before the initial invasion air planes would bomb the island for 74 days, and the naval ships would bomb for 10 days. However, the navy trying to save ammunition for the invasion of Okinawa, only bombed for 3 days. Despite this set back the attack occurred on February 19, it started with a few Marine divisions landing on the southern beaches and taking over a base. In the mean in another division would invade from the north. The battle ended on March 26 of that same year, out of 22,785 Japanese on the island 21,570 died by the battle or suicide. On the other hand the US only lost 6,821 men. The United States needed to take Iwo Jima so that the B-29s that were holding the atomic bomb could have an emergency landing spot.
Both of these battles were extremely fierce battle taking place at the end of the second World War. Japan surrendered only a few weeks after the end of the Battle of Okinawa with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These battles showed the determination of the Japanese and their belief in death rather than dishonor in battle. The ferocity of the Japanese soldiers caused many US casualties and made each battle a challenge. The battle of Iwo Jima took place on an uninhabited island near the main Japanese island chain between Japan and the United States. By the time this battle occurred, Japan’s defeat was unavoidable. Germany and Italy had surrendered and the USSR had joined the Allies leaving Japan to fight the world alone. With each successive capture of an island, Japan’s impending defeat became more obvious but that did not make Japanese soldiers simply allow the Allied forces to take the islands without a fight. The Imperial Army had resorted to Kamikaze pilots and forced the US Navy to adopt a strategy of ‘island hopping’ where they would attack an island then use it as a base to attack the next one and so forth. The Japanese heavily fortified their islands and it took many thousands of lives to capture an island. Iwo Jima was one of the Japanese home islands and of the roughly 18,000 soldiers on it at the beginning, only 800 were taken prisoner. Okinawa was an inhabited island where about ¼ of the population were killed in the battle. This battle was the greatest amphibious assault ever with several ships and land units with air support which largely kept the Japanese pinned down. The assault was led by the United States with British troops making up about a quarter of the troops. Kamikazes attacked the aircraft carriers but they largely had armored decks so the pilots were not very effective.
The battle of Iwo Jima was an important Allied victory. Iwo Jima was a tiny island, but it was a great tactical resource. For the Japanese, it could be used to take down American bombers heading for Japan. The Americans, on the other hand, could use it to help with attacks on Japan. The battle started with the Allies bombing the island for two months prior to the attack. This was to destroy the Japanese defenses on the island. Since, the Japanese had thoroughly fortified the island, the Americans thought it necessary to destroy at least some of the defenses. Also, a few days before the invasion, the Americans sent battleships to bombard the coast of the island. Then the actual fighting started. The Americans had a problem right when they landed. All the bombardment had done was create places in the terrain for Japanese snipers. The constant bombing had also made the island harder to travel on for the Americans. The Americans first attacked the island on February 19th, 1945. They faced a tremendous task for such a small island. The Japanese had stationed 22,000 troops for defense along with strong fortifications. The first day was successful though, despite around 2,400 American casualties, the island was cut in half. But there was much to do ahead. Because of Japanese defenses and snipers, the Americans were only able to advance a couple hundred meters per day. The rough terrain also contributed to this. Despite this, the island was American after a little more than a month of going through an extremely fortified, small island. During the battle, the marines lost over 6,000 men and had over 18,000 wounded. Out of the 22,000 Japanese on the island, only 212 were taken as prisoners. The defenses and fighting on the island was important in another way too. It showed the Americans how much the Japanese were going to protect their home. This knowledge influenced the atomic bombing of Japan. The Battle of Okinawa was another extremely important victory and battle for the Americans. Okinawa was below Japan and could be used to attack Japan. The Japanese, knowing this, stationed over 100,000 men to protect the island. Also on the island, were over 400,000 civilians and civilian residents. This battle would prove to be very hard and very costly. The Japanese were aware that Okinawa could be the last battle before Japan and they were taking it seriously. Multiple areas of the island hid Japanese snipers and hideouts. Also, rain stalled and threatened to cancel the American invasion of Okinawa. The American leader went along with the attack despite the rain, but the weather was an issue. The Americans did, however, have some luck. The Japanese launched an offensive that proved disastrous. The problem for the Japanese with the offensive was that they were coming out of their safe trenches. This allowed the Americans to bombard them and decimate their numbers. The Japanese had more than 4 times the number of casualties compared to the Americans in their one disastrous offensive. In the end, after multiple battles, difficulties, and hardships the Americans won the island. The battle on land was not the only one during the battle. In the sea, the Japanese had laid out land mines for the Americans ships to run into. In addition to this, they prepared a fleet. This fleet contained the majority of the Japanese navy, including the essential aircraft carriers. By the end of the battle, the Americans had basically destroyed the Japanese navy and aircrafts. One of the major characteristics of this battle was the increased use of kamikaze pilots. The American navy suffered more losses in this one battle than it did in the entire rest of the war, due to the kamikaze planes flying into the ships by the hundreds.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was part of the Allied plan to liberate the Philippines. Leyte Island was a particularly significant island because of its position in the middle of the Philippine archipelago. General Douglas MacArthur, the American Allied commander in charge of the war in the Pacific, was in command of the ground forces that made the initial landings onto the island of Leyte. The battle began with MacArthur’s invasion and ended six days later with Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita’s hasty retreat. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was an important Allied victory. The Allies were able to gain control of the beachhead on Leyte Island and in doing so were able to liberate the Philippines. This also meant that the Japanese were cut off from their occupied territories in Southeast Asia. The result was that Japan saw a great reduction in the flow of supplies and resources to the home islands. Also, the Imperial Japanese Navy suffered so many losses during this battle, this was the last time that they were able to conduct a large-scale operation during the war. The Japanese lost both ships and moral. However, the Battle of Leyte Gulf also had many negative consequences that accompanied the Ally’s victory. 1,500 soldiers were killed and 1 light aircraft carrier, 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers, 1 destroyer escort were sunk. Still, Allied losses were much lighter then Japanese losses. The opposing forces lost 4 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 8 cruisers, and 12 destroyers, and 10,000+ were killed. Another horror born from this battle was a terrible practice that caused countless people their lives and struck fear into the hearts of those fighting. This battle was the first time that the Japanese had used kamikaze warplanes. It was an act of shear desperation, but the Japanese were encouraged by the successfulness of the kamikaze attacks and continued to use this method later during World War Two.
The Battle of Okinawa, also known as “Operation Iceberg”, was the single battle with the most significant use of amphibious vehicles. This shows how the technological advancements of the time (April 1, 1945 – June 22, 1945) played a key role in the Ally domination in the Pacific during WWII. Japan, suffering from about twice as many casualties as the ally force, was turned away from Okinawa by the summer of 1945. Although domination from the Allies did occur, this 82- day battle took longer than some. The strength of the amphibious vehicles did play a major part in Operation Iceberg; however, air and naval efforts were a part of the American and British victory.
The purpose of obtaining Okinawa was crucial to the Allie victory in the pacific. The location of the island, being only about 350 miles from the mainland [of Japan] would give American, British, and Australian troops access later on in the war. This would allow the Allies to keep a close eye on the Japanese mainland, and provide another barrier for Japanese access to the west coast of the US. This gain, not only provided a barrier to the US for the Japanese, but it also helped the US assure the American citizens that they had more control of the Japanese, which lead to an improvement in moral and trust in the American government. This was a major reason for Allie domination in the pacific because, not only is it important for the US to keep a good relation with other Allied nations, but it is also important to give the American civilians trust in their own government.
The battle of Leyte Gulf took place in October of 1944 between the United States and Japan. This battle is considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and perhaps one on the largest in history. The battle took place in the Philippines islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon. The United States wished to land on the Philippines in order to take back what the Japanese had taken from them. The Japanese wanted to prevent the United States from landing at all costs. In previous naval battles the Americans had had devices in which they could listen to the Japanese radio. This time the Japanese switched and minimized their use of radio leaving the Americans at a disadvantage. Not only this, but in Japan’s desperate situation they introduced the use of Kamikaze pilots. These were pilots who drove their planes into ships, committing suicide, in order to blow up the enemy. This loyalty to the nation of Japan showed their desperateness and cultural tendencies. These disadvantages and the careful planning of the Japanese admiral Toyoda Soemu were almost catastrophic for the Allies. The Japanese pulled the Americans to the northern side of the island in order to pinch them off. One side of the pinch was delayed by US air fighting forces eventually leading to success. The allies pulled through in the end by defeating the battle ships of the Japanese navy. The Americans outnumbered the forces of the Japanese and the Japanese suffered great losses. The battle of Leyte was the final offensive act for the Japanese. Earlier the war had turned around for the allied side but it was here that winning was a clear sign in the distance.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima is highly celebrated in the US with many statues and reenactments of the victory. This battle took place in February of 1945, towards the end of the war. Before this there had been 72 days of bombardment on the island with 12,600 tons of bombs being dropped. Iwo Jima is only a volcanic island, but the Japanese built it with airstrips and was one of the largest defenses for the rest of Japan. For this reason the Americans wanted control of this island in order to use it for their own advantage in taking Japan. The Americans landed with great amounts of troops and without much difficulty at first. They met first enemy fire about 350 yards onto the island. They continued forward without much trouble taking the first airstrip in 2 days and the tallest point of the island in 5 days. This weakened the morale of the Japanese, yet almost caused them to fight harder. The Japanese held off the marines for ten days in their deep bunkers but eventually fell to the powerful supreme American forces. Many Japanese took their own lives, since Americans on their own soil was even more frightening. They fought to the death. The defeat of Iwo Jima caused great depression of morale in the society of the Japanese. Having Americans on their homeland caused greater strife than ever before. The airstrips allowed for many US navy soldiers to be saved and aided the final defeat of the Japanese in World War II.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and also one of the largest naval battles in history. It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar, and Luzon, from October 23rd to the 26th 1944, between naval and naval-air forces of the Allies and those of the Empire of Japan. On October 20th, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it occupied in South East Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of necessary oil supplies. The Imperial Japanese Navy assembled nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion. However, was beaten by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. The Japanese failed to achieve its objective, suffered very heavy losses, and never afterwards sailed to battle in comparable force. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel, remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War.
Battle of Okinawa The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Island of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War. The 82 day long battle lasted from early April until mid-June, 1945. The battle resulted in one of the highest number of casualties of any World War II battle. Japan lost over 100,000 troops, and the Allies suffered more than 50,000 casualties. Also, more than 100,000 civilians were killed, wounded, or committed suicide. Approximately one-quarter of the civilian population died due to the invasion. The main objective of the operation was to seize a large island only 340 miles away from mainland Japan. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland, coded Operation Downfall. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Soviet entry into the war caused Japan to surrender just weeks after the end of the fighting at Okinawa.
Battle of Okinawa The Battle of Okinawa was one of the biggest amphibious attacks during the Pacific War. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the War because there were a large number of troops, ships, bombs and guns used than any other war in the Pacific. There was a large loss of life for both the Japanese and the Americans. One of the results of this battle was that the U.S. was in close proximity to Japan and set up a military base near Japan. This was helpful to the U.S. because they were gaining more Japanese land with each battle and they were getting closer to Japan.
Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the battles that displayed fierce fighting. This was a battle in which the United States captured Iwo Jima from Japan. The capture of Iwo Jima was critical for the later atomic bombings on Japan. The Americans used Iwo Jima as a place for the planes carrying the atomic bombs to land. The United States wanted a base that was near Japan for the bombings. The Battle of Iwo Jima was critical for the Americans because it showed the end of the war. From the beginning of the battle, the Japanese were defeated because there were a large number of Americans in the military and in the naval and air forces.
The Battle of Iwo Jima The invasion of Iwo Jima took place from February 19 – March 26, 1945. The battle was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands. The Imperial soldiers defended their positions with great resolve, but in the end America would be victorious. With 18,000 Japanese soldiers present at the beginning of the battle, only 216 were taken prisoner and the rest were killed or were missing and assumed dead. Iwo Jima was a strategically important t air base for long range bombing efforts against Japan. Crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs needed an emergency landing strip, as the distance between mainland Japan and the U.S. bases in the Mariana Islands was too grate. Iwo Jima would provide this base, as well as allow for sea and air blockades, and would provide the ability to conduct intensive air bombardment and to destroy the Japan’s air and naval capabilities. The seizure of Iwo Jima was necessary, but the prize would not come without a price. During the 36-day assault on Iwo Jima, the fighting that took place would be immortalized. In the words of Commander, Pacific Fleet/Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who said, "Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue." [http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/battleiwojima.htm] The battle was key to America’s success in the war, and do to Iwo Jima’s location in the Pacific islands, which are very close to Japan; it meant that the battle of Okinawa, and the invasion of Japan itself, was not to far away.
The Battle of Okinawa Okinawa was the largest amphibious invasion of the Pacific campaign and the last major campaign of the Pacific War. More people died during the Battle of Okinawa than all those killed during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. American forces landed March 26th, but the Japanese had chosen not to defend their beaches. On May 3rd, the Japanese general Ushijima ordered a counterattack, which, would be unsuccessful. The island fell on June 21st. A total, 34 allied ships and craft of all types had been sunk, mostly by kamikazes, and 368 ships and craft damaged. The fleet also lost 763 aircraft. The use of Kamikazes proved Japans desperation, as they were destroying their own planes in order to sink American ships. Japanese human losses were enormous, 107,539 soldiers were killed, and roughly one tenth to one forth of the civilian population died. Although victorious, America too suffered great casualties, with 38,000 wounded and 12,000 killed. The tenacity of the Japanese troops in the Battle of Okinawa, led to the decision to drop two atomic bomb on Japan, rather than peruse a land invasion that would be both difficult and costly for American troops. The Atomic bombs would ultimately lead to Japan’s surrender.
The Battle of Iwo Jima: Taking place in February of 1944, the Battle of Iwo Jima was the first step of the strategy the Allies forces planned for a complete victory in the Pacific. This operation was vital for the success of the U.S. and Allied forces for multiple strategic, beneficial reasons. First, the location of this island would provide a very efficient and convenient base for the U.S. to land troops in an emergency when airplanes got damaged due to bombing raids. Tactically, this location was necessary for the reinforcement and development of the future main attack on the mainland of Japan. Also, if the United States could take control of the island, they would then be in command of the 3 airstrips located there. Through that achievement, the Kamikaze attacks sent from Iwo Jima would be forever halted, reducing the amount of causalities, destruction, and overall damage. On the 19th of February, the U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima and invaded the island. This bloody and difficult battle cost the United States over 19,200 deaths and Japan estimated about 20,000, but finally on March 26th, the island was declared secure and all resistance had ceased. The Battle of Iwo Jima was a clear victory for the Allied forces and allowed them to proceed in hem ultimate target of defeating Japan in the Pacific.
The Battle of Okinawa: In April 1945, America decided to invade the large island of Okinawa, near the southern tip of Japan. The motive for this was for America to take control of the four airfields that were located on that island. If the United Sates were to take control of this area, it would be extremely advantageous for defeating Japan in the Pacific. "Okinawa would be a virtual 'springboard to victory' for the Allies" (militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/okinawa/default.aspx). Okinawa held over 130,000 Japanese troops and around 450,000 Japanese civilians, thus, if America won, this would definitely increase the power and control of the United States. The U.S. invasion began on April 1st, and by April 20th, the Allies were able to take control of the Northern region of the island. When the Allies advanced to the South of Okinawa, the Japanese tried to resist the attack and halt the U.S. at all costs. During the battle, the Japanese fought with endless determination and devotion through their kamikaze strategy which left both Japan and America with an exceedingly high casualty rate. On May 21st, Lieutenant- General Ushijima, who was in charge of the Japanese troops living on Okinawa Island, commanded his troops to retreat from the defensive line and by June 2nd, America was officially in possession of Okinawa. America lost almost 12,520 people, Japan lost more than 94,000 soldiers, and Okinawa lost just about 93,800 civilians. In total, in this gruesome battle, over 200,000 people died. This victory for the United States gave the Allied forces the advantage because this island would be the ultimate strategic location for attacking the mainland of Japan in the near future.
Shortly after the D-day invasion on February 19th, 1945, the American battle ships turned their big guns onto the island of Iwo Jima at 2 am. Iwo Jima was extremely valuable to both Japan and America due to its location; the island is only 650 miles from the Japanese mainland. This battle was extremely shame to the Japanese because in its 3000 years history, no foreign forces had ever been on the Japanese soil. The Japanese strategy was to not fight above ground, but below ground. They dug caves and tunnels in the rocks and fought from these strategic locations. They did not dig trenches on the beach. Their plan was for each Japanese soldier on Iwo Jima to not survive, but before they do, at least kill 10 American soldiers before death. There were 18,000 Japanese soldiers awaiting the Americans on Iwo Jima. In the battle, the US sent more soldiers to Iwo Jima than any other battle. The U.S. sent out 110,000 marines and 880 battleships. This battle was one of the bloodiest and largest battles in the Pacific War. At 8:30 am, the American sent out the order to land the force. After the marines land on the island, they were unable to dig foxholes for cover due to the loose volcanic ash beach. The casualties were extremely high due to the heavy gun fire from the Japanese machine guns and huge cannons. During the battle, a hundred thousand men were fighting on the tiny island of Iwo Jima; for 36 days, Iwo Jima was the most populated 7.5 miles on earth! The Japanese used Mt. Suribachi, which was a volcanic cone 550 feet above ground, as a huge “pillbox.” The U.S. suffered 75% casualties in this battle, but they still won the battle using napalm, flame throwers, and hand grenades. In this battle, the U.S. lost 6,800 men and 19,200 were wounded. On the Japanese defense side, the situation was bloody and brutal. Out of the 18,590 Japanese soldiers on the island, all are DEAD except for 216 which were captured by the Marines. That’s more than 18,000 Japanese, dead, from defending the foreign forces to reach the Japanese homeland. The extreme nationalism gave the Marines a hard time at every battle against the Japanese because they would not surrender, they would fight to death. After the ferocious fight, the Marines raised a U.S. flag on top of Mt. Suribachi. 40 years later, the U.S. and the Japanese set up a memorial on top of Mt. Suribachi, to commemorate the “ghost of Iwo Jima.” The veteran from both side attended at the event and “reunion.”
After the battle of Iwo Jima, the next target for the Allies was the Island of Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest battles of WWII; it was called “the great battle of WWII.” The battle was also referred as the “Typhoon of Steel” because of the intense gunfire and involvement of tanks and battleships. The Japanese defensive forces had the same mission as the Iwo Jima battle: to prevent the Allies from attacking the mainland Japan. This battle involved both land and sea. The whole battle took 81 days for the U.S. to take over the Island of Okinawa, which is only 20 square miles. During the battle, no place on the Island of Okinawa was save; the heavy crossfire from both side cause both side high causality rates. On April 1, the Allies (U.S. and U.K.) landed 123,000 soldiers on the Island of Okinawa. On the Island of Okinawa, the Japanese had 120,000 soldiers on land, weapon loaded, prepared for the last fight for their country. In the battle, more than 150,000 Okinawan civilians died, either killed or suicide. The desperation of the Japanese made this battle extremely scary for the Allies. Close night hand-to-hand combat and the kamikazes attacks gave the Allies no time to rest. This battle caused 368 Allie battleships, damaged, and 28 sunk. The ships were all sunk by Japanese kamikazes. The Allies suffered 12,500 soldiers killed and 39,000 wounded. The Japanese suffered 110,000 soldiers killed, from land battle and kamikazes, and 7,400 captured. From this battle, U.S. suffered their highest rate of “combat stress reaction” due to the Japanese kamikazes and their extreme nationalism actions. More than 14,000 soldiers retired after this battle.
The Battle of Okinawa was both the largest and last campaign of the Pacific War. More people died in this battle than in the atomic bomb dropping in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. This battle included 100,000 Americans, and 150,000 Okinawan’s, 1/3 of their population. The reason this land was so important to the United States is so they could use the island of Okinawa as an airbase for those planes intending to attack Japan. At this point, America had already defeated several other islands, and Okinawa was just the key to America’s success, as it was one of the closest distances to Japan. America made sure every element of their army was superior to Okinawa’s. For example, America’s land forces outnumbered Okinawa’s eight to two. The British also helped secure America’s army by assisting in their air force and preventing Kamikaze attacks from Japan. The operation was nicknamed Operation Iceberg, and ironically, their landing was known as love day, since the landing caused no opposition. This was the first time the American troops fought on Japanese soil. After only about a month of fighting, America gained four fifths of the island, isolating the Japanese to one small fraction. After only a few months, Japan’s defense tactic of hiding in caves finally failed, and Japan was defeated. America had won the last major battle of WWII. This event marked the beginning of victory for the allies, and defeat for Japan. As a result of the battle, America had a weakened and broke army, and therefore resorted to atomic bombing as means of finally attacking Japan.
Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was in February of 1945. The battle was between America and Japan, on already Japanese territory. The purpose of the battle was so America could capture vital airfields, which would in turn contribute to the success of fighting Japan. This is because the two airfields on the island could be used as emergency landing bases for damaged American airplanes, and also a base for attacking planes headed to Japan. This territory was vital for America, because without it, Japan could easily send planes from the bases and shoot down American planes before they reach Japan. Because Japan knew how important the island was to America, they used every bit of force they had to defend it. The Japanese troops were mainly in underground tunnels with hidden artillery, while the Americans surrounded them with sea and air forces. Japan called about 22,000 soldiers, under command of Lieutenant-General Kuribayashi. However, the United States completely expected to defeat their army, simply because they had nowhere to retreat to, and no more troops could get past America’s defense lines. Even though Japan knew this as well, they held strong defense for a couple of months until they were finally captured for good. Once in the hands of America, Iwo Jima was useful for emergency landings of planes, and a refueling stop. This island would later be strategically important for the Manhattan Project.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of all time, a titanic struggle that took place within the Philippine Islands from October 23-25, 1944. The great strategic importance of the Philippines made it a very high-value target for the United States and a place that the Japanese needed to defend. The Japanese plan was to lure the U.S naval forces away from the island of Leyte with a small decoy fleet, the Northern Force, and then move in with the far larger Central and Southern Forces to retake Leyte. The plan, however, did not quite work out. The Southern Force was annihilated by the 7th Fleet, and the Northern Force, which had contained many of the remaining Japanese aircraft carriers, was almost entirely destroyed by the 3rd Fleet. Finally the Central Fleet attacked the remainder of the 7th Fleet near Leyte, but the 7th Fleet managed to hold off the much larger Japanese force. When the northern and southern Allied navies arrived at the site of the final conflict they were able to mop up the remaining Japanese ships. In desperation, the Japanese used for the first time kamikaze planes which were used as suicide bombs against the Allied ships. Though not very effective, they did damage a good number of Allied ships and would be used for the remainder of the war. This battle was extremely significant for the Allies, as it essentially ended the naval power of the Japanese permanently and cut them off from the entirety of the South Pacific. This put the Americans firmly on the front foot and on the home stretch to defeating Japan. Battle of Iwo Jima Iwo Jima, an island very near to Japan, was of immense strategic importance. While the Japanese held it they could use its airfields to intercept any bombers attempting to raid Japan, while for the Americans it would serve as an excellent staging ground for an eventual invasion of Japan itself. Though the Americans had vastly more troops than the defending Japanese, they still sent bombers and battleships to shell the island relentlessly in the hopes of weakening the Japanese defenses. Unfortunately, however, this was ineffective and only served to strengthen the Japanese as they fortified their defenses to be impenetrable to such artillery and bombing. On February 19th, 1945, the Americans began their invasion and managed to secure half of the island in the first two days. The northern half of the island, however, proved much more difficult to take, as the Japanese dug in heavily and fought fiercely for every bit of ground. The Japanese soldiers showed their intense nationalism in their great willingness to fight to the death and their tendency to commit suicide rather than be captured. Though the U.S forces finally took the island nearly a month after the battle’s beginning, the Allied casualties numbered a shocking 26,000 as compared to the 22,000 Japanese defenders. The taking of Iwo Jima was very important for the Allies as it was the final step before Japan and served as the base from which the B-29s that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were launched.
Battle of Okinawa Okinawa is located about 400 miles South of Japan and was the main place where Japan received raw goods from trading. Because of this, Okinawa’s main purpose in the war was to act as a port which received a lot of sugar cane. The Battle of Okinawa started in mid April of 1945, shortly after Roosevelt died and was close to the end of the Pacific campaign. This was the last land battle of the second World War and was considered the turning point of said war because so many lives were lost. The Southern half was fairly easy to take over, but as American troops moved North, they met more and more resistance. In total, over 7,600 American died and there well over 110,000 Japanese troops died and on top of an estimated 100,000 civilians. These numbers are higher than the number of deaths caused by the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Almost 5,000 seamen died in a series of 1,900 kamikaze attacks during the almost 3-month long battle. The United States estimated that about 1,000,000 would die as they knew that the Japanese knew that this would be their last stand and so would be desperate to win. In the end, Okinawa became a vital anchoring point for the United States’ This battle came to be known as one of the bloodiest of World War Two.
Battle of Iwo Jima: The United States wanted to take control of the two airfields that were located on Iwo Jima and was another part of the Pacific Campaign during the second World War and was fought between the United States and Japan. The Japanese forces on the island were heavily armed and had at their disposal over 11 miles of underground tunnels. The Americans, however, had a lot of strong support from their Air force and Navy. Despite how determined the Japanese were to protect Iwo Jima, they were doomed to loose from the start as the Americans had much larger numbers and a greater amount of Artillery. Of the almost 23,000 Japanese soldiers who began fighting, about 21,000 died and 200 were taken prisoner. The Americans, on the other hand, lost just under 7,000 troops and about 20,000 wounded. After Iwo Jima was officially announced to be “secured” Americans estimated that there were only a few hundred Japanese left hiding on the island. A famous picture titled “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” was taken on February 23,1945 by Joe Rosenthal and has become an iconic image.
The objective of the Battle of Iwo Jima was to take the Japanese base at Iwo Jima so that the Japanese would lose an important defensive spot and the United States would gain an important offensive base. The battle began on February February 19, 1945, following seventy-two days of bombing by the United States. The Japanese had built three airstrips on the island and used the island’s natural formations to fortify them. The Japanese had a total of 1500 fortified caves making Iwo Jima a very vital defensive location. The United States knew how important taking Iwo Jima would be if they wanted to win the war, which is why they wore away the defenses by continuously bombing the island. Despite these efforts, however, the land battle took twice the amount of time as the aerial attacks. Lt. Gen.Tadamichi then brought in 22,000 naval troops to strengthen the defenses of the island. In response, the United States sent, in all, 75,144 marines to combat the Japanese. With such overwhelming numbers, the Americans were able to capture the first airstrip by the second day of the invasion. By the fifth day, the had taken the highest point on Iwo Jima, Mount Suribachi, and the second airstrip. Taking Mount Suribachi was a big loss for the Japanese because it cost them their bird’s eye view of the island. Taking the final airstrip, however, still remained difficult and cost the United States many casualties. The Japanese used a suicidal tactical to take out as many marines as they could but, in the end, the United States were victorious and managed to capture Iwo Jima. The United States lost 5,931 men during the invasion, only a thirty percent casualty rate. The Japanese, however, lost 20, 703 men out of their 22,000 man garrison. Taking Iwo Jima, proved to be a very important because it is estimated that nearly 25,000 aircrew member would of surely lost their lives if the Japanese had remained in control.
Battle of Leyte Gulf:
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of any war and is significant because of the use of kamikaze attacks by the Japanese. The battle was relatively short in comparison to other battles, only lasting from October 23-25 of 1994. The Allied forces’ objective in this battle was to free the Philippines from Japanese rule. This battle was mostly fought using aerial and sea-based attacks. As the battle went on, the United States' naval power proved to great for the Japanese to handle, forcing them to switch to their kamikaze strategy. The point of this strategy was to have a plane, sometimes loaded with bombs, to dive straight into the enemy ship, aiming to do great damage. This suicide mission proved to be effective during this battle. The Japanese were successful in weakening the naval force of the Allies, but the number of ships the Allies had outnumbered the planes the Japanese had. Plus, not every plane would hit its target causing unnecessary casualties for the Japanese. This battle is significant because it stopped Japanese expansion, gave the Allies control over the Pacific, and made it easier for the United States to invade Japan later in the war.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the last large-scale show of Japanese military operations. The Battle, beginning on October 23, 1944 and lasting three days, was Japan’s last great attempt to secure the Philippines and slow the Allied march toward the home islands of Japan. Allied forces had established bases in the Philippines. The Japanese plan was to draw off Admiral Halsey’s fleet, the Allied fleet stationed farthest from the islands and a large portion of the Philippine’s backup and defensive force. Then, three other Japanese forces would break into the central Philippines and crush the Allied invasion forces. However, it did not work out quite as they had planned.
The first force sighted by the Allies was the main power of the three attacking forces, under the command of Vice Admiral Kurita. Two Allied submarines were sent to deal with these ships, which were, oddly, in a formation wide open to surprise attack. This first conflict of the Battle of Leyte Gulf ended with the Kurita’s flagship sunk, a heavy cruiser sunk, and a heavy cruiser heavily damaged enough to force it to withdraw from the battle entirely. A second engagement occurred when Kurita’s fleet meet with the Allied Third Fleet aircraft. The Japanese and Allied forces clashed for hours. Allied losses included the light carrier Princeton, while heavier Japanese losses included the enormous battleship Musashi, and two cruisers. The third conflict happened when one of the smaller of the three attacking Japanese forces, under Rear Admiral Nishimura, entered the strait to attack the Allied bases hours ahead of the other two components of the main force. The Allied forces had a trap set, consisting of a strait lined with torpedo boats, destroyers, and battleships ending in a line of cruisers and destroyers. Nishimura’s fleet entered the strait and was decimated. Only one of the seven ships of Nishimura’s fleet survived to retreat. When Vice Admiral Shima’s fleet (the second of the two smaller parts of the main force) saw the destruction of Nishimura’s fleet, they retreated. The fourth engagement was between Admiral Ozawa’s decoy fleet and their target, Halsey’s fleet. Ozawa’s fleet succeeded in its mission, drawing Halsey away from the San Bernardino Strait. In the process, Ozawa’s fleet was crippled to the point that only two ships survived. Halsey did not communicate with the Seventh Fleet, the other force of Allied ships, to tell them that the San Bernardino Strait was not covered, and as a result Kurita’s force was able to pass through the strait without any Allied presence to challenge him. The fifth and final engagement occurred when Kurita’s force attacked the Seventh Fleet, thinking that it was Halsey’s Third Fleet. The attack was going mostly in the Japanese’s favor, when Kurita realized that this was not Halsey’s fleet and that the longer the Japanese force lingered, the more likely it was to be attacked by planes from Halsey’s carriers. Kurita disengaged and retreated, ending the battle.
This was the last big naval operation of the Japanese. It was also the first conflict to feature organized kamikaze attacks. The Battle of Leyte Gulf crippled their navy and cut their connection to their Southeast Asian colonies, and subsequently the resources and supplies of these colonies. From here on out, Japan was full locked in a defensive retreat.
The Battle of Okinawa, fought from April 1 to June 22, 1945, was an Allied offensive with the objective of capturing the island of Okinawa, only 340 miles from the main islands of Japan. The island was to be used as a base for bombing the mainland Japan. It was an amphibious assault. Allied forces had bad intelligence on the island and believed that there were only 65,000 Japanese soldiers on Okinawa. In reality, there were about 130,000 troops and almost 450,000 civilians.
The Japanese commander on the island was Lieutenant-General Ushijima. He fortified the southern section of the island most heavily. The Allied commander of the land forces was American Lieutenant-General Buckner. He selected a bay on the western side of the island for the landing of his troops. Before the troops landed, there was a period of intense bombardment of the island, during which Japanese kamikaze planes attacked the Allied ships. Only 24 out of the 193 kamikaze planes made it through the heavy fire, but they inflicted a great amount of damage upon the Allied ships. The destruction of so many planes undermined their potential for damage of Allied forces that might have been caused.
On April 1, the first landing of Marines occurred. On that day alone the Allied forces managed to land 60,000 American troops. The forces met with only small resistance and quickly subdued the surrounding area. Allied troops then swept through the north of the island, obliterating almost all Japanese opposition. By April 20, nothing but small guerilla activity remained of armed resistance in the north of the island.
The real battle for Okinawa occurred in the south of the island, where Ushijima had chosen as his base to hold at all costs. Multiple defensive lines barred Allied troops from the south of Okinawa. Allied forces first came in contact with the first of these lines on April 4, the Machinato line. By April 24, this line was breached; however, the Shuri line still stood strong behind the fallen Machinato, holding again the American advance. This defensive line held strong, causing a deadly stalemate that claimed the lives of countless troops. Ushijima tried a counter attack in early May, but it failed. Still, the line held until on May 21, Ushijima ordered his troops to pull back from the line. From that retreat, it took Allied forces two hard weeks to defeat the last of the Japanese forces. On July 2, Okinawa was declared secured by Allied forces.
This battle was one of the most horrifically bloody battles of WWII. Japan lost 100,000 troops and the Allies 50,000. However, there is also a civilian death toll of more than 100,000. Many of the Japanese troops and civilians (including Ushijima) died not from Allied fire but suicide. Okinawa was the last battle of the Pacific Theatre, and therefore WWII as a whole. Weeks after the battle ended, Japan surrendered and Allied victory was declared.
The battle of Leyte Gulf was considered to be one of the largest naval battles in WWII. It was fought between the American allied forces and Japan. The battle was fought near the 3 Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon for 3 days (October 23-26 1944). During this battle the Japanese launched almost all of their remaining major naval vessels in order to defeat the allies. The Allies plan was to isolate Japan from all the countries it occupied in South East Asia and to deprive its forces of their Oil supply. This was also the first battle that the Japanese used organized kamikaze attacks as a desperate last ditch effort to destroy the Allied naval ships. Japan was outnumbered in every way, there were more naval ships then there were Kamikaze fighters. Many of the fighters made it through but as the Allies began to take notice to their attempts at suicide they attempted to shoot down the planes from the sky before they hit the ships, many of them made it through and many of them crashed into the ocean. The battle was significant because it marked a huge turning point in the war against Japan. It was a very important battle for the Allies because it basically removed Japan as a threat against the Allies and basically meant defeat for them, although they did not surrender they were basically defeated.
The battle of Okinawa was the largest amphibious fight in the Pacific War codenamed operation Iceburg fought on the Ryukyu Island of Okinawa. The battle lasted 82 days from April until Mid June. During this battle the Japanese suffered heavy casualties along with the Allies. The Japanese lost two times as many people as the Allies, it was one of the largest battles of World War II. Over 100,000 civilians died some even commit suicide, ¼ of the civilian population was killed as a result of the invasion. This was one of the most significant battles of the war, as a result of the Allied victory they had the island of Japan surrounded and had an important location for a military base for an attack on the mainland. This battle happened near the end of the second world war and contributed to Japans surrender. Because Japan did not surrender immediately after the United States dropped the two atomic bombs on Japan and ended the second World War. This battle was the most significant in the pacific Naval battles because it took Japan out of the war and marked a huge turning point for the Allies as Japan was one less thing to worry about.
The Battle for Leyte Gulf started on October 23rd and took place in the Philippines. It was known for being the biggest battle of the war involving naval submarines. The battle was also well known because it only lasted for a duration of three days. The two submarines that were the first to detect the Kurita Center Force, a part of the Japanese military forces, were from the American fleet. They were known as Dace and Darter. The Japanese forces were not able to respond as quick as they may have originally intended. Instead, the American submarines were able to torpedo several of their submarines in only one day. On October 24th, the Third Fleet, a part of the Kurita Center Force, began to lose a large amount of its forces as they departed. Doing this also caused the Kurita Center Force to loose a large portion of their areal strength. However, the Japanese attempted to proceed with an areal attack. They sent over 50 aircrafts to attack the US forces. The majority of the aircrafts failed, but the Japanese did successfully hit the US Princeton. It is believe that the reason for the Japanese’s areal attack not being able to accurately hit as many American ships is due to the pilots’ lack of experience.
The Battle of Iwo Jima:
In the February of 1945, the Battle of Iwo Jima began. This battle took place on the island of Iwo Jima, one of the Pacific islands located off the coast of Japan. It was a small, but critically important island, mainly for strategic value. Two of the large airfields were used many times to counter the attacks of the American forces. At the time, the Japanese had completed control of the island and that was something they were definitely not willing to lose without a fight. Lieutenant-General Kuribayashi maintained control of a Japanese army of over 20,000 men. The options for battle were few due to the small size of the island. The Americans attacked using several battleships and this resulted in the death of over 2,400 Japanese soldiers. The Americans had a large advantage over the Japanese because of their ability to successfully take possession of one of the best Japanese bases of World War II.
The Battle of Okinawa is known as the last battle between the Japanese and the US in World War II; it ended up being a devastating battle for both the Japanese Imperial Army and the United States Army. It was also a battle in which the most resources, including artillery, ships and human resources, were utilized.
The attack was launched by the Allies in 1945 in conjunction with the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Guadalcanal. This was an effort to destroy a large majority of Japan’s merchant fleet as well as its major industrial locations, but mainly to capture the island of Okinawa, a location the Allies hoped would help them succeed in invading or overtaking Japan. It ended up being the largest air, naval, and land battle ever fought.
According to Hanson W. Baldwin, a military historian, “Never before, in so short a space, had the Navy lost so many ships; never before in land fighting had so much American blood been shed in so short a time in so small an area: probably never before in any three months of the war had the enemy suffered so hugely, and the final toll of American casualties was the highest experienced in any campaign against the Japanese.”
A large number of American and Japanese land vehicles, ships, and planes were destroyed during this battle. For the Americans, 28 ships were sunk with 368 ships damaged and 225 tanks were destroyed on land. For the Japanese, 16 ships were sunk, most importantly the large destroyer Yamato. This was an enormous loss for Japan. They also lost 27 tanks and 743 pieces of artillery.
Huge losses of life also occurred for both the US and Japan. It is estimated that 62,000 American soldiers, 40,000 of which were killed or missing, were lost during this battle. Around 127,000 Japanese soldiers were killed, missing, committed suicide, or were sealed up in their caves. Unfortunately the military was not the only thing to suffer casualties. Civilians were caught right in the middle of all the fighting as well. Due to Japan’s “no surrender” policy, they were pushed to extreme methods of fighting, like dressing up as civilians, forcing civilians into military service, and using them as human shields. Because of this, American forces began firing upon civilians and civilian houses. Still others were encouraged by the Japanese to commit suicide, once defeat seemed eminent. It is estimated that 142,058 civilians were killed during the Battle of Okinawa.
The Battle of Iwo Jima took place in February of 1945, just as Germany’s hold on Europe was loosening. The Allies were also gaining ground in the Pacific. The Battle of Iwo Jima was one step closer in the Allied invasion of Japan, and ultimately, the end of the war, due to the strategic position of the island.
The battle lasted only 36 days, resulting in an Allied victory. However, the fighting from both sides was very intense. The Japanese once again enforced their no surrender/no defeat policy and fought to their death. As an example of the Japanese mindset at this time, only 216 Japanese were taken prisoner, out of the 18,000 soldiers that fought the battle. Despite this tough fighting from the Japanese, the Americans simply outweighed the Japanese in terms of men, artillery, ships, and planes. From the beginning, it was almost guaranteed that Japan would suffer defeat. Nevertheless, the Americans lost 6,821 soldiers, with another 19,217 wounded.
From the Battle of Iwo Jima came not only an Allied victory, but two pieces of history that have been immortalized. First is the flag raising photograph by Joe Rosenthal. This photo has been reproduced hundreds of times and is a symbol of brotherhood and victory. The other is a quote by Chester M. Nimitz that came to symbolize America’s participation in World War II as a whole. "The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines by their individual and collective courage have conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it was vital to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat. By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue." The last part, “Uncommon valor was a common virtue” is most well known and many believe is a representation of American soldier’s courage and valor throughout their involvement in WWII.
The Battle of Okinawa, code named Operation Iceberg, was the bloodiest battle of World War Two. This battle resulted in more causalities than the combined number from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United State’s invasion of Okinawa, part of the Japanese Ryukyu Islands, was crucial to attacking mainland Japan. The battle at Okinawa was of great importance to the Japanese because it was viewed as their last opportunity to prevent invasion of the mainland. The battle began on April 1, 1945 and ended June 22, 1945, lasting 82 days. Chester Nimitz headed the U.S.’s campaign while Ushijima Mitsuru was in charge of the Japanese forces. The U.S. first captured Kerama and Keise Island, off the coast of Okinawa. A few days later, on April 1, the marines landed on the western shore with a decoy landing on the southern tip. Fifty thousand U.S. troops had landed on an eight by four mile long strip of Okinawan coastline.
The causalities from this battle were massive. Part of the reason for the volume of deaths was because the civilians of Okinawa were involved in the battle. More than 100,000 Okinawa residents perished in this final battle. Many citizens were killed because the U.S. army was not able to distinguish citizens from infantrymen. Though Japan suffered immensely, so did the United States. Over 62,000 were injured, killed, or missing.
The Battle of Okinawa was not solely on land. Intense sea and air battles were taking place in conjunction with the terrestrial fighting. Air attacks sunk a Japanese battleship that was the largest in the world, along with 14 other naval vessels. The U.S. suffered from 36 sunken ships and 368 damaged. The Japanese lost 7,800 aircrafts while the U.S. lost only 763 aircrafts. The Japanese forces sustained much larger loses.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima took place from February 19 to March 26, 1945 between the United States and Japan. The island of Iwo Jima, now Iwo To, lies 750 miles to the south of mainland Japan. The capture of Iwo Jima was crucial to the U.S.’s plot to attack mainland Japan and end the war in the Pacific. Iwo Jima, along with Okinawa, were vital to the United States because they provided a base for attacking Japan. Iwo Jima was supposed to be use by the U.S. Air Force as an airstrip for fighter planes.
Though Iwo Jima is a tiny island, the Japanese protected it with vigor. They constructed sixteen miles of underground tunnels and 1,500 fortified caves. Since the island was so well protected, the United States carried out an elaborate aerial and naval bombardment, with the purpose of easing the ground battle. After two and a half months of perpetual bombardment, the Japanese soldiers defending Iwo Jima maintained their resistance and continued to tunnel underground. The Japanese utilized 22,000 soldiers. The use deployed 110,000 soldiers on land and kept 220,000 troops in the water, controlling 800 battleships. Of the 22,000 Japanese troops, 20,703 died. The U.S. marines lost 5,931 and 17,372 were wounded.
The defeat of Iwo Jima was devastating to Japan. They lost an essential defensive base, as well as many soldiers. The gaining of the island was quite important to the United States. Over 2,200 B-29s landed on the small island, ferrying injured soldiers from elsewhere. It has been estimated that 24,761 U.S. troops have been saved by Iwo Jima. Though the battle itself was epic, a celebrated and renowned photo resulted from this battle. Joe Rosenthal photographed five Marines and one Navy corpsman whilst raising a flag atop Mount Suribachi. The image was the first photo to ever win a Pulitzer Prize the same year that it was published.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, which took place in October of 1944, was the last major sea battle of the Pacific. US forces under General MacArther regained control of the Philippines. On October 12, 1944, the Third US Fleet attacked the islands in a preliminary air strike intended to distract Japanese forces under Admiral Toyoda. In this initial phase, the Japanese had lost 500 planes and the Americans had suffered some damage to their battleships. While the main Japanese forces combated the Third US Fleet, the US Rangers landed at the mouth of the Leyte Gulf and overwhelmed the small Japanese defenses. Once Toyoda realized that he had been deceived, he tried to lure American aircraft and ships away from the gulf by offering up his only four surviving carriers. Meanwhile, he sent the rest of his fleet through the Philippines to destroy any lagging American forces and isolate the troops on land. At first, his plan succeeded, but when US submarines intercepted his main fleet the whole plan went awry. Japanese forces became increasingly desperate, revealing a new and deadly battle tactic known as a “kamikaze” strategy. Japanese pilots would ram aircraft loaded with explosives into American ships, sinking them. The first ship to fall prey to kamikaze fighters was the St. Lo on October 25. Despite the kamikazes’ viciousness, determination, and valor, the American forces destroyed ALL of the remaining Japanese aircraft carriers, making Japan vulnerable and unable to compete with the Allies in any kind of large naval combat. The introduction of kamikaze fighters increased American’s desire to end the war as soon as possible, arguably contributing to the controversial decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The loss of Japanese carriers in this battle pushed the battle in the Pacific closer to VJ Day because the Japanese could no longer fight US naval forces effectively. MacArthur recognized how significant this victory in the Philippines was and dubbed his walk from the water to the landing at Leyte Gulf to be “only 30 or 40 long strides to reach dry land, but…one of the most meaningful walks [he] ever took.”
The Battle of Iwo Jima:
The spring 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, now one of the most infamous in the Pacific, was initially intended as a small-scale, stepping-stone battle to commandeer a good base for the attack on Okinawa. American forces, which had bombarded the island for several months, expected few defenses and a four-day battle. Initially, everything went according to the Marines’ plans; during the landings, US forces felt an “eerie lack of enemy resistance” (310) because the Japanese commander Tadamichi chose to wait for the ideal moment to open fire from his well-hidden subterranean defense tunnels and machine guns. Once fire opened, the beaches were awash with American blood. 2,500 men were killed on that first day alone, but up to 30,000 troops continued landing in the next few days. Kamikaze pilots began attacking the naval forces, sinking several US ships, while on land the entrenched Japanese forces valiantly fought against the steadfast Marines. The determination on both sides witnessed on Iwo Jima awed the world; Admiral Nimitz expressed the public admiration best saying, “…On Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.” Americans eventually took control of first the volcanic Mount Suribachi and then the island, but not before about 23,000 casualties on each side. The Japanese fought almost to the last man: only 216 troops surrendered. One third of the American forces suffered severe injuries or death. The US used Iwo Jima as an island airfield for the continued duration of the war. Several planes, troops, and supplies for the assault on Okinawa left from Iwo Jima. The island was also used as a base for daylight raids on Japanese islands and as an emergency landing strip for Allied bombers.
Source: The Definitive Visual History of World War II: From Blitzkrieg to the Atom Bomb
Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima, or Operation Detachment, began on February 19th of 1945 and lasted through March 26th of the same year. The battle took place on the island of Iwo Jima, a small island just to the south of Japan, which was before the battle under Japanese control. Iwo Jima was strategically important to the Allies because it had an airfield that allowed Japanese aircraft to intercept the Allies’ long-range bombers and provided support to naval vessels that, without the protection, would have perished. Once under Allied control, the airfields could be used to stage bombings on the Japanese mainland. The Japanese were aware of the tactical significance this base would provide if the Allies were to gain control of it, so they heavily fortified Iwo Jima, building a network of tunnels and strategically placing guns.
21,570 Japanese soldiers were either killed or committed suicide at Iwo Jima, and only 216 were taken prisoner. The Allies suffered 26,038 total casualties, more casualties then those on D-Day (10,000). Iwo Jima did not provide very much tactical aid to the Allies once it had been captured, it was used simply for a place for bombers and their escort fighters to refuel. Only later would it be revealed that Iwo Jima was mostly needed for the bombers carrying the atomic bomb to refuel. Also, because it was a decisive Allied victory, it boosted morale in America and made the Japanese even more nervous of invasion.
The Battle of Okinawa, or operation iceberg, took place on April 1st, 1945 and lasted for eighty two days. It is known for being one of the bloodiest battles in the war and because of the extent of marine warfare used. The battle took place on land and sea. The island eventually fell to the Allies on June 21st. 107,000 Japanese troops and about 12,000 allied troops were killed. Between 50,000 and 150,000 civilians also died.
The Japanese had 100,000 soldiers defending Okinawa; however, they did not defend the beaches. While the Japanese avoided casualties on the beach, the allies were still victorious in the end. The Japanese soldiers waited for the allied troops further inland from the beach. The fighting was vigorous and proved difficult and caused many allied casualties.
The goal of this operation was for the US and Great Britain to take the island of Okinawa. The allies had been island hoping in the south pacific and in the immediate area around Japan. Planning to attack the main island of Japan, the allies used Okinawa as a base for operations. The island was also about 400 miles south of Japan and was used for the transportation of raw materials to Japan. The allies hoped to sever this trade route.
On Feburary 19th, 1945, the United States attacked the island of Iwo Jima off the coast of Japan. The Americans were equipped with and extensive naval and air force. They were able to take the island in seventy-two days. Over 12,000 tons of bombes were dropped on Iwo Jima and 21,000 naval artilerary shells were shot. The US used air bombardment to try to secure the island when the beaches were well protected. On March 16th, the island of Iwo Jima was declared secure.
Iwo Jima was an important victory for the United States because it had two important air fields that would be useful to the US. These air fields could be used by American fighter planes as a base. It gave the Americans easy access the Japan. It was also useful in that the US did not have to send shorter range bombers to attack Japan. The base proved a key tactical advantage over Japan. Furthermore, it was the first American attack on Japanese soil. The U.S. took a total on 216 prisoners of war. 20,703 Japanese soldiers were killed and 76,000 Americans also died. This loss was also devastating to Japan. Iwo Jima was an important Japanese base.
Battle of Okinawa The Battle of Okinawa, or Operation Iceberg, lasted 82 days spanning early April to mid-June of 1945. The battle was fought on the Island of Okinawa under Japanese control. The battle is often referred to as “Typhoon of Steel”, due to the ferocity of the fighting and the huge number of Allied units that assaulted the island. The island was only 340 miles from the Japanese mainland, and could be used as a base of operations for the planned land invasion of the Japanese mainland. The battle had both naval and land components. The battle produced an astonishing loss of life. The U.S. suffered more than 60,000 casualties, making this the bloodiest battle U.S. forces fought in the Pacific. 368 Allied ships were damaged, and 28 were sunk, many do to kamikaze aircraft. The Japanese suffered a whopping 107,000 casualties, many from suicide, and 7,400 Japanese soldiers were captured. Anywhere from 42,000 to 150,000 civilians died in the conflict, either from artillery fire, air attacks, or being forced to fight along the Japanese. Once, captured, Okinawa provided a huge advantage for the Allies. I provided a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields that could be used to bomb Japan.
Despite its small size and population, Iwo Jima was a vital weapon for the Japanese. The small Island was home to three airstrips which the U.S. wanted. The U.S.’s objective was to use the airstrips for their bombers. The attack began with frequent bombing. The U.S. landed one the island 72 days after it started bombing the volcanic Island. The first landing was largely unanswered and the first battle began much more inland than was typical of the Pacific. Little did the American troops know that Iwo Jima was infested with caves and tunnel networks that the Japanese had control of. The U.S. met enemy fire early on but managed to take two of the airstrips and the highest point on the island in the first week. On the highest point or Mount Suribachi the famous flag raising photograph was taken. The photo would later become the most iconic image of WW II. Although the allies had taken two of the three airstrips the worst was yet to come for the patriots. The few remaining defense lines were heavily fortified and the deeply patriotic Japanese soldiers were prepared to make a final stand for their country. That final stand would cause the battle of Iwo Jima to be labeled “a bloodbath.” Japanese soldiers held the U.S. land forces for 10 days in a single spot. Finally, the Island was taken. The airstrip was used extensively and is thought to have saved tens of thousands of lives.
Okinawa
The U.S. had been searching for an island in which they could head the invasion of the Mainland. Okinawa fit the bill perfectly. The Japanese were to defend the island or die trying, which many of them did. The campaign was full of decoys, deception, and guile. The troops first took the beaches with force killing hundreds of Japanese soldiers. The deep and well fortified trenches held the Americans out for days. This warfare was becoming more and more typical in Pacific warfare. A big mistake made on the Japanese behalf left the troops exposed and the Americans were allowed to slaughter the Japanese forces. This was a turning point in the campaign for the U.S. troops, which now had the upper hand against the fierce Japanese infantry. The land battle was won by the U.S. not long after the massacre. The war went on in the sea and above their heads as the U.S. attempted to take control of mainland Japan. This campaign was the culmination of the war in the Pacific Theatre and largely changed the war as we know it.
On the 19th of February, at 8:59 in the Morning, U.S Marines finally land on the crucial Iwo Jima. However, carrier based planes and medium bombers had been bombarding the island for a total of ten weeks before the actual landing. There are 70,000 U.S Marines that invade the island against the 27,000 Japanese soldiers already there. Although it may not have seemed like it from the outside, Iwo Jima was a critical island to acquire. William Pratt, the retired chief of naval operations, told Newsweek, about the “expenditure of manpower to acquire a small, God-forsaken island, useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base ... [one] wonders if the same sort of airbase could not have been reached by acquiring other strategic localities at lower cost” (New World Encyclopedia). Of course, what he could not yet tell the American people was Iwo Jima’s criticalness to the planned B-29 raid on the mainland of Japan. Not only would the airfields on the island provide a good base for the escort planes on the raids, but it would also be used as an emergency landing point for the B-29s actually carrying the atomic bombs heading for Japan. The same three airstrips that the marines were eager to obtain were currently being used as a base for the kamikaze attacks. If the marines managed to capture the island then the Kamikaze pilots would have to operate from Okinawa or Kyushu. The kamikazes were greatly feared by the Allied soldiers because of all the damage that they could cause to a ship with only one blow. I believe that taking the kamikazes out of the war, even temporarily, would have been a great moral booster. Though the U.S Marines were able to successfully take the island after 36 days of fighting, it came with a heavy price. Over a third of the total U.S Marines who participated in the invasion were killed, wounded, or suffered from battle fatigue. There were a total of 23, 573 U.S Marine casualties. For the Japanese, there were 1,083 POWs and about 20,000 soldiers killed.
The Battle of Okinawa was the largest invasion of the Pacific. Operation Iceberg’s (codename), main objective was to seize a large island only 340 miles away from Japan. After a strenuous campaign of going from island to island, the Allies approached Japan, and planned to Use Okinawa as a base for their air operations. A lot of ships were used; more troops, supplies, and bombs were dropped. Also, more people died during this battle then any of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombing causalities totaled to 38,000 people. 12,000 Americans killed or missing. More than 107,000 Japanese Okinawan were perished during battle. The battle was definitely the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.
This battle contributed to the overall Allied victory of the Pacific during WW11, because there was a document that ended the Battle of Okinawa that was signed on (what is now) Kadena Air Base. The island is transformed into a major base for the projected invasion of the Japanese home islands.
On February 19th, the Battle of Iwo Jima began. Battle of Iwo Jima, also known as Operation Detachment was a battle in which the United States of America fought for and captured Iwo Jima from Japan. The fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign of WW11 came out of this battle. This was the first American attack on Japan’s home islands. More than 18,000 Japanee soldiers were present during the beginning of the battle, and only 216 were taken as prisoners. Many were killed, or assumed dead. America’s advantage was their superiority in arms and numbers. The Battle of Iwo Jima contributed to the overall Allied victory in the Pacific due to its has greater historical significance than strategic importance in the Pacific during WW11.
Battle of the Leyte Gulf
ReplyDeleteThe battle of the Leyte Gulf was Japan’s last effort to get rid of the American presence in the pacific. The Japanese command knew that if they lost the Philippines, the war would be over very shortly. They risked all of their land troops in a last ditch effort in order to destroy some of the American ships. The Japanese plan was to draw out American forces and leave two battleships unprotected and vulnerable to attack. The United States had more numbers of everything than the Japanese did, as many as 8 times the number of small carriers and 7 more large carriers. The desperation showed as Japan used the kamikaze method, destroying their own airplanes in order to sink American battleships. Most of the attempts were successful and they hit and damaged the battleships, however some missed the ships or were shot down before they had the ability to hit the ships. This battle required a vast majority of the naval forces that Japan had left and they were still heavily outnumbered by the Americans. The Japanese lost all of their large and small carriers and one third of their destroyers. Since Japan lost this battle the Americans had the Leyte Gulf in their possession. The Philippines were very close to Japan and since the American forces had captured it they could build military bases there and regroup their numbers, and then they could invade Japan since the Leyte Gulf was such a tactical invasion position.
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last campaign of the war in the Pacific. More people died in the Battle of Okinawa than in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More than 107,000 Japanese troops were killed during this battle and perhaps around 100,000 citizens of Okinawa. This battle has been proved to be the bloodiest of the war because of this. The Allied fleet lost 34 ships and had around 12,000 casualties between the naval and land forces. The Americans also lost around 700 aircraft. The Japanese aircraft losses totaled ten times the number of what the Americans lost. The invasion was amphibious, both by land and sea. Nearly 110,000 American troops landed on the beaches of Okinawa, and the Japanese chose not to defend the beaches, so there was no opposition. Once it seemed as though the American forces had Okinawa under control, the Japanese general Ushijima ordered a counter-attack on May 3rd. This counter-attack failed and his forces were forced to retreat on May 21st. Although the attempt seemed futile, the Japanese forces stood strong. It wasn’t until June that they realized they had lost Okinawa. In reference to Tokyo, Okinawa is not that far to the south. Once the Americans had captured this island it was clear that they had the upper hand in the battle against Japan. Very soon after the victory at Okinawa the Americans dropped two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to win the war, and this victory never would have happened unless America had won the Battle of Okinawa.
Battle of Leyte:
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Leyte Gulf, fought during October 23–26, 1944, was the last offense attck perpetrated by the Japanese. Their aim was to disrupt and destroy U.S. landings on the Philippine island of Leyte. The Battle of Leyte Gulf developed into the largest naval battle of any war and was also distinguished by the first kamikaze attacks. Admiral Toyoda Soemo launched Operation Sho-Go (victory), in which he planned to draw the Third U.S. Fleet in battle to the north so that Japanese naval forces could catch the landing forces as well as the smaller Seventh U.S. fleet. The Japanese also changed their codes before their attack and maintained a high degree of radio silence in order to prevent the U.S. from detecting them. Fortunatly, the Americans greatly outnumbered the Japanese with 8 times as small small carrier and seven more large carriers. Out of sheer desperation, the Japanese employed kamikaze’s, which destroyed their planes and their men while they attempted to wreak the most damage they could. Some kamikazes missed or were shot down before they reached the ships, disallowing the Japanese to rely solely on them. In the end, the Japanese lost three battleships, four aircraft carriers, 10 cruisers, and nine destroyers as well as many aircraft. Most important, the Japanese failed to disrupt the Leyte landings, thereby virtually ensuring that the Americans would retake the Philippines.
Battle of Iwo Jima:
The assault on Iwo Jima commenced on February 19, 1945, after 72 days of aerial and naval bombardment in which 12,600 tons of bombs had been dropped. In the three days immediately before the landings, a total of 6,800 tons of bombs were delivered, coupled with 21,926 naval artillery shells. On March 16, 36 days after the first landings, Iwo Jima was finally declared secure. "Iwo Jima", meaning sulfur island, was just 4.5 by 2.5 miles long. The Japanese managed to build three airstrips on the island and secured it by using the island’s extensive network of caves and ravines, fortifying it with steel and concrete. There were around 1,500 of these strengthened caves and 16 miles of tunnels. The Japanese thought of Iwo Jimo as a vital defense to their homeland. The Americans not only wanted to neutralize this island, but to use the airstrips as an advance base for the emergency landing of B-29s raiding Japan. The planners behind the battle knew that the island would be difficult to obtain, but they believed extensive naval and aerial bombardment prior to the ground battle would soften the island up enough for the soldiers on the ground to have a chance. As it happened thought, the initial ground plan of two weeks ended up twice as long. Suicidial resistance was typical of the Japanese, but they went to another level at Iwo Jima. At “Bloody Gorge,” a 700 yard long canyon, the Japanese managed to hold off the much larger marine forces for 10 days in their last stand. In the end, Marine casualties were 5,931 killed and 17,372 wounded, a 30 percent casualty rate. Japanese battle deaths numbered 20,703 out of the 22,000-man garrison. In addition to depriving the Japanese of a defensive base, their moral was also crushed. The Americans obtained a land strip for crippled B-29s. Around 2,251 made emergency landings before the war ended, which means Iwo Jima saved as many as 24,761 lives of aircrew members.
Battle of Iwo Jima:
ReplyDeleteAmerica’s two main reasons for attacking the island of Iwo Jima were to eliminate Japan’s merchant fleet and to destroy their remaining industrial base. Even though Iwo Jima was a very small island, it was very important because it had two airfields that could be used as emergency landing bases for America or as bases for American fighter planes. The Japanese recognized America’s interest in the island and decided to defend it with vigor. Due to the Japanese’s determination to hold on to the island, Iwo Jima proved very hard to take. However, after about a month, the Americans won.
Iwo Jima proved to be very important for America in the war. It allowed them to have attack Japan from a much closer distance. More specifically, it allowed them to send short-range fighter planes to support the bombers. The Japanese, however, suffered a major psychological and strategical blow after having lost Iwo Jima. From a strategic standpoint, they wanted the island for the same reasons the United States wanted it. From a psychological standpoint, they had just lost a battle on their homeland and were utterly demoralized. In addition to the strategic importance the island held for America (as explained previously), it also
Later in the war, the island of Iwo Jima did prove to be as crucial of a base as both the Americans and Japanese had thought beforehand. In addition, the death count at the battle itself was immense. Nearly 22,000 Japanese and 7,000 Americans died.
Liberation of Borneo:
In 1941, the Japanese took the Indonesian territory of Dutch-Borneo (or Kalimatan). From May to July of 1945, the Allied forces fought and won the last major campaign in the Southwest Pacific area.The need for the campaign in Borneo is often questioned. It is generally considered an attempt at proving to the Australia, the Allied forces, and the world that Australia was a significant part of the Allied operation in the Pacific. Strategically, the allies succeeded in pushing the Japanese further from Australia.
Three major operations took place in Borneo. In the Battle of Tarakan (May 1-25), troops’ objective was to capture airfields, which later turned out to be heavily damaged. The Australians (with some Americans) then moved to Brunei, where they took the Japanese by surprise. They fled South, and the Allied forces were able to continue to condense the Japanese-populated land. On July 7, after much bombing of the Japanese garrison, the Allies were able to land at Balikpapan. They defeated the Japanese and considered the island won by July 21.
The Liberation of Borneo was largely an attempt by Australia to bring attention to their involvement in the Pacific. They had stayed out of much of the war, including the liberation of the Philippines, and General Douglas MacArthur (of America) conducted the operation to show that Australia’s forces had not been placed in “operational backwaters.” Borneo, specifically, was selected because MacArthur believed that it would be a good strategic point to have in order to recapture Java. Once they took control of Java, they would be able to return the East Indies to the Dutch.
The Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa was the last land and sea battle in the Pacific and the final major campaign in the Pacific. Tens of thousands of Japanese, both soldiers and citizens were killed and tens of thousands of American soldiers were killed.
The battle began April first, 1945 AKA L-Day. (Fun fact: This was both April Fools’ Day and Easter Sunday.) American forces had landed March 26th but the Japanese had chosen not to defend their beaches. May 3rd, the Japanese general Ushijima ordered a counterattack which, in the end, failed. The island fell June 21st, although some Japanese soldiers continued fighting for some time after.
The lasting impact of this battle was that it ideally set up US forces for the land invasion they had planned and also gave them a foothold right next to mainland Japan. This stronghold eventually allowed the American forces to drop the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was fought for the island of the same name as the American forces were island-hopping through the south Pacific. The Japanese forces were led by General Kuribayashi. He had his troops hide in underground bunkers which were interconnected by an estimated 11-16 miles of tunnels. He called for no Japanese survivors, implying that his soldiers were to fight to the death rather than be taken prisoner.
American forces bombarded the island for seventy-two days prior to their invasion of the island but the Japanese soldiers’ fortifications meant this had a smaller effect than was hoped. As a result, the island took one month for the Americans to take rather than the hoped two weeks.
Although it is a small island, Iwo Jima had two airfields the Japanese used to bomb American ships. The Americans saw that if these could be used as their own air bases, the air strips would be of great tactical importance giving the Americans base close to Japan and a launching pad for further island-hopping. Having Iwo Jima as a base also allowed American bombers to be escorted by shorter-range fighter jets on missions and gave damaged American planes an emergency landing spot.
Battle of Leyte Gulf
ReplyDeleteThe United States out powered the Japanese force in her diminishing efforts at Leyte Gulf, in October of 1944 . The United States fleet consisted of 8 large carriers, 24 small carriers, 1 battleship and over 140 destroyers. The US air force also employed over 1700 fighter planes. Japan on the hand only had 4 aircraft (only 1 of which was significant enough in size to have the slightest chance of succeeding against the American carriers. More importantly though, Japan only had a near 7 percent of the fighter planes as the US! This truly shows how the oil embargo put on by the US, disallowed Japan to gain substantial power for its air force. In other words, the limiting of oil, allowed the US to overpower (and outnumber) the Japanese more easily.
The second influence of the Ally victory was, the United States power under water. US submarines played a key role in the Ally victory at Leyte Gulf, because they helped detect/find Japanese vessels in the Pacific.
The incorporation of Australia in the battle, also gave America the leading edge, because non of Japan’s allies were assisting them at Leyte Gulf.
The American’s northern campaign, issued an attack on Leyte Gulf’s northern edge. The Japanese were no match to the United States, military, army, air force, tactics, and resource availability.
The battle of Leyte Gulf is considered to be the largest naval battle of WWII. This battle took place in the waters near the Philippine islands. This battle was fought between the Allies (U.S. and Australia) and Japan. They fought each other by using their navy and air force forces. The U.S. invaded the island of Leyte to isolate Japan from the countries that it had occupied in South East Asia. As the battle began, Japan moved almost all of its remaining naval forces to intercept the U.S. navy’s 3rd and 7th fleets. As Japan was losing more and more forces, they turned to their aircraft kamikaze attacks to hurt the Allied forces. Since this was the first battle where Japan used kamikaze aircraft, some of the attempts were failures. Though some would hit an Allied ship, most would either be shot down or miss the target completely. When the planes hit the ships, they caused much damage to the point when some ships sunk. Though the kamikaze strategy was great at weakening the Allied forces, Japan had a lot less aircraft than the Allies had naval forces. Therefore, Japan suffered many losses while failing to achieve their objective.
ReplyDeleteThis battle helped lead to the Allied victory over Japan because after the battle, allied forces gained control over the Leyte Gulf, which supplied them with a great strategic position to invade Japan with. The battle also helped, because it stopped the Japanese forces from expanding onward.
The battle of Iwo Jima (also called Operation Detachment) was a battle where the U.S. fought for Iwo Jima against Japan. This was the first battle where the U.S. forces took the war to the Japanese homeland. The U.S. planned to take control of the two airfields on Iwo Jima to aid them in the battle. On the island, Japanese forces were heavily fortified with bunkers, heavy artillery and underground tunnels. The U.S. forces had naval and air support, to put a huge amount of firepower onto the Japanese forces. ¬In the beginning of the battle, Japan had just over 18,000 troops and the Americans had over 110,000 troops. From the start, Japanese defeat was assured because the Americans had superior arms and numbers. In the end the Americans took over the island. This battle was significant for the American’s victory over Japan because in the end, the island of Iwo Jima proved to be a great strategic point that lead to Japan’s defeat.
Battle of Leyte Gulf
ReplyDeleteThe Battle Of Leyte Gulf lasted from October 23-26, 1944, it was the key battle in World War II that gave the Allies control over the Pacific and one of the largest naval battles in history. The Allied assault on the island of Leyte prompted the Japanese to initiate Shō-Gō 1. This called for the Japanese Northern Force to act as a decoy luring away U.S. Forces so that the Southern Force and Center Force (by far the largest of the two) could advance on Leyte. The U.S. Admiral Halsey of the Third Fleet discovered the Center Force and engaged but only was able to partially damage the Japanese Fleet due to the bulk of the normally large force being rearmed. Following many miscommunications, Halsey later proceeded to pursue the Northern Force, leaving the San Bernadino Strait (which he had previously announced he was guarding from an impending attack by the remaining Center Force) completely undefended. Meanwhile, the Southern Force was swiftly defeated by the Seventh Fleet at the Surigao Strait. The remaining Center Force then proceeded unburdened through the San Bernadino Strait towards the island of Leyte where they encountered the Seventh Fleet which managed to hold off the much greater Japanese Fleet and force a retreat. The Third Fleet had for the most part crushed the all but worthless decoy Northern Force and when it finally turned around to assist the Seventh Fleet, the Center Force had all but fled. The Battle of Leyte Gulf is of supreme importance as it crippled the Japanese Navy as well as gave the U.S. Control over the Pacific. It is also notable that this was the first time kamikaze suicide pilots were used by the Japanese.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The island of Iwo Jima is a very small and very strategic landmass inside the Japanese island chain. It could be used by the American forces to launch bombing raids on Japan or could be used by the Japanese to intercept attacks made on the main island of Honshu as it was home to three Japanese airfields. The Japanese force of 22,000 men on the island were commanded by Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi who was adamant in his defense of the island. The American forces, headed by Admiral Nemitz, had a huge numbers advantage and planned to use it. However for two months prior to the actual invasion, bombing runs and artillery shelling from battleships were ordered in hopes of softening up defenses. To the contrary, they only served to provide better hideouts for the Japanese as their main defensive bases were fortified to be impenetrable to shelling and bombing. The actual land invasion commenced on February 19th, 1945 and despite taking 2,400 causalities, the first two days of the invasion managed to cut the island in two pieces and the U.S. was able to secure Mount Surbachi (the southern half of the island) and two airfields by the 23rd. The northern half of the island gave the U.S. considerably more trouble as the Japanese showed tremendous fortitude in their defense and most often fought to the death. Though the fighting was extremely fierce, the Marines were finally able to declare the island secure on March 16. The final Japanese counterattack, supposedly led in person by Kuribayashi on March 25th was easily squashed. Much can be said for Japanese nationalism (or the effects of propaganda) as only 216 soldiers were taken captive out of the starting 22,000. The Allied forces suffered a massive 26,000 casualties which is the only time Allied casualties outnumbered Japanese in a conflict. The Battle of Iwo Jima served immense importance soon after as it was a crucial emergency landing zone for the B-29’s that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as over 4,000 Allied aircraft.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
ReplyDeleteThis battle went on from October 23-25 in 1994. It was known to be the largest naval battle ever fought which resulted in victory from the Allies.
In late 1944 the Allied leaders began operations in order to free the Philippines. Initially, they planned for it to take place on the island of Leyte with ground forces with the ground forces commanded by Douglas Macarther. The landings on Leyte began on October 20, 1944. The Japanese commander, Soemu Toyoda, was already aware of the American intentions in the Philippines and therefore tried to stop the invasion. It called for all of Japan’s remaining naval strength. The Japanese quickly had to draw up a desperate plan which would risk the remaining forces but would still give them a chance to destroy the American invasion fleet and would isolate the Allied ground forces on Leyte.
There were several air-raids and fleet attacks which resulted in the Americans loosing 18 aircrafts. One enormous battleship, Musashi, was the target of several air carrier groups. They took her down and she sank after being hit by 10 bombs and 19 torpedoes. The escort carrier USS Princeton was also sunk by land-based bombers during the battle as well as many others.
Overall the Japanese lost 4 aircraft carriers, 8 cruisers, 3 battleships, and 12 destroyers, and over 10,000 men. On the other hand, the Allied forces only lost 1,500 men, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 destroyers, and 2 escort carriers. Unfortunately for the Japanese, this battle marked the last time that the Imperial Japanese Navy would be able to conduct such a large operation during the war. The Battle of the Leyte Gulf ‘opened the doors’ to liberation for the Philippines and cut off the Japanese from their previous conquered territories in Southeast Asia.
Battle of Okinawa
This battle was known as the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War and the first time American’s fought on Japanese soil. It was also the largest amphibious warfare, which is the use of naval firepower and strategy to push military power ashore, in the Pacific War. In April 1845, German resistance was quickly failing but the Empire of Japan were still resisting American advances across the Pacific. Okinawa, located 400 miles south of Japan, if in possession of the Allies would cut Japan’s sea lines from communication and for isolation so raw materials will not be able to come from the South. This island’s main contribution to the war was the production of sugarcane which would be converted into alcohol for torpedoes and engines.
The invasion started on April 1st, 1945 when 60,000 troops, consisting of two marine and two army divisions, landed. It was nicknamed Operation Iceberg and the landing was known as ‘Love Day’ since they landed with practically no opposition.
Even though there more than 100,000 Japanese troops defending Okinawa, they chose not to defend the beaches. The landings on April first were part of their strategy to avoid casualties defending the beach against allied forces. The Japanese also dug caves and tunnels on high ground which were away from the beaches as an attempt to negate the Allies' air and sea power.
In the end, the Americans were victorious although the casualties were more than 38,000 Americans wounded and 12,000 killed. Additionally, 34 allied ships and crafts were sunk and 368 damaged. The fleet had also lost 763 aircraft. On the other hand, the Japanese lost more than 107,000 men during the battle, which was approximately half of the total number of soldiers, and their pride since the Japanese were forced to surrender and the battle resulted in defeat on their very own soil.
With America in the war, tension rose between them and Japan. Japan felt threatened by America’s power, and feared that they would lose their chance of taking power of the Philippines. Japan felt that the only way to take control was to get America out of the war altogether. In order to do this, they planned on attacking American ships, in what would be known as The Battle of the Leyte Gulf. This would not be an easy attack, considering the American’s had many more ships and supplies, so Japan strategically planned their attack, in hopes that they would not have failure. Not only did they create a plan, they also changed their code so that there was no way their attack would be suspected. Despite their strong efforts, the American’s greatly outnumbered the Japanese, therefore the Japanese tried even harder to compete. They used Kamikazes to be more powerful, but unfortunately this backfired and destroyed many planes and caused extreme damage. Not only did the Japanese not gain control of the Philippines, but they also suffered severe loss in aircrafts, ships, and men. Despite Japan’s attempt, in the end Allied forces gained control of the Leyte Gulf. Unfortunately for Japan, it did the opposite of what they set out to do. In the end, this attack caused Japan’s forces to be unable to expand.
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa is known to be one of the bloodiest battles. 107,539 Japanese soldiers were killed. The fight between Americans and Japanese began in April of 1945. Unfortunately, the Japanese and American’s were not the only ones caught in the cross fire. The inhabitants of Okinawa suffered severe loss. Despite the American’s landing and suggesting an attack, the Japanese did not defend the beaches. Although much effort was put in by the Japanese, including creating tunnels in hopes of negating Allied power, the Americans became victorious. That being said, the American’s suffered extreme loss of not only weapons and ships, but also American troops.
John Heenan
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was a large battle fought on the island of Okinawa over 82 days between April and June of 1945. The battle was fought to secure the island of Okinawa, which was just over 300 miles from the Japanese mainland. The island was to be used as a strategic launch point and airstrip for the final Allied raid on Japan, codenamed Operation Downfall.
The operation began on March 26th, 1945, when soldiers of the 77th Infantry division landed in the Kerama islands, an island chain 15 miles from Okinawa. The army secured the islands over the course of week, suffering far fewer casualties than the Japanese army. This capture provided the US naval fleet providing operational support with a safe place to anchor, and prevented the opportunities for Japanese Kamikaze boat attacks. Several days later, Marines took Keise Shima, a set of islets just a few miles from the Okinawa capital. US forces placed artillery on these islands to provide support for the ground forces when they landed on Okinawa.
On April 1st, the initial Allied forces began landing on western and southern Okinawa a beaches. Several different Army and Marine divisions assaulted the island from different points, while a Marine division displayed a show of force on the southeastern beaches in order to confuse Japanese commanders and slow the movement of reinforcements.
The southern areas of Okinawa were taken with relative ease, but fighting on the northern beaches was heavy. The Japanese were well fortified and engaged in strong hand to hand combat. After a week of fighting, the Allies realized they had only taken out defenses leading up to the primary line. What followed were a series of offensives and counter offensives by Japanese and Allied forces. Over the course of several months, the Allied forces eventually took the island, suffering heavy casualties in the process.
The taking of Okinawa provided a key point for the staging of Allied ships and as a landing strip and airfield for Allied planes. It is believed that the fierce resistance, and the high number of casualties, both civilian and military, that were suffered when taking the island led to the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan rather than participate in a ground invasion, as it was felt that a ground invasion would be too difficult and costly.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of WWII. It took place in the waters off of the Philippines, and was important towards Allied victory as it resulted in the destruction of a large portion of the Japanese fleet and the removal of Japanese access to large oil reserves.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf took place between October 23rd and 26th, 1944, and featured Allied and Japanese forces, with the Allies holding a large numerical advantage, with more Allied sea vessels involved than Japanese planes. The Battle is noteworthy as the first time that the Japanese utilized Kamikaze tactics, inflicting significant losses on the Allied forces.
The primary objective of the Allied assault was to prevent Japanese access to the islands surrounding the Japanese mainland, preventing defensive attacks during a final assault on the Japanese mainland, and to cut off Japanese access to oil supplies. The battle was successful in this respect, and Japanese forces were unable to reach the petroleum that was needed to fuel their large naval fleets or provide power for industry, including manufacture of weaponry and aircraft. The lack of oil meant that many of the larger and more powerful ships in the Japanese navy would remain at dock for the remainder of WWII, unable to mobilize due to the dearth of oil available to the Japanese.
John Heenan
ReplyDeleteContinued
The lack of oil, coupled with the destruction of a large portion of the remaining Japanese fleet, significantly reduced the threat posed by the Japanese navy, and allowed the US to continue the Island hopping process until it reached Okinawa, a battle which was shortly followed by the launch of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the conclusion of hostilities with Japan shortly thereafter.
Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa, code named operation iceberg, began on Easter Sunday April 1, 1945. It was the largest amphibious invasion in the Pacific War and the last major campaign. It was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. It killed more people than the combined casualties of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.
Thirty-four allied ships were sunk by kamikazes, and 368 ships damaged. In the spring of 1945, the German resistance was disintegrating, but Japan continued to fervently resist American advances across the Pacific. The stakes became higher for the Japanese as they began defending their homeland and confidence became desperation. The Japanese did not view the people of Okinawa as equals but they valued the land as a colonial possession. Okinawa’s harbors and airfields were used during the war but it produced no surplus food or industrial goods to be useful to the military. The only benefit the Japanese extracted from Okinawa was the sugarcane which could be converted into commercial alcohol for torpedos and engines. For the Allies, Okinawa served a much greater purpose. The harbors and airfields were necessary for an amphibious assault and possession of Okinawa would cut off Japanese sea lines of communication and isolate it from vital sources of raw material in the south. In the first wave of the invasion, the Japanese chose not to defend the beaches even though they had 100,000 troops available. This was a mistake and gave Americans the advantage. On April 7th, the frightened desperation began to take effect. Massed formations of Kamikaze aircraft called kikusui, for “floating chrysanthemum”, for the imperial symbol of Japan, attacked the Allied forces. This hopeless plight continued as the first “baka” or piloted, suicide rocket bombs, were spotted below Japanese bombers on March 21st. Monsoon rains turned the battle fields into WWI-like conditions. The dead and wounded sank into the mud and decayed. This only worsened as General Ushijima ordered a retreat due to heavy pressure on the Shuri Line. Japanese soldiers, too wounded to travel, were given lethal injections of morphine and left behind to die. General Ushijima committed ritual suicide on June 16th, convinced that he had done his duty defending his country and serving the Emperor. On June 21, 1945, George company, 22nd regiment, Sixth Marine Diviison, the same outfit that raised the flag on the northern end, did the honors on the southern end. The Battle for Okinawa was over.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
ReplyDeleteOctober 23 through 25, 1944
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle ever fought. It gave the Allies control over the Pacific in just 3 days. It consisted of two preliminary strikes against the Japanese forces on the way to battle and three massive engagements once the fleets tangled. This made a total of five parts, each with its own name:
The Palawan Passage:
The first Japanese force to be located by American forces was Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force. They were found in the in the Palawan Passage by two submarines. Kurita didn’t deploy destroyers in an anti-submarine screen ahead of his heavy ships. This resulted in disaster for the Japanese when he was suddenly ambushed by an array of undetected torpedoes.
Battle of the Sibuyan Sea:
The Japanese Center Force was spotted retreating to the narrow Sibuyan Sea by planes from the USS Intrepid. The attack was successfully executed. The second wave of planes zeroed in on achieved numerous direct hits with more bombs and torpedoes. Finally, a third wave of terror was once again unleashed by planes aboard the Enterprise. Admiral Kurita turned his fleet around to get out of the range of U.S. planes.
The Battle of Surigao Strait:
October 24th, Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura's southern forces failed to synchronize with other Japanese central forces because of strict radio silence that had been imposed. He ventured towards the Surigao Strait where the Allied forces had set and elaborate trap consisting of torpedos, two groups of destroyers, six battleships, and then more cruisers and destroyers. Of the seven ships that entered the Surigao Strait, only one survived.
The Battle off Cape Engaño:
The US seized the opportunity to destroy the last Japanese carrier forces in the Pacific, a blow that would cripple Japanese sea power and allow the U.S. Navy to attack. All the Japanese carriers were sunk or disabled, Only the converted battleships Ise and Hyuga escaped and returned to Japan. They were sunk upon arrival.
Battle of Samar:
Admiral Kurita passed through San Bernardino Strait at 3 a.m. and progressed southward along the coast of Samar. They caught the US’s “Taffy3” off gaurd and commenced to attack it. The Taffy3 fought with ferocious determination and survived the attack, successfully warding off the Japanese threat. The Imperial Japanese Navy had begun the battle with five battleships; when the remaining forces returned to Japan, only one was combat worthy.
Battle of Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Iwo Jima was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands. Capturing Iwo Jima was part of the Americans three-point plan for winning the war. By 1944, American desired to destroy Japan’s merchant fleet so that Japan’s mainland could not be supplied by the food-rich sectors of South East Asia, which the Japanese stilled had control over. On the first day of landing, February 19, 1945 the Marines took heavy casualties because the American bombings had not been effective. What it did do was give the Japanese more opportunities to find hiding-holes for snipers, and also meant that the United States’ movement inland was obstructed because the area had been heavily bomb. The island of Iwo Jima proved to be difficult to take, and the Americans only advanced several hundred meters a day.
By March 11th, the Japanese were trapped around Kitano Point. By March 16th, Iwo Jima was proclaimed secure and all resistance had come to an end on the 26th. The tiny island had been taken by America and took over a month to take over. In the process of taking over the island the Marines lost 6,891 men and 18,070 were wounded. Only 212 out of 22,000 Japanese soldiers were taken as prisoners. The Imperial soldiers showed the Americans that they could defend their positions tenaciously. Despite the heavy casualties and fighting on both sides, from the start Japanese defeat was assured. The Americans dominated an immense superiority in arms and numbers; this ensured that there were no likely scenarios in which the United States could have lost the battle.
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the largest amphibious invasion and was proven to be the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. The nickname, Operation Iceberg, had more ships, more troops on shore, more supplies transferred, more bombs dropped, and more naval guns fired against shore targets than any other operation in the Pacific. The Americans lost more than 12,000 and wounded 38,000 soldiers, and the Japanese lost 107,000 soldiers and about 100, 000 civilian perished during the battle. This battle lost more people than the killing during the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The invasion began April 1, 1945, the American gathered off shore with 10 battleships, including several Pearl Harbor survivors, Maryland, West Virginia, and USS Tennessee. Also there were 9 cruisers, 23 destroyers, and 117 rocket gunboats. Okinawa was strongly defended by its troops, but the Japanese chose not to defend the beaches. The Japanese overall strategy was to avoid casualties by not defending the beaches. Also they dug into caves and tunnels on high ground away from the beaches to countermand the Allies. The invasion was a victory for the U.S. Some military historians believed that this battle led directly to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which caused Japan to surrender later.
The Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa was fought after a long chain of “Island Hopping” was already done by the Americans. The “Island Hopping” brought Americans closer and closer to Japan and allowed them to stage attacks from shorter distances away. The significance of Okinawa was it provided an extremely well-placed air base for the US to attack Japan from. Also, in taking over Okinawa, the US would put some key Japanese air bases out of business.
The battle of Okinawa was codenamed “Operation Iceberg” and had one of the highest casualty rates of all of the battle fought in World War II. The American land forces were meant to outnumber Japanese land forces eight to two and half. They were also meant to have superior firepower. The American navy suffered extremely high casualties in this battle, but accomplished their goals and landed on Okinawa. The British air fleet assisted the US in this battle; its job was to secure the air base in Okinawa and prevent Kamikaze attacks from the Japanese.
The Japanese launched an attack called “Ten-Go” but this attack failed and the Japanese lost 3700 sailors while taking out only ten US planes and twelve airmen.
American forces landed on Okinawa on April 1. The Tenth Army took two airbases and then went on to take northern Okinawa. There was heavy resistance by the Japanese but the area was taken. Le Shima, a small island off the coast of Okinawa, was also taken and made into an American airbase. Meanwhile, three other infantry divisions were on their mission to take Southern Okinawa. Their first objective was to take the Shuri Line which was heavily fortified. Then they went on to take Kakazu Ridge. This was exceptionally difficult because the Japanese would attack from and hide in caves along the ridge. Both sides received heavy casualties. Naval marine planes came to assist by launching rockets and dropping mortars into the caves. Eventually, the American forces flushed the Japanese out of the caves and finally took Okinawa.
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was the first battle fought on the Japanese “home islands.” The battle began February 19, 1945. When the US entered Iwo Jima, they expected to win the battle without fail because the Japanese had nowhere to retreat, they had nowhere from which to call reinforcements, and the US had superiority in arms and numbers. Still, the Japanese put up an incredible defense and fought ferociously. They had established vast bunkers and hidden artillery all over the island. Japan did not expect to win the battle of Iwo Jima, but wanted to inflict as many casualties as possible.
The US captured Iwo Jima with capturing only two small airbases it held in mind. What they did not know at the time was that the Battle of Iwo Jima had secured the US with a future landing site for the plane carrying the atomic bomb. The bomb, due to lack of resources and expensive materials, was not easily or lightly replaced once lost. Many feared the failure or attacking of the plane carrying the atomic bomb somewhere in the Pacific. This could be catastrophic and prolong the war to the point where invasion of Japanese mainland would become necessary. The position of Iwo Jima provided the US with an emergency landing site for planes and a radar system near Japan that could detect planes that could possibly prevent the “delivery” of the atomic bomb to Japan. The island was also usefull in the refueling and emergency landing of other planes, not carrying such explosive baggage, but strategically it was most important for the Manhattan Project.
Battle of Iwo Jima:
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Iwo Jima was the US’s attempt to capture the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. This 4.5 mile island would play a critical role in the United States’ occupation of Japan. The US wanted to take control of the island in order to use its airstrips for the impending raid on Japan. However, the Japanese saw the protection of the island as critical to national security. They had fortified the island with underground pill boxes and 16 miles of tunnels containing artillery. The attack commenced on February 19, 1945. Almost 22,000 artillery shells were expended in the conflict, and approximately 6,800 tons of explosive. During the battle, the Japanese tactic of suicide when cornered became more prominent. Due to this, almost all Japanese who took part in the conflict were killed, only 2,000 out of 22,000 survived. This number of casualties is extremely high compared to that of the United States’ side. The US lost only 6,000 men. This battle was a keystone in the US’s campaign to end the war. It allowed US forces to have a “base” to station their planes and ships before they were needed for war.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
Towards the end of the war, Japan began to grow wary of the US’s troops in the pacific. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was their final attempt to rid themselves of these forces. The Japanese followed a tactic similar to Hitler’s Blitzkrieg, hitting the US with all of the ground forces it had available. The Japanese knew that if they lost in the Philippines the war would soon be over for them. The United States outnumbered Japan’s forces severely. In some areas the US outnumbered Japan 8 to 1. This led to the Japanese getting extremely desperate and resorting to kamikaze tactics. Before long, the Japanese had succeeded in destroying sever American ships, but not without cost. The Japanese lost several airplanes to the kamikaze method and just as many lives. The United States still heavily outnumbered the Japanese at the end of the conflict. And now the US possessed the Philippines, another crucial military “base” to be used for future attacks on Japan. These attacks would eventually end the war.
Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Iwo Jima started on February 9, 1945 and ended on March 16, 1945. Iwo Jima itself was a small island that the Japanese had fortified with three airstrips and burrows reinforced with concrete and steel through out the island. The Allies, especially the Americans wanted to get rid of the Japanese and use it as their own base. They U.S. bombed Iwo Jima for two and a half months while the Japanese burrowed even deeper into the island.
On Febuary 19, 1945 marines were landed on the coast of Iwo Jima. By the end of the battle 110,000 American troops would have landed and fight against the 22,000 Japanese soldiers. At first they were met with very little resistance but than the marines were fired upon. It took five days for the marines to capture both airstrips and the island highest point. This was a tough blow to the Japanese but they did not back down and still had two defensive lines in tact. They held their own and caused many marine casualties but eventually the Japanese were overpowered. There were 5931 marine casualties, while the Japanese suffered 20,703 deaths out of 22,000.
This battle was a huge blow to the Japanese and was an extremely important battle to Allies because it deprived the Japanese of a defensive base. The most crushing part of the loss for the Japanese was the loss of morale. They had lost and if they lost a battle, couldn’t they also lose a war?
For the Americans the victory was needed to have a base and to boost morale. It saved the lives of soldiers that were on crippled B-29s. Overall, the victory helped the Allies win against the Japanese.
Battle of Okinawa
The Okinawa campaign’s goal was to take the island and use it as a base to invade the Japanese mainland. The Japanese knew how important the island was and place over 100,000 troops there to protect it. The Japanese planned to hold the island and let the kamikazes destroy the navy.
Admiral Chester Nimitz led the American invasion and the first attack came on March 26, 1945. The Americans were able to take two islands off the coast of Okinawa. On April 1, the marines landed on the western coast of Okinawa. By nighttime, 50,000 troops had landed. By April 20, four fifths of the island we under American control. All that was left were the rest of the Japanese troops that would never give up. They put up a great battle as the island was named secure months later on July 2nd, 1945. The Japanese army was destroyed as 100,000 troops were killed in the battle.
During the duration of this battle, fights in the air and sea were also taking place. These also ended badly for the Japanese any their navy, army and air force were almost wiped out.
This battle was extremely important, as it was the last major battle of WWII. It was the beginning of the end for the Japanese and the beginning of victory for the Allies. Because America captured the island they were able to use it as a base for the final Bombing of Japan. Without Okinawa, the Allies might not have won the war, or won as soon as the had.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was conducted by American commander General Macarthur. American and Filipino forces invaded the Philippine island of Leyte, a significant Japanese supplying port, on October17th, 1944 to end the Japanese occupation of the Philippine area and therefore disable Japanese forces. It was also Japan’s last attempt to remove American outfits from the Pacific. Lieutenant General Shiro Makino led Japanese forces throughout the Battle. The Battle or Leyte Gulf was the largest amphibious endeavor made by the Allied/ American troops in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. The first attack occurred, as mentioned on October the 17th and was followed by two later attacks of separate islands. One attack came to be known as A-Day. The Americans succeeded in defeating the Japanese on three Philippine Islands. This success gained the American’s a significant position not far from the coast of Japan for invasion. Overall, the battle was won with only a total of 49 killed, 192 wounded, and 6 missing.
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Iwo Jima was a battle fought in Iwo Jima, an area on Japanese that lay equally between the US and Japanese bomber bases in the Marianas. This Battle was fought between the American Allies and the Japanese. General Kuribayashi led the Japanese units. The US sent in their largest armada to have been active during the Second World War so far and also attempted an air raid on the Japanese however the raid was not nearly as effective as hoped due to the Japanese positions in concrete bunkers under ground. US marines invaded the beaches at Iwo Jima and were immediately met by volcanic ash scattered by a nearby volcanoe. Soldiers that did not encounter ash were easy targets for hidden Japanese gunmen. This invasion was the beginning of D-Day. The US soldiers who made it up the beaches and bombarded the hiding Japanese won the battle using liquid gas, napalm and hand grenades. The Allied forces finished the battle having suffered 75% casualties and returned to their boats with only 1 of the seven original officers. The Batlle of Iwo Jima was a ferocious battle and an epic American victory.
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ReplyDeleteBattle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe taking of the island Okinawa was an important part of overall U.S. Pacific military strategy. The United States goal was to reach the heart of Japan’s industry. Okinawa is only 340 miles away from mainland Japan. This island would enable the US to provide support to China as well as be within bombing distance to Japan. The strategy was to island hop all the way to Japan. Operation Iceberg was the plan to take a chain of islands that contained Okinawa. The battle started on April 1, 1945 and lasted until mid-June, The United States partnered with Great Britain to gain this strategic island. The United States used both their Pacific fleet along with their land forces to take over the island. In a last ditch effort the Japanese started using kamikaze pilots; they would intently fly their planes into the carriers in order to destroy them. This battle had the highest amount of casualties through the whole war. It was also the first battle that the United States fought on Japanese soil. The outcome of the Okinawa battle was that 90% of the buildings on the island were destroyed; however the Americans coined the phrase “exceeded all hope”, the United had won the island they needed in order to bomb Japan.
Battle of Iwo Jima
Operation Detachment or The Battle of Iwo Jima started in February of 1945. The United States goal was to capture the two air bases on the island. The Americans knew it was going to be a difficult task, the Japanese positions on the island were heavily armed, with huge bunkers, hidden weapons, and a vast underground tunnel system throughout the island. The plan was relatively simple before the initial invasion air planes would bomb the island for 74 days, and the naval ships would bomb for 10 days. However, the navy trying to save ammunition for the invasion of Okinawa, only bombed for 3 days. Despite this set back the attack occurred on February 19, it started with a few Marine divisions landing on the southern beaches and taking over a base. In the mean in another division would invade from the north. The battle ended on March 26 of that same year, out of 22,785 Japanese on the island 21,570 died by the battle or suicide. On the other hand the US only lost 6,821 men. The United States needed to take Iwo Jima so that the B-29s that were holding the atomic bomb could have an emergency landing spot.
The Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteBoth of these battles were extremely fierce battle taking place at the end of the second World War. Japan surrendered only a few weeks after the end of the Battle of Okinawa with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These battles showed the determination of the Japanese and their belief in death rather than dishonor in battle. The ferocity of the Japanese soldiers caused many US casualties and made each battle a challenge.
The battle of Iwo Jima took place on an uninhabited island near the main Japanese island chain between Japan and the United States. By the time this battle occurred, Japan’s defeat was unavoidable. Germany and Italy had surrendered and the USSR had joined the Allies leaving Japan to fight the world alone. With each successive capture of an island, Japan’s impending defeat became more obvious but that did not make Japanese soldiers simply allow the Allied forces to take the islands without a fight. The Imperial Army had resorted to Kamikaze pilots and forced the US Navy to adopt a strategy of ‘island hopping’ where they would attack an island then use it as a base to attack the next one and so forth. The Japanese heavily fortified their islands and it took many thousands of lives to capture an island. Iwo Jima was one of the Japanese home islands and of the roughly 18,000 soldiers on it at the beginning, only 800 were taken prisoner.
Okinawa was an inhabited island where about ¼ of the population were killed in the battle. This battle was the greatest amphibious assault ever with several ships and land units with air support which largely kept the Japanese pinned down. The assault was led by the United States with British troops making up about a quarter of the troops. Kamikazes attacked the aircraft carriers but they largely had armored decks so the pilots were not very effective.
The battle of Iwo Jima was an important Allied victory. Iwo Jima was a tiny island, but it was a great tactical resource. For the Japanese, it could be used to take down American bombers heading for Japan. The Americans, on the other hand, could use it to help with attacks on Japan.
ReplyDeleteThe battle started with the Allies bombing the island for two months prior to the attack. This was to destroy the Japanese defenses on the island. Since, the Japanese had thoroughly fortified the island, the Americans thought it necessary to destroy at least some of the defenses. Also, a few days before the invasion, the Americans sent battleships to bombard the coast of the island. Then the actual fighting started. The Americans had a problem right when they landed. All the bombardment had done was create places in the terrain for Japanese snipers. The constant bombing had also made the island harder to travel on for the Americans.
The Americans first attacked the island on February 19th, 1945. They faced a tremendous task for such a small island. The Japanese had stationed 22,000 troops for defense along with strong fortifications. The first day was successful though, despite around 2,400 American casualties, the island was cut in half. But there was much to do ahead. Because of Japanese defenses and snipers, the Americans were only able to advance a couple hundred meters per day. The rough terrain also contributed to this. Despite this, the island was American after a little more than a month of going through an extremely fortified, small island.
During the battle, the marines lost over 6,000 men and had over 18,000 wounded. Out of the 22,000 Japanese on the island, only 212 were taken as prisoners. The defenses and fighting on the island was important in another way too. It showed the Americans how much the Japanese were going to protect their home. This knowledge influenced the atomic bombing of Japan.
The Battle of Okinawa was another extremely important victory and battle for the Americans. Okinawa was below Japan and could be used to attack Japan. The Japanese, knowing this, stationed over 100,000 men to protect the island. Also on the island, were over 400,000 civilians and civilian residents.
This battle would prove to be very hard and very costly. The Japanese were aware that Okinawa could be the last battle before Japan and they were taking it seriously. Multiple areas of the island hid Japanese snipers and hideouts. Also, rain stalled and threatened to cancel the American invasion of Okinawa. The American leader went along with the attack despite the rain, but the weather was an issue. The Americans did, however, have some luck. The Japanese launched an offensive that proved disastrous. The problem for the Japanese with the offensive was that they were coming out of their safe trenches. This allowed the Americans to bombard them and decimate their numbers. The Japanese had more than 4 times the number of casualties compared to the Americans in their one disastrous offensive. In the end, after multiple battles, difficulties, and hardships the Americans won the island.
The battle on land was not the only one during the battle. In the sea, the Japanese had laid out land mines for the Americans ships to run into. In addition to this, they prepared a fleet. This fleet contained the majority of the Japanese navy, including the essential aircraft carriers. By the end of the battle, the Americans had basically destroyed the Japanese navy and aircrafts.
One of the major characteristics of this battle was the increased use of kamikaze pilots. The American navy suffered more losses in this one battle than it did in the entire rest of the war, due to the kamikaze planes flying into the ships by the hundreds.
Battle of Leyte Gulf-
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Leyte Gulf was part of the Allied plan to liberate the Philippines. Leyte Island was a particularly significant island because of its position in the middle of the Philippine archipelago. General Douglas MacArthur, the American Allied commander in charge of the war in the Pacific, was in command of the ground forces that made the initial landings onto the island of Leyte. The battle began with MacArthur’s invasion and ended six days later with Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita’s hasty retreat.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was an important Allied victory. The Allies were able to gain control of the beachhead on Leyte Island and in doing so were able to liberate the Philippines. This also meant that the Japanese were cut off from their occupied territories in Southeast Asia. The result was that Japan saw a great reduction in the flow of supplies and resources to the home islands. Also, the Imperial Japanese Navy suffered so many losses during this battle, this was the last time that they were able to conduct a large-scale operation during the war. The Japanese lost both ships and moral.
However, the Battle of Leyte Gulf also had many negative consequences that accompanied the Ally’s victory. 1,500 soldiers were killed and 1 light aircraft carrier, 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers, 1 destroyer escort were sunk. Still, Allied losses were much lighter then Japanese losses. The opposing forces lost 4 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 8 cruisers, and 12 destroyers, and 10,000+ were killed. Another horror born from this battle was a terrible practice that caused countless people their lives and struck fear into the hearts of those fighting. This battle was the first time that the Japanese had used kamikaze warplanes. It was an act of shear desperation, but the Japanese were encouraged by the successfulness of the kamikaze attacks and continued to use this method later during World War Two.
The Battle of Okinawa, also known as “Operation Iceberg”, was the single battle with the most significant use of amphibious vehicles. This shows how the technological advancements of the time (April 1, 1945 – June 22, 1945) played a key role in the Ally domination in the Pacific during WWII. Japan, suffering from about twice as many casualties as the ally force, was turned away from Okinawa by the summer of 1945. Although domination from the Allies did occur, this 82- day battle took longer than some. The strength of the amphibious vehicles did play a major part in Operation Iceberg; however, air and naval efforts were a part of the American and British victory.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of obtaining Okinawa was crucial to the Allie victory in the pacific. The location of the island, being only about 350 miles from the mainland [of Japan] would give American, British, and Australian troops access later on in the war. This would allow the Allies to keep a close eye on the Japanese mainland, and provide another barrier for Japanese access to the west coast of the US. This gain, not only provided a barrier to the US for the Japanese, but it also helped the US assure the American citizens that they had more control of the Japanese, which lead to an improvement in moral and trust in the American government. This was a major reason for Allie domination in the pacific because, not only is it important for the US to keep a good relation with other Allied nations, but it is also important to give the American civilians trust in their own government.
Battle of Leyte gulf
ReplyDeleteThe battle of Leyte Gulf took place in October of 1944 between the United States and Japan. This battle is considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and perhaps one on the largest in history. The battle took place in the Philippines islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon. The United States wished to land on the Philippines in order to take back what the Japanese had taken from them. The Japanese wanted to prevent the United States from landing at all costs. In previous naval battles the Americans had had devices in which they could listen to the Japanese radio. This time the Japanese switched and minimized their use of radio leaving the Americans at a disadvantage. Not only this, but in Japan’s desperate situation they introduced the use of Kamikaze pilots. These were pilots who drove their planes into ships, committing suicide, in order to blow up the enemy. This loyalty to the nation of Japan showed their desperateness and cultural tendencies. These disadvantages and the careful planning of the Japanese admiral Toyoda Soemu were almost catastrophic for the Allies. The Japanese pulled the Americans to the northern side of the island in order to pinch them off. One side of the pinch was delayed by US air fighting forces eventually leading to success. The allies pulled through in the end by defeating the battle ships of the Japanese navy. The Americans outnumbered the forces of the Japanese and the Japanese suffered great losses. The battle of Leyte was the final offensive act for the Japanese. Earlier the war had turned around for the allied side but it was here that winning was a clear sign in the distance.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima is highly celebrated in the US with many statues and reenactments of the victory. This battle took place in February of 1945, towards the end of the war. Before this there had been 72 days of bombardment on the island with 12,600 tons of bombs being dropped. Iwo Jima is only a volcanic island, but the Japanese built it with airstrips and was one of the largest defenses for the rest of Japan. For this reason the Americans wanted control of this island in order to use it for their own advantage in taking Japan. The Americans landed with great amounts of troops and without much difficulty at first. They met first enemy fire about 350 yards onto the island. They continued forward without much trouble taking the first airstrip in 2 days and the tallest point of the island in 5 days. This weakened the morale of the Japanese, yet almost caused them to fight harder. The Japanese held off the marines for ten days in their deep bunkers but eventually fell to the powerful supreme American forces. Many Japanese took their own lives, since Americans on their own soil was even more frightening. They fought to the death. The defeat of Iwo Jima caused great depression of morale in the society of the Japanese. Having Americans on their homeland caused greater strife than ever before. The airstrips allowed for many US navy soldiers to be saved and aided the final defeat of the Japanese in World War II.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and also one of the largest naval battles in history. It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar, and Luzon, from October 23rd to the 26th 1944, between naval and naval-air forces of the Allies and those of the Empire of Japan. On October 20th, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it occupied in South East Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of necessary oil supplies. The Imperial Japanese Navy assembled nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion. However, was beaten by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. The Japanese failed to achieve its objective, suffered very heavy losses, and never afterwards sailed to battle in comparable force. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel, remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War.
ReplyDeleteBattle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Island of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War. The 82 day long battle lasted from early April until mid-June, 1945. The battle resulted in one of the highest number of casualties of any World War II battle. Japan lost over 100,000 troops, and the Allies suffered more than 50,000 casualties. Also, more than 100,000 civilians were killed, wounded, or committed suicide. Approximately one-quarter of the civilian population died due to the invasion. The main objective of the operation was to seize a large island only 340 miles away from mainland Japan. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland, coded Operation Downfall. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Soviet entry into the war caused Japan to surrender just weeks after the end of the fighting at Okinawa.
Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa was one of the biggest amphibious attacks during the Pacific War. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the War because there were a large number of troops, ships, bombs and guns used than any other war in the Pacific. There was a large loss of life for both the Japanese and the Americans. One of the results of this battle was that the U.S. was in close proximity to Japan and set up a military base near Japan. This was helpful to the U.S. because they were gaining more Japanese land with each battle and they were getting closer to Japan.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the battles that displayed fierce fighting. This was a battle in which the United States captured Iwo Jima from Japan. The capture of Iwo Jima was critical for the later atomic bombings on Japan. The Americans used Iwo Jima as a place for the planes carrying the atomic bombs to land. The United States wanted a base that was near Japan for the bombings. The Battle of Iwo Jima was critical for the Americans because it showed the end of the war. From the beginning of the battle, the Japanese were defeated because there were a large number of Americans in the military and in the naval and air forces.
The Battle of Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteThe invasion of Iwo Jima took place from February 19 – March 26, 1945. The battle was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands. The Imperial soldiers defended their positions with great resolve, but in the end America would be victorious. With 18,000 Japanese soldiers present at the beginning of the battle, only 216 were taken prisoner and the rest were killed or were missing and assumed dead.
Iwo Jima was a strategically important t air base for long range bombing efforts against Japan. Crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs needed an emergency landing strip, as the distance between mainland Japan and the U.S. bases in the Mariana Islands was too grate. Iwo Jima would provide this base, as well as allow for sea and air blockades, and would provide the ability to conduct intensive air bombardment and to destroy the Japan’s air and naval capabilities.
The seizure of Iwo Jima was necessary, but the prize would not come without a price. During the 36-day assault on Iwo Jima, the fighting that took place would be immortalized. In the words of Commander, Pacific Fleet/Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who said, "Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue." [http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/battleiwojima.htm]
The battle was key to America’s success in the war, and do to Iwo Jima’s location in the Pacific islands, which are very close to Japan; it meant that the battle of Okinawa, and the invasion of Japan itself, was not to far away.
The Battle of Okinawa
Okinawa was the largest amphibious invasion of the Pacific campaign and the last major campaign of the Pacific War. More people died during the Battle of Okinawa than all those killed during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. American forces landed March 26th, but the Japanese had chosen not to defend their beaches. On May 3rd, the Japanese general Ushijima ordered a counterattack, which, would be unsuccessful. The island fell on June 21st.
A total, 34 allied ships and craft of all types had been sunk, mostly by kamikazes, and 368 ships and craft damaged. The fleet also lost 763 aircraft. The use of Kamikazes proved Japans desperation, as they were destroying their own planes in order to sink American ships. Japanese human losses were enormous, 107,539 soldiers were killed, and roughly one tenth to one forth of the civilian population died. Although victorious, America too suffered great casualties, with 38,000 wounded and 12,000 killed.
The tenacity of the Japanese troops in the Battle of Okinawa, led to the decision to drop two atomic bomb on Japan, rather than peruse a land invasion that would be both difficult and costly for American troops. The Atomic bombs would ultimately lead to Japan’s surrender.
The Battle of Iwo Jima:
ReplyDeleteTaking place in February of 1944, the Battle of Iwo Jima was the first step of the strategy the Allies forces planned for a complete victory in the Pacific. This operation was vital for the success of the U.S. and Allied forces for multiple strategic, beneficial reasons. First, the location of this island would provide a very efficient and convenient base for the U.S. to land troops in an emergency when airplanes got damaged due to bombing raids. Tactically, this location was necessary for the reinforcement and development of the future main attack on the mainland of Japan. Also, if the United States could take control of the island, they would then be in command of the 3 airstrips located there. Through that achievement, the Kamikaze attacks sent from Iwo Jima would be forever halted, reducing the amount of causalities, destruction, and overall damage. On the 19th of February, the U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima and invaded the island. This bloody and difficult battle cost the United States over 19,200 deaths and Japan estimated about 20,000, but finally on March 26th, the island was declared secure and all resistance had ceased. The Battle of Iwo Jima was a clear victory for the Allied forces and allowed them to proceed in hem ultimate target of defeating Japan in the Pacific.
The Battle of Okinawa:
In April 1945, America decided to invade the large island of Okinawa, near the southern tip of Japan. The motive for this was for America to take control of the four airfields that were located on that island. If the United Sates were to take control of this area, it would be extremely advantageous for defeating Japan in the Pacific. "Okinawa would be a virtual 'springboard to victory' for the Allies" (militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/okinawa/default.aspx). Okinawa held over 130,000 Japanese troops and around 450,000 Japanese civilians, thus, if America won, this would definitely increase the power and control of the United States. The U.S. invasion began on April 1st, and by April 20th, the Allies were able to take control of the Northern region of the island. When the Allies advanced to the South of Okinawa, the Japanese tried to resist the attack and halt the U.S. at all costs. During the battle, the Japanese fought with endless determination and devotion through their kamikaze strategy which left both Japan and America with an exceedingly high casualty rate. On May 21st, Lieutenant- General Ushijima, who was in charge of the Japanese troops living on Okinawa Island, commanded his troops to retreat from the defensive line and by June 2nd, America was officially in possession of Okinawa. America lost almost 12,520 people, Japan lost more than 94,000 soldiers, and Okinawa lost just about 93,800 civilians. In total, in this gruesome battle, over 200,000 people died. This victory for the United States gave the Allied forces the advantage because this island would be the ultimate strategic location for attacking the mainland of Japan in the near future.
Works Cited:
http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/LUTZ/iwo.html
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_iwo_jima.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_okinawa.htm
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/okinawa/default.aspx
http://www.virtualokinawa.com/about_okinawa/articles/battle.html
Battle of Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteShortly after the D-day invasion on February 19th, 1945, the American battle ships turned their big guns onto the island of Iwo Jima at 2 am. Iwo Jima was extremely valuable to both Japan and America due to its location; the island is only 650 miles from the Japanese mainland. This battle was extremely shame to the Japanese because in its 3000 years history, no foreign forces had ever been on the Japanese soil. The Japanese strategy was to not fight above ground, but below ground. They dug caves and tunnels in the rocks and fought from these strategic locations. They did not dig trenches on the beach. Their plan was for each Japanese soldier on Iwo Jima to not survive, but before they do, at least kill 10 American soldiers before death. There were 18,000 Japanese soldiers awaiting the Americans on Iwo Jima. In the battle, the US sent more soldiers to Iwo Jima than any other battle. The U.S. sent out 110,000 marines and 880 battleships. This battle was one of the bloodiest and largest battles in the Pacific War. At 8:30 am, the American sent out the order to land the force. After the marines land on the island, they were unable to dig foxholes for cover due to the loose volcanic ash beach. The casualties were extremely high due to the heavy gun fire from the Japanese machine guns and huge cannons. During the battle, a hundred thousand men were fighting on the tiny island of Iwo Jima; for 36 days, Iwo Jima was the most populated 7.5 miles on earth! The Japanese used Mt. Suribachi, which was a volcanic cone 550 feet above ground, as a huge “pillbox.” The U.S. suffered 75% casualties in this battle, but they still won the battle using napalm, flame throwers, and hand grenades. In this battle, the U.S. lost 6,800 men and 19,200 were wounded. On the Japanese defense side, the situation was bloody and brutal. Out of the 18,590 Japanese soldiers on the island, all are DEAD except for 216 which were captured by the Marines. That’s more than 18,000 Japanese, dead, from defending the foreign forces to reach the Japanese homeland. The extreme nationalism gave the Marines a hard time at every battle against the Japanese because they would not surrender, they would fight to death. After the ferocious fight, the Marines raised a U.S. flag on top of Mt. Suribachi. 40 years later, the U.S. and the Japanese set up a memorial on top of Mt. Suribachi, to commemorate the “ghost of Iwo Jima.” The veteran from both side attended at the event and “reunion.”
Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteAfter the battle of Iwo Jima, the next target for the Allies was the Island of Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest battles of WWII; it was called “the great battle of WWII.” The battle was also referred as the “Typhoon of Steel” because of the intense gunfire and involvement of tanks and battleships. The Japanese defensive forces had the same mission as the Iwo Jima battle: to prevent the Allies from attacking the mainland Japan. This battle involved both land and sea. The whole battle took 81 days for the U.S. to take over the Island of Okinawa, which is only 20 square miles. During the battle, no place on the Island of Okinawa was save; the heavy crossfire from both side cause both side high causality rates. On April 1, the Allies (U.S. and U.K.) landed 123,000 soldiers on the Island of Okinawa. On the Island of Okinawa, the Japanese had 120,000 soldiers on land, weapon loaded, prepared for the last fight for their country. In the battle, more than 150,000 Okinawan civilians died, either killed or suicide. The desperation of the Japanese made this battle extremely scary for the Allies. Close night hand-to-hand combat and the kamikazes attacks gave the Allies no time to rest. This battle caused 368 Allie battleships, damaged, and 28 sunk. The ships were all sunk by Japanese kamikazes. The Allies suffered 12,500 soldiers killed and 39,000 wounded. The Japanese suffered 110,000 soldiers killed, from land battle and kamikazes, and 7,400 captured. From this battle, U.S. suffered their highest rate of “combat stress reaction” due to the Japanese kamikazes and their extreme nationalism actions. More than 14,000 soldiers retired after this battle.
Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa was both the largest and last campaign of the Pacific War. More people died in this battle than in the atomic bomb dropping in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. This battle included 100,000 Americans, and 150,000 Okinawan’s, 1/3 of their population. The reason this land was so important to the United States is so they could use the island of Okinawa as an airbase for those planes intending to attack Japan. At this point, America had already defeated several other islands, and Okinawa was just the key to America’s success, as it was one of the closest distances to Japan. America made sure every element of their army was superior to Okinawa’s. For example, America’s land forces outnumbered Okinawa’s eight to two. The British also helped secure America’s army by assisting in their air force and preventing Kamikaze attacks from Japan. The operation was nicknamed Operation Iceberg, and ironically, their landing was known as love day, since the landing caused no opposition. This was the first time the American troops fought on Japanese soil. After only about a month of fighting, America gained four fifths of the island, isolating the Japanese to one small fraction. After only a few months, Japan’s defense tactic of hiding in caves finally failed, and Japan was defeated. America had won the last major battle of WWII. This event marked the beginning of victory for the allies, and defeat for Japan. As a result of the battle, America had a weakened and broke army, and therefore resorted to atomic bombing as means of finally attacking Japan.
Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was in February of 1945. The battle was between America and Japan, on already Japanese territory. The purpose of the battle was so America could capture vital airfields, which would in turn contribute to the success of fighting Japan. This is because the two airfields on the island could be used as emergency landing bases for damaged American airplanes, and also a base for attacking planes headed to Japan. This territory was vital for America, because without it, Japan could easily send planes from the bases and shoot down American planes before they reach Japan. Because Japan knew how important the island was to America, they used every bit of force they had to defend it. The Japanese troops were mainly in underground tunnels with hidden artillery, while the Americans surrounded them with sea and air forces. Japan called about 22,000 soldiers, under command of Lieutenant-General Kuribayashi. However, the United States completely expected to defeat their army, simply because they had nowhere to retreat to, and no more troops could get past America’s defense lines. Even though Japan knew this as well, they held strong defense for a couple of months until they were finally captured for good. Once in the hands of America, Iwo Jima was useful for emergency landings of planes, and a refueling stop. This island would later be strategically important for the Manhattan Project.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of all time, a titanic struggle that took place within the Philippine Islands from October 23-25, 1944. The great strategic importance of the Philippines made it a very high-value target for the United States and a place that the Japanese needed to defend. The Japanese plan was to lure the U.S naval forces away from the island of Leyte with a small decoy fleet, the Northern Force, and then move in with the far larger Central and Southern Forces to retake Leyte. The plan, however, did not quite work out. The Southern Force was annihilated by the 7th Fleet, and the Northern Force, which had contained many of the remaining Japanese aircraft carriers, was almost entirely destroyed by the 3rd Fleet. Finally the Central Fleet attacked the remainder of the 7th Fleet near Leyte, but the 7th Fleet managed to hold off the much larger Japanese force. When the northern and southern Allied navies arrived at the site of the final conflict they were able to mop up the remaining Japanese ships. In desperation, the Japanese used for the first time kamikaze planes which were used as suicide bombs against the Allied ships. Though not very effective, they did damage a good number of Allied ships and would be used for the remainder of the war. This battle was extremely significant for the Allies, as it essentially ended the naval power of the Japanese permanently and cut them off from the entirety of the South Pacific. This put the Americans firmly on the front foot and on the home stretch to defeating Japan.
Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, an island very near to Japan, was of immense strategic importance. While the Japanese held it they could use its airfields to intercept any bombers attempting to raid Japan, while for the Americans it would serve as an excellent staging ground for an eventual invasion of Japan itself. Though the Americans had vastly more troops than the defending Japanese, they still sent bombers and battleships to shell the island relentlessly in the hopes of weakening the Japanese defenses. Unfortunately, however, this was ineffective and only served to strengthen the Japanese as they fortified their defenses to be impenetrable to such artillery and bombing. On February 19th, 1945, the Americans began their invasion and managed to secure half of the island in the first two days. The northern half of the island, however, proved much more difficult to take, as the Japanese dug in heavily and fought fiercely for every bit of ground. The Japanese soldiers showed their intense nationalism in their great willingness to fight to the death and their tendency to commit suicide rather than be captured. Though the U.S forces finally took the island nearly a month after the battle’s beginning, the Allied casualties numbered a shocking 26,000 as compared to the 22,000 Japanese defenders. The taking of Iwo Jima was very important for the Allies as it was the final step before Japan and served as the base from which the B-29s that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were launched.
Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteOkinawa is located about 400 miles South of Japan and was the main place where Japan received raw goods from trading. Because of this, Okinawa’s main purpose in the war was to act as a port which received a lot of sugar cane. The Battle of Okinawa started in mid April of 1945, shortly after Roosevelt died and was close to the end of the Pacific campaign. This was the last land battle of the second World War and was considered the turning point of said war because so many lives were lost. The Southern half was fairly easy to take over, but as American troops moved North, they met more and more resistance. In total, over 7,600 American died and there well over 110,000 Japanese troops died and on top of an estimated 100,000 civilians. These numbers are higher than the number of deaths caused by the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Almost 5,000 seamen died in a series of 1,900 kamikaze attacks during the almost 3-month long battle. The United States estimated that about 1,000,000 would die as they knew that the Japanese knew that this would be their last stand and so would be desperate to win. In the end, Okinawa became a vital anchoring point for the United States’ This battle came to be known as one of the bloodiest of World War Two.
Battle of Iwo Jima:
The United States wanted to take control of the two airfields that were located on Iwo Jima and was another part of the Pacific Campaign during the second World War and was fought between the United States and Japan. The Japanese forces on the island were heavily armed and had at their disposal over 11 miles of underground tunnels. The Americans, however, had a lot of strong support from their Air force and Navy. Despite how determined the Japanese were to protect Iwo Jima, they were doomed to loose from the start as the Americans had much larger numbers and a greater amount of Artillery. Of the almost 23,000 Japanese soldiers who began fighting, about 21,000 died and 200 were taken prisoner. The Americans, on the other hand, lost just under 7,000 troops and about 20,000 wounded. After Iwo Jima was officially announced to be “secured” Americans estimated that there were only a few hundred Japanese left hiding on the island. A famous picture titled “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” was taken on February 23,1945 by Joe Rosenthal and has become an iconic image.
Battle of Iwo Jima:
ReplyDeleteThe objective of the Battle of Iwo Jima was to take the Japanese base at Iwo Jima so that the Japanese would lose an important defensive spot and the United States would gain an important offensive base. The battle began on February February 19, 1945, following seventy-two days of bombing by the United States. The Japanese had built three airstrips on the island and used the island’s natural formations to fortify them. The Japanese had a total of 1500 fortified caves making Iwo Jima a very vital defensive location. The United States knew how important taking Iwo Jima would be if they wanted to win the war, which is why they wore away the defenses by continuously bombing the island. Despite these efforts, however, the land battle took twice the amount of time as the aerial attacks. Lt. Gen.Tadamichi then brought in 22,000 naval troops to strengthen the defenses of the island. In response, the United States sent, in all, 75,144 marines to combat the Japanese. With such overwhelming numbers, the Americans were able to capture the first airstrip by the second day of the invasion. By the fifth day, the had taken the highest point on Iwo Jima, Mount Suribachi, and the second airstrip. Taking Mount Suribachi was a big loss for the Japanese because it cost them their bird’s eye view of the island. Taking the final airstrip, however, still remained difficult and cost the United States many casualties. The Japanese used a suicidal tactical to take out as many marines as they could but, in the end, the United States were victorious and managed to capture Iwo Jima. The United States lost 5,931 men during the invasion, only a thirty percent casualty rate. The Japanese, however, lost 20, 703 men out of their 22,000 man garrison. Taking Iwo Jima, proved to be a very important because it is estimated that nearly 25,000 aircrew member would of surely lost their lives if the Japanese had remained in control.
Battle of Leyte Gulf:
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of any war and is significant because of the use of kamikaze attacks by the Japanese. The battle was relatively short in comparison to other battles, only lasting from October 23-25 of 1994. The Allied forces’ objective in this battle was to free the Philippines from Japanese rule. This battle was mostly fought using aerial and sea-based attacks. As the battle went on, the United States' naval power proved to great for the Japanese to handle, forcing them to switch to their kamikaze strategy. The point of this strategy was to have a plane, sometimes loaded with bombs, to dive straight into the enemy ship, aiming to do great damage. This suicide mission proved to be effective during this battle. The Japanese were successful in weakening the naval force of the Allies, but the number of ships the Allies had outnumbered the planes the Japanese had. Plus, not every plane would hit its target causing unnecessary casualties for the Japanese. This battle is significant because it stopped Japanese expansion, gave the Allies control over the Pacific, and made it easier for the United States to invade Japan later in the war.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the last large-scale show of Japanese military operations. The Battle, beginning on October 23, 1944 and lasting three days, was Japan’s last great attempt to secure the Philippines and slow the Allied march toward the home islands of Japan. Allied forces had established bases in the Philippines. The Japanese plan was to draw off Admiral Halsey’s fleet, the Allied fleet stationed farthest from the islands and a large portion of the Philippine’s backup and defensive force. Then, three other Japanese forces would break into the central Philippines and crush the Allied invasion forces. However, it did not work out quite as they had planned.
ReplyDeleteThe first force sighted by the Allies was the main power of the three attacking forces, under the command of Vice Admiral Kurita. Two Allied submarines were sent to deal with these ships, which were, oddly, in a formation wide open to surprise attack. This first conflict of the Battle of Leyte Gulf ended with the Kurita’s flagship sunk, a heavy cruiser sunk, and a heavy cruiser heavily damaged enough to force it to withdraw from the battle entirely. A second engagement occurred when Kurita’s fleet meet with the Allied Third Fleet aircraft. The Japanese and Allied forces clashed for hours. Allied losses included the light carrier Princeton, while heavier Japanese losses included the enormous battleship Musashi, and two cruisers. The third conflict happened when one of the smaller of the three attacking Japanese forces, under Rear Admiral Nishimura, entered the strait to attack the Allied bases hours ahead of the other two components of the main force. The Allied forces had a trap set, consisting of a strait lined with torpedo boats, destroyers, and battleships ending in a line of cruisers and destroyers. Nishimura’s fleet entered the strait and was decimated. Only one of the seven ships of Nishimura’s fleet survived to retreat. When Vice Admiral Shima’s fleet (the second of the two smaller parts of the main force) saw the destruction of Nishimura’s fleet, they retreated. The fourth engagement was between Admiral Ozawa’s decoy fleet and their target, Halsey’s fleet. Ozawa’s fleet succeeded in its mission, drawing Halsey away from the San Bernardino Strait. In the process, Ozawa’s fleet was crippled to the point that only two ships survived. Halsey did not communicate with the Seventh Fleet, the other force of Allied ships, to tell them that the San Bernardino Strait was not covered, and as a result Kurita’s force was able to pass through the strait without any Allied presence to challenge him. The fifth and final engagement occurred when Kurita’s force attacked the Seventh Fleet, thinking that it was Halsey’s Third Fleet. The attack was going mostly in the Japanese’s favor, when Kurita realized that this was not Halsey’s fleet and that the longer the Japanese force lingered, the more likely it was to be attacked by planes from Halsey’s carriers. Kurita disengaged and retreated, ending the battle.
This was the last big naval operation of the Japanese. It was also the first conflict to feature organized kamikaze attacks. The Battle of Leyte Gulf crippled their navy and cut their connection to their Southeast Asian colonies, and subsequently the resources and supplies of these colonies. From here on out, Japan was full locked in a defensive retreat.
The Battle of Okinawa, fought from April 1 to June 22, 1945, was an Allied offensive with the objective of capturing the island of Okinawa, only 340 miles from the main islands of Japan. The island was to be used as a base for bombing the mainland Japan. It was an amphibious assault. Allied forces had bad intelligence on the island and believed that there were only 65,000 Japanese soldiers on Okinawa. In reality, there were about 130,000 troops and almost 450,000 civilians.
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese commander on the island was Lieutenant-General Ushijima. He fortified the southern section of the island most heavily. The Allied commander of the land forces was American Lieutenant-General Buckner. He selected a bay on the western side of the island for the landing of his troops. Before the troops landed, there was a period of intense bombardment of the island, during which Japanese kamikaze planes attacked the Allied ships. Only 24 out of the 193 kamikaze planes made it through the heavy fire, but they inflicted a great amount of damage upon the Allied ships. The destruction of so many planes undermined their potential for damage of Allied forces that might have been caused.
On April 1, the first landing of Marines occurred. On that day alone the Allied forces managed to land 60,000 American troops. The forces met with only small resistance and quickly subdued the surrounding area. Allied troops then swept through the north of the island, obliterating almost all Japanese opposition. By April 20, nothing but small guerilla activity remained of armed resistance in the north of the island.
The real battle for Okinawa occurred in the south of the island, where Ushijima had chosen as his base to hold at all costs. Multiple defensive lines barred Allied troops from the south of Okinawa. Allied forces first came in contact with the first of these lines on April 4, the Machinato line. By April 24, this line was breached; however, the Shuri line still stood strong behind the fallen Machinato, holding again the American advance. This defensive line held strong, causing a deadly stalemate that claimed the lives of countless troops. Ushijima tried a counter attack in early May, but it failed. Still, the line held until on May 21, Ushijima ordered his troops to pull back from the line. From that retreat, it took Allied forces two hard weeks to defeat the last of the Japanese forces. On July 2, Okinawa was declared secured by Allied forces.
This battle was one of the most horrifically bloody battles of WWII. Japan lost 100,000 troops and the Allies 50,000. However, there is also a civilian death toll of more than 100,000. Many of the Japanese troops and civilians (including Ushijima) died not from Allied fire but suicide. Okinawa was the last battle of the Pacific Theatre, and therefore WWII as a whole. Weeks after the battle ended, Japan surrendered and Allied victory was declared.
The battle of Leyte Gulf was considered to be one of the largest naval battles in WWII. It was fought between the American allied forces and Japan. The battle was fought near the 3 Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon for 3 days (October 23-26 1944). During this battle the Japanese launched almost all of their remaining major naval vessels in order to defeat the allies. The Allies plan was to isolate Japan from all the countries it occupied in South East Asia and to deprive its forces of their Oil supply. This was also the first battle that the Japanese used organized kamikaze attacks as a desperate last ditch effort to destroy the Allied naval ships. Japan was outnumbered in every way, there were more naval ships then there were Kamikaze fighters. Many of the fighters made it through but as the Allies began to take notice to their attempts at suicide they attempted to shoot down the planes from the sky before they hit the ships, many of them made it through and many of them crashed into the ocean. The battle was significant because it marked a huge turning point in the war against Japan. It was a very important battle for the Allies because it basically removed Japan as a threat against the Allies and basically meant defeat for them, although they did not surrender they were basically defeated.
ReplyDeleteThe battle of Okinawa was the largest amphibious fight in the Pacific War codenamed operation Iceburg fought on the Ryukyu Island of Okinawa. The battle lasted 82 days from April until Mid June. During this battle the Japanese suffered heavy casualties along with the Allies. The Japanese lost two times as many people as the Allies, it was one of the largest battles of World War II. Over 100,000 civilians died some even commit suicide, ¼ of the civilian population was killed as a result of the invasion. This was one of the most significant battles of the war, as a result of the Allied victory they had the island of Japan surrounded and had an important location for a military base for an attack on the mainland. This battle happened near the end of the second world war and contributed to Japans surrender. Because Japan did not surrender immediately after the United States dropped the two atomic bombs on Japan and ended the second World War. This battle was the most significant in the pacific Naval battles because it took Japan out of the war and marked a huge turning point for the Allies as Japan was one less thing to worry about.
The Battle for Leyte Gulf:
ReplyDeleteThe Battle for Leyte Gulf started on October 23rd and took place in the Philippines. It was known for being the biggest battle of the war involving naval submarines. The battle was also well known because it only lasted for a duration of three days. The two submarines that were the first to detect the Kurita Center Force, a part of the Japanese military forces, were from the American fleet. They were known as Dace and Darter. The Japanese forces were not able to respond as quick as they may have originally intended. Instead, the American submarines were able to torpedo several of their submarines in only one day. On October 24th, the Third Fleet, a part of the Kurita Center Force, began to lose a large amount of its forces as they departed. Doing this also caused the Kurita Center Force to loose a large portion of their areal strength. However, the Japanese attempted to proceed with an areal attack. They sent over 50 aircrafts to attack the US forces. The majority of the aircrafts failed, but the Japanese did successfully hit the US Princeton. It is believe that the reason for the Japanese’s areal attack not being able to accurately hit as many American ships is due to the pilots’ lack of experience.
The Battle of Iwo Jima:
In the February of 1945, the Battle of Iwo Jima began. This battle took place on the island of Iwo Jima, one of the Pacific islands located off the coast of Japan. It was a small, but critically important island, mainly for strategic value. Two of the large airfields were used many times to counter the attacks of the American forces. At the time, the Japanese had completed control of the island and that was something they were definitely not willing to lose without a fight. Lieutenant-General Kuribayashi maintained control of a Japanese army of over 20,000 men. The options for battle were few due to the small size of the island. The Americans attacked using several battleships and this resulted in the death of over 2,400 Japanese soldiers. The Americans had a large advantage over the Japanese because of their ability to successfully take possession of one of the best Japanese bases of World War II.
The Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa is known as the last battle between the Japanese and the US in World War II; it ended up being a devastating battle for both the Japanese Imperial Army and the United States Army. It was also a battle in which the most resources, including artillery, ships and human resources, were utilized.
The attack was launched by the Allies in 1945 in conjunction with the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Guadalcanal. This was an effort to destroy a large majority of Japan’s merchant fleet as well as its major industrial locations, but mainly to capture the island of Okinawa, a location the Allies hoped would help them succeed in invading or overtaking Japan. It ended up being the largest air, naval, and land battle ever fought.
According to Hanson W. Baldwin, a military historian, “Never before, in so short a space, had the Navy lost so many ships; never before in land fighting had so much American blood been shed in so short a time in so small an area: probably never before in any three months of the war had the enemy suffered so hugely, and the final toll of American casualties was the highest experienced in any campaign against the Japanese.”
A large number of American and Japanese land vehicles, ships, and planes were destroyed during this battle. For the Americans, 28 ships were sunk with 368 ships damaged and 225 tanks were destroyed on land. For the Japanese, 16 ships were sunk, most importantly the large destroyer Yamato. This was an enormous loss for Japan. They also lost 27 tanks and 743 pieces of artillery.
Huge losses of life also occurred for both the US and Japan. It is estimated that 62,000 American soldiers, 40,000 of which were killed or missing, were lost during this battle. Around 127,000 Japanese soldiers were killed, missing, committed suicide, or were sealed up in their caves. Unfortunately the military was not the only thing to suffer casualties. Civilians were caught right in the middle of all the fighting as well. Due to Japan’s “no surrender” policy, they were pushed to extreme methods of fighting, like dressing up as civilians, forcing civilians into military service, and using them as human shields. Because of this, American forces began firing upon civilians and civilian houses. Still others were encouraged by the Japanese to commit suicide, once defeat seemed eminent. It is estimated that 142,058 civilians were killed during the Battle of Okinawa.
The Battle of Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Iwo Jima took place in February of 1945, just as Germany’s hold on Europe was loosening. The Allies were also gaining ground in the Pacific. The Battle of Iwo Jima was one step closer in the Allied invasion of Japan, and ultimately, the end of the war, due to the strategic position of the island.
The battle lasted only 36 days, resulting in an Allied victory. However, the fighting from both sides was very intense. The Japanese once again enforced their no surrender/no defeat policy and fought to their death. As an example of the Japanese mindset at this time, only 216 Japanese were taken prisoner, out of the 18,000 soldiers that fought the battle. Despite this tough fighting from the Japanese, the Americans simply outweighed the Japanese in terms of men, artillery, ships, and planes. From the beginning, it was almost guaranteed that Japan would suffer defeat. Nevertheless, the Americans lost 6,821 soldiers, with another 19,217 wounded.
From the Battle of Iwo Jima came not only an Allied victory, but two pieces of history that have been immortalized. First is the flag raising photograph by Joe Rosenthal. This photo has been reproduced hundreds of times and is a symbol of brotherhood and victory. The other is a quote by Chester M. Nimitz that came to symbolize America’s participation in World War II as a whole. "The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines by their individual and collective courage have conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it was vital to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat. By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue." The last part, “Uncommon valor was a common virtue” is most well known and many believe is a representation of American soldier’s courage and valor throughout their involvement in WWII.
Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa, code named Operation Iceberg, was the bloodiest battle of World War Two. This battle resulted in more causalities than the combined number from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United State’s invasion of Okinawa, part of the Japanese Ryukyu Islands, was crucial to attacking mainland Japan. The battle at Okinawa was of great importance to the Japanese because it was viewed as their last opportunity to prevent invasion of the mainland. The battle began on April 1, 1945 and ended June 22, 1945, lasting 82 days. Chester Nimitz headed the U.S.’s campaign while Ushijima Mitsuru was in charge of the Japanese forces. The U.S. first captured Kerama and Keise Island, off the coast of Okinawa. A few days later, on April 1, the marines landed on the western shore with a decoy landing on the southern tip. Fifty thousand U.S. troops had landed on an eight by four mile long strip of Okinawan coastline.
The causalities from this battle were massive. Part of the reason for the volume of deaths was because the civilians of Okinawa were involved in the battle. More than 100,000 Okinawa residents perished in this final battle. Many citizens were killed because the U.S. army was not able to distinguish citizens from infantrymen. Though Japan suffered immensely, so did the United States. Over 62,000 were injured, killed, or missing.
The Battle of Okinawa was not solely on land. Intense sea and air battles were taking place in conjunction with the terrestrial fighting. Air attacks sunk a Japanese battleship that was the largest in the world, along with 14 other naval vessels. The U.S. suffered from 36 sunken ships and 368 damaged. The Japanese lost 7,800 aircrafts while the U.S. lost only 763 aircrafts. The Japanese forces sustained much larger loses.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima took place from February 19 to March 26, 1945 between the United States and Japan. The island of Iwo Jima, now Iwo To, lies 750 miles to the south of mainland Japan. The capture of Iwo Jima was crucial to the U.S.’s plot to attack mainland Japan and end the war in the Pacific. Iwo Jima, along with Okinawa, were vital to the United States because they provided a base for attacking Japan. Iwo Jima was supposed to be use by the U.S. Air Force as an airstrip for fighter planes.
Though Iwo Jima is a tiny island, the Japanese protected it with vigor. They constructed sixteen miles of underground tunnels and 1,500 fortified caves. Since the island was so well protected, the United States carried out an elaborate aerial and naval bombardment, with the purpose of easing the ground battle. After two and a half months of perpetual bombardment, the Japanese soldiers defending Iwo Jima maintained their resistance and continued to tunnel underground. The Japanese utilized 22,000 soldiers. The use deployed 110,000 soldiers on land and kept 220,000 troops in the water, controlling 800 battleships. Of the 22,000 Japanese troops, 20,703 died. The U.S. marines lost 5,931 and 17,372 were wounded.
The defeat of Iwo Jima was devastating to Japan. They lost an essential defensive base, as well as many soldiers. The gaining of the island was quite important to the United States. Over 2,200 B-29s landed on the small island, ferrying injured soldiers from elsewhere. It has been estimated that 24,761 U.S. troops have been saved by Iwo Jima. Though the battle itself was epic, a celebrated and renowned photo resulted from this battle. Joe Rosenthal photographed five Marines and one Navy corpsman whilst raising a flag atop Mount Suribachi. The image was the first photo to ever win a Pulitzer Prize the same year that it was published.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Leyte Gulf, which took place in October of 1944, was the last major sea battle of the Pacific. US forces under General MacArther regained control of the Philippines. On October 12, 1944, the Third US Fleet attacked the islands in a preliminary air strike intended to distract Japanese forces under Admiral Toyoda. In this initial phase, the Japanese had lost 500 planes and the Americans had suffered some damage to their battleships. While the main Japanese forces combated the Third US Fleet, the US Rangers landed at the mouth of the Leyte Gulf and overwhelmed the small Japanese defenses. Once Toyoda realized that he had been deceived, he tried to lure American aircraft and ships away from the gulf by offering up his only four surviving carriers. Meanwhile, he sent the rest of his fleet through the Philippines to destroy any lagging American forces and isolate the troops on land. At first, his plan succeeded, but when US submarines intercepted his main fleet the whole plan went awry. Japanese forces became increasingly desperate, revealing a new and deadly battle tactic known as a “kamikaze” strategy. Japanese pilots would ram aircraft loaded with explosives into American ships, sinking them. The first ship to fall prey to kamikaze fighters was the St. Lo on October 25. Despite the kamikazes’ viciousness, determination, and valor, the American forces destroyed ALL of the remaining Japanese aircraft carriers, making Japan vulnerable and unable to compete with the Allies in any kind of large naval combat. The introduction of kamikaze fighters increased American’s desire to end the war as soon as possible, arguably contributing to the controversial decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The loss of Japanese carriers in this battle pushed the battle in the Pacific closer to VJ Day because the Japanese could no longer fight US naval forces effectively. MacArthur recognized how significant this victory in the Philippines was and dubbed his walk from the water to the landing at Leyte Gulf to be “only 30 or 40 long strides to reach dry land, but…one of the most meaningful walks [he] ever took.”
The Battle of Iwo Jima:
The spring 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, now one of the most infamous in the Pacific, was initially intended as a small-scale, stepping-stone battle to commandeer a good base for the attack on Okinawa. American forces, which had bombarded the island for several months, expected few defenses and a four-day battle. Initially, everything went according to the Marines’ plans; during the landings, US forces felt an “eerie lack of enemy resistance” (310) because the Japanese commander Tadamichi chose to wait for the ideal moment to open fire from his well-hidden subterranean defense tunnels and machine guns. Once fire opened, the beaches were awash with American blood. 2,500 men were killed on that first day alone, but up to 30,000 troops continued landing in the next few days. Kamikaze pilots began attacking the naval forces, sinking several US ships, while on land the entrenched Japanese forces valiantly fought against the steadfast Marines. The determination on both sides witnessed on Iwo Jima awed the world; Admiral Nimitz expressed the public admiration best saying, “…On Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.” Americans eventually took control of first the volcanic Mount Suribachi and then the island, but not before about 23,000 casualties on each side. The Japanese fought almost to the last man: only 216 troops surrendered. One third of the American forces suffered severe injuries or death. The US used Iwo Jima as an island airfield for the continued duration of the war. Several planes, troops, and supplies for the assault on Okinawa left from Iwo Jima. The island was also used as a base for daylight raids on Japanese islands and as an emergency landing strip for Allied bombers.
Source: The Definitive Visual History of World War II: From Blitzkrieg to the Atom Bomb
Battle of Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Iwo Jima, or Operation Detachment, began on February 19th of 1945 and lasted through March 26th of the same year. The battle took place on the island of Iwo Jima, a small island just to the south of Japan, which was before the battle under Japanese control. Iwo Jima was strategically important to the Allies because it had an airfield that allowed Japanese aircraft to intercept the Allies’ long-range bombers and provided support to naval vessels that, without the protection, would have perished. Once under Allied control, the airfields could be used to stage bombings on the Japanese mainland. The Japanese were aware of the tactical significance this base would provide if the Allies were to gain control of it, so they heavily fortified Iwo Jima, building a network of tunnels and strategically placing guns.
21,570 Japanese soldiers were either killed or committed suicide at Iwo Jima, and only 216 were taken prisoner. The Allies suffered 26,038 total casualties, more casualties then those on D-Day (10,000). Iwo Jima did not provide very much tactical aid to the Allies once it had been captured, it was used simply for a place for bombers and their escort fighters to refuel. Only later would it be revealed that Iwo Jima was mostly needed for the bombers carrying the atomic bomb to refuel. Also, because it was a decisive Allied victory, it boosted morale in America and made the Japanese even more nervous of invasion.
The Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa, or operation iceberg, took place on April 1st, 1945 and lasted for eighty two days. It is known for being one of the bloodiest battles in the war and because of the extent of marine warfare used. The battle took place on land and sea. The island eventually fell to the Allies on June 21st. 107,000 Japanese troops and about 12,000 allied troops were killed. Between 50,000 and 150,000 civilians also died.
The Japanese had 100,000 soldiers defending Okinawa; however, they did not defend the beaches. While the Japanese avoided casualties on the beach, the allies were still victorious in the end. The Japanese soldiers waited for the allied troops further inland from the beach. The fighting was vigorous and proved difficult and caused many allied casualties.
The goal of this operation was for the US and Great Britain to take the island of Okinawa. The allies had been island hoping in the south pacific and in the immediate area around Japan. Planning to attack the main island of Japan, the allies used Okinawa as a base for operations. The island was also about 400 miles south of Japan and was used for the transportation of raw materials to Japan. The allies hoped to sever this trade route.
Battle of Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteOn Feburary 19th, 1945, the United States attacked the island of Iwo Jima off the coast of Japan. The Americans were equipped with and extensive naval and air force. They were able to take the island in seventy-two days. Over 12,000 tons of bombes were dropped on Iwo Jima and 21,000 naval artilerary shells were shot. The US used air bombardment to try to secure the island when the beaches were well protected. On March 16th, the island of Iwo Jima was declared secure.
Iwo Jima was an important victory for the United States because it had two important air fields that would be useful to the US. These air fields could be used by American fighter planes as a base. It gave the Americans easy access the Japan. It was also useful in that the US did not have to send shorter range bombers to attack Japan. The base proved a key tactical advantage over Japan. Furthermore, it was the first American attack on Japanese soil. The U.S. took a total on 216 prisoners of war. 20,703 Japanese soldiers were killed and 76,000 Americans also died. This loss was also devastating to Japan. Iwo Jima was an important Japanese base.
Battle of Okinawa
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Okinawa, or Operation Iceberg, lasted 82 days spanning early April to mid-June of 1945. The battle was fought on the Island of Okinawa under Japanese control. The battle is often referred to as “Typhoon of Steel”, due to the ferocity of the fighting and the huge number of Allied units that assaulted the island. The island was only 340 miles from the Japanese mainland, and could be used as a base of operations for the planned land invasion of the Japanese mainland. The battle had both naval and land components.
The battle produced an astonishing loss of life. The U.S. suffered more than 60,000 casualties, making this the bloodiest battle U.S. forces fought in the Pacific. 368 Allied ships were damaged, and 28 were sunk, many do to kamikaze aircraft. The Japanese suffered a whopping 107,000 casualties, many from suicide, and 7,400 Japanese soldiers were captured. Anywhere from 42,000 to 150,000 civilians died in the conflict, either from artillery fire, air attacks, or being forced to fight along the Japanese.
Once, captured, Okinawa provided a huge advantage for the Allies. I provided a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields that could be used to bomb Japan.
Iwo Jima
ReplyDeleteDespite its small size and population, Iwo Jima was a vital weapon for the Japanese. The small Island was home to three airstrips which the U.S. wanted. The U.S.’s objective was to use the airstrips for their bombers. The attack began with frequent bombing. The U.S. landed one the island 72 days after it started bombing the volcanic Island. The first landing was largely unanswered and the first battle began much more inland than was typical of the Pacific. Little did the American troops know that Iwo Jima was infested with caves and tunnel networks that the Japanese had control of. The U.S. met enemy fire early on but managed to take two of the airstrips and the highest point on the island in the first week. On the highest point or Mount Suribachi the famous flag raising photograph was taken. The photo would later become the most iconic image of WW II. Although the allies had taken two of the three airstrips the worst was yet to come for the patriots. The few remaining defense lines were heavily fortified and the deeply patriotic Japanese soldiers were prepared to make a final stand for their country. That final stand would cause the battle of Iwo Jima to be labeled “a bloodbath.” Japanese soldiers held the U.S. land forces for 10 days in a single spot. Finally, the Island was taken. The airstrip was used extensively and is thought to have saved tens of thousands of lives.
Okinawa
The U.S. had been searching for an island in which they could head the invasion of the Mainland. Okinawa fit the bill perfectly. The Japanese were to defend the island or die trying, which many of them did. The campaign was full of decoys, deception, and guile. The troops first took the beaches with force killing hundreds of Japanese soldiers. The deep and well fortified trenches held the Americans out for days. This warfare was becoming more and more typical in Pacific warfare. A big mistake made on the Japanese behalf left the troops exposed and the Americans were allowed to slaughter the Japanese forces. This was a turning point in the campaign for the U.S. troops, which now had the upper hand against the fierce Japanese infantry. The land battle was won by the U.S. not long after the massacre. The war went on in the sea and above their heads as the U.S. attempted to take control of mainland Japan. This campaign was the culmination of the war in the Pacific Theatre and largely changed the war as we know it.
The Battle of Iwo Jima:
ReplyDeleteOn the 19th of February, at 8:59 in the Morning, U.S Marines finally land on the crucial Iwo Jima. However, carrier based planes and medium bombers had been bombarding the island for a total of ten weeks before the actual landing. There are 70,000 U.S Marines that invade the island against the 27,000 Japanese soldiers already there.
Although it may not have seemed like it from the outside, Iwo Jima was a critical island to acquire. William Pratt, the retired chief of naval operations, told Newsweek, about the “expenditure of manpower to acquire a small, God-forsaken island, useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base ... [one] wonders if the same sort of airbase could not have been reached by acquiring other strategic localities at lower cost” (New World Encyclopedia). Of course, what he could not yet tell the American people was Iwo Jima’s criticalness to the planned B-29 raid on the mainland of Japan. Not only would the airfields on the island provide a good base for the escort planes on the raids, but it would also be used as an emergency landing point for the B-29s actually carrying the atomic bombs heading for Japan. The same three airstrips that the marines were eager to obtain were currently being used as a base for the kamikaze attacks. If the marines managed to capture the island then the Kamikaze pilots would have to operate from Okinawa or Kyushu. The kamikazes were greatly feared by the Allied soldiers because of all the damage that they could cause to a ship with only one blow. I believe that taking the kamikazes out of the war, even temporarily, would have been a great moral booster.
Though the U.S Marines were able to successfully take the island after 36 days of fighting, it came with a heavy price. Over a third of the total U.S Marines who participated in the invasion were killed, wounded, or suffered from battle fatigue. There were a total of 23, 573 U.S Marine casualties. For the Japanese, there were 1,083 POWs and about 20,000 soldiers killed.
The Battle of Okinawa was the largest invasion of the Pacific. Operation Iceberg’s (codename), main objective was to seize a large island only 340 miles away from Japan. After a strenuous campaign of going from island to island, the Allies approached Japan, and planned to Use Okinawa as a base for their air operations. A lot of ships were used; more troops, supplies, and bombs were dropped. Also, more people died during this battle then any of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombing causalities totaled to 38,000 people. 12,000 Americans killed or missing. More than 107,000 Japanese Okinawan were perished during battle.
ReplyDeleteThe battle was definitely the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.
This battle contributed to the overall Allied victory of the Pacific during WW11, because there was a document that ended the Battle of Okinawa that was signed on (what is now) Kadena Air Base. The island is transformed into a major base for the projected invasion of the Japanese home islands.
On February 19th, the Battle of Iwo Jima began. Battle of Iwo Jima, also known as Operation Detachment was a battle in which the United States of America fought for and captured Iwo Jima from Japan. The fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign of WW11 came out of this battle.
This was the first American attack on Japan’s home islands. More than 18,000 Japanee soldiers were present during the beginning of the battle, and only 216 were taken as prisoners. Many were killed, or assumed dead. America’s advantage was their superiority in arms and numbers.
The Battle of Iwo Jima contributed to the overall Allied victory in the Pacific due to its has greater historical significance than strategic importance in the Pacific during WW11.