The Battle of Okinawa 80th Anniversary

Glenn Flickinger leads a conversation about the Battle of Okinawa, the last great battle of the Pacific War that began 80 years ago this week. Joining Glenn is Seth Paridon, Deputy Director of the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum, former Historian  at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, and producer and host of the “Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast.” The discussion will focus on the role of the US Army.

The Battle of Okinawa, fought from April 1 to June 22, 1945, was the last major ground battle of World War II. It was the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War, with over 180,000 US Army and Marine Corps troops landing on the island. The battle was characterized by brutal ground combat, entrenched Japanese defenses, and high casualties on both sides.

The U.S. Tenth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., landed on Okinawa on April 1. The initial landings were met with little resistance. Instead of contesting the beaches, Japanese forces under General Mitsuru Ushijima had fortified the southern part of the island, creating a network of bunkers, caves, and tunnels along the Shuri Line. This defensive strategy aimed to maximize American casualties and delay an invasion of Japan.

After securing the northern part of Okinawa with relative ease, U.S. forces turned south to engage the main Japanese defensive positions. The battle for the Shuri Line, which lasted from April to late May, was the most intense phase of the campaign. The Japanese employed heavy artillery, machine-gun nests, and suicide attacks to slow the American advance. The U.S. Army’s 96th and 7th Infantry Divisions, along with the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions, engaged in grueling combat, using flamethrowers, grenades, and explosives to clear Japanese bunkers and caves.

Key battles included the fight for Kakazu Ridge, where Japanese troops launched counterattacks and inflicted heavy casualties. The Americans responded with artillery and air support, gradually wearing down the defenders. Sugar Loaf Hill, another stronghold, saw intense fighting, with Marines taking the position after repeated assaults. The battle for Shuri Castle, the heart of the Japanese defense, was equally fierce. By late May, after weeks of continuous bombardment and ground assaults, U.S. forces finally breached the Shuri Line, forcing the Japanese to retreat south.

Despite their losses, Japanese defenders continued to resist in the southern part of the island. Suicide attacks, ambushes, and last-ditch defenses prolonged the battle. Thousands of Okinawan civilians were caught in the crossfire, with many forced by Japanese propaganda to commit suicide rather than surrender. The final phase of the battle saw General Ushijima and his chief of staff, General Isamu Cho, commit ritual suicide on June 22, effectively ending organized Japanese resistance.

The land battle for Okinawa resulted in over 100,000 Japanese military deaths, with only a few thousand captured. U.S. casualties were high, with over 12,000 killed and 38,000 wounded. The psychological and logistical toll of Okinawa played a role in the decision to use atomic bombs against Japan, as an invasion of the mainland was expected to be even bloodier.

The battle at sea, including the extensive kamikaze attacks on the U.S. Navy, was a significant part of the Okinawa campaign which we will talk about next week!