BBC History UK 04.2020

Shot down

A kamikaze plane goes down in flames while attempting to

attack USS Wake Island, 3 April 1945. The Japanese also

launched ships on suicide missions, human torpedoes and

manned rockets at the American fleet

The battle of Okinawa

machine gunfire – costing the XXIV Corps

almost 3,000 casualties. One veteran de-

scribed the operation as a “meat-grinder”

for the US troops.

When a second offensive in late April

made little headway, subordinates urged

Buckner to try an amphibious landing behind

the Japanese defences. He refused on the

grounds that the beaches in the south were

too small for resupply and there was a

danger that the troops would fail to break

out of their beachhead.

It was a missed opportunity, and one that

would have costly consequences. Buckner

admitted as much to his wife when he wrote:

“The Japs here seem to have the strongest

position yet encountered in the Pacific, and it

will be a slow tedious grind with flamethrow-

ers, explosives placed by hand and the closest

of teamwork to dislodge them without very

heavy losses.”

Stumps of rotting teeth

In early May, Buckner ordered the Marines of

III Amphibious Corps, which had captured

the Motobu peninsula in the north, to

reinforce the ‘doughboys’ of XXIV Corps in

the south. The first view of the battlefield was

a shock to Sergeant William Manchester of

the 2/29th Marines. “It was,” he recalled, “a

monstrous sight, a moonscape. Hills, ridges COURTESY

OF NAVAL

HISTORY AND

HERITAGE

COMMAND-NARA-80-G342629/US

ARMY

and cliffs rose and fell along the front like the

gray stumps of rotting teeth. There was

nothing green left; artillery had denuded and

scarred every inch of ground. Tiny flares

glowed and disappeared. Shrapnel burst with

bluish white puffs. Jets of flamethrowers flick-

ered and here and there new explosions

stirred up the rubble.”

During this phase of the fighting, Private

First Class Desmond Doss, a 26-year-old

Seventh Day Adventist from Virginia – who

had joined up as a medic to avoid the need to

kill – won the Medal of Honor after rescuing

at least 50 wounded comrades and then

lowering them to safety down a sheer cliff

known as the Maeda Escarpment. Doss’s

astonishing feat was celebrated in the 2016

Mel Gibson-directed film Hacksaw Ridge.

Some of the most savage fighting was for a

seemingly insignificant feature – described

by one veteran as an “ugly hive” of “coral and

volcanic rock, 300 yards long and 100 feet

high” – dubbed Sugar Loaf Hill. The week-

long battle to capture the hill cost the 6th

Marine Division more than 2,600 casualties,

including three battalion commanders and

nine company commanders, and a further

1,200 cases of combat fatigue. With heavy

rain adding to the misery, the battlefield was

a hellish sight. “The scene,” wrote Eugene

Sledge of 3/5th Marines, “was nothing but

Final mission

Kiyoshi Ogawa, pictured ahead of

the kamikaze mission against

USS Bunker Hill, an attack that cost

more than 300 American lives

Sheer courage

This image, taken after the

battle, shows Desmond Doss

(top) at the spot where he had

coordinated the rescue of

50  wounded comrades by

lowering them down the

Maeda Escarpment

Shotdo

A kamikazeplane goes downin flameswhile attemptingto

attackUSSWakeIsland, 3 April 1945. The Japanesealso

launchedships on suicidemissions,human torpedoes and

manned rockets at the American fleet

The battle of Okinawa

machinegunfire– costingtheXXIVCorps
almost3,000casualties.Oneveterande-
scribedtheoperation as a “meat-grinder”
fortheUStroops.
Whena secondoffensiveinlateApril
madelittleheadway,subordinatesurged
Bucknertotryanamphibiouslandingbehind
theJapanesedefences.Herefusedonthe
groundsthatthebeachesinthesouthwere
toosmallforresupplyandtherewasa
dangerthatthetroopswould fail to break
outoftheirbeachhead.
It wasa missedopportunity,andonethat
wouldhavecostlyconsequences.Buckner
admittedasmuchtohiswifewhenhewrote:
“TheJapshereseemtohavethestrongest
positionyetencounteredinthePacific,andit
willbea slowtediousgrindwithflamethrow-
ers,explosivesplacedbyhandandtheclosest
ofteamworktodislodge them without very
heavy losses.”

Stumpsofrottingteeth
InearlyMay,BucknerorderedtheMarinesof
IIIAmphibiousCorps,whichhadcaptured
theMotobupeninsulainthenorth,to
reinforcethe‘doughboys’ofXXIVCorpsin
thesouth.Thefirstviewofthebattlefieldwas
a shocktoSergeantWilliamManchesterof
the2/29thMarines.“Itwas,”herecalled,“a
monstrous sight, a moonscape. Hills, ridges COURTESY

OF NAVAL

HISTORY AND

HERITAGE

COMMAND-NARA-80-G342629/US

ARMY

andcliffsroseandfellalongthefrontlikethe

graystumpsofrottingteeth.Therewas

nothinggreenleft;artilleryhaddenudedand

scarredeveryinchofground.Tinyflares

glowedanddisappeared.Shrapnelburstwith

bluishwhitepuffs.Jetsofflamethrowersflick-

eredandhereandtherenew explosions

stirreduptherubble.”

Duringthisphaseofthefighting,Private

FirstClassDesmondDoss,a 26-year-old

SeventhDayAdventistfromVirginia– who

hadjoinedupasa medictoavoidtheneedto

kill– wontheMedalofHonorafterrescuing

atleast 50 woundedcomradesandthen

loweringthemtosafetydowna sheercliff

knownastheMaedaEscarpment.Doss’s

astonishingfeatwascelebratedinthe 2016

MelGibson-directedfilmHacksawRidge.

Someofthemostsavagefightingwasfora

seeminglyinsignificantfeature– described

byoneveteranasan“uglyhive”of“coraland

volcanicrock, 300 yardslongand 100 feet

high”– dubbedSugarLoafHill.Theweek-

longbattletocapturethehillcostthe6th

MarineDivisionmorethan2,600casualties,

includingthreebattalioncommandersand

ninecompanycommanders,anda further

1,200casesofcombatfatigue.Withheavy

rainaddingtothemisery,thebattlefieldwas

a hellishsight.“Thescene,”wroteEugene

Sledge of 3/5th Marines, “was nothing but

Finalmission

KiyoshiOgawa,picturedaheadof

the kamikazemissionagainst

USSBunkerHill,an attackthat cost

more than 300 American lives

Sheercourage

This image,taken after the

battle,showsDesmondDoss

(top) at the spot wherehe had

coordinatedthe rescueof

50 woundedcomradesby

loweringthem downthe

Maeda Escarpment