BBC History UK 04.2020

Fight to the death

Marines look on as

dynamite charges explode

among Japanese caves.

The vast majority of Okinawa’s

110,000 defenders died in the

battle for the island

USMC-NARA

mud; shellfire, flooded craters with their

silent, pathetic, rotting occupants; knocked-

out tanks and amtracs, and discarded

equipment – utter desolation... Men strug-

gled and fought and bled in an environment

so degrading I believed we had been flung

into hell’s own cesspool.”

Determined to defend Okinawa to the last,

the Japanese fought with fanatical bravery.

The garrison was supported by waves of

kamikaze attacks from planes, manned

rockets, human torpedoes and even ships

launched on suicide missions from the home

islands. The planes were flown by officers of

the Shimpū Tokkōtai, the Divine Wind

Special Attack units, who had pledged to

“crash their airplanes into enemy ships in

acts of self-immolation”. Meanwhile, the

one-way surface ship mission, known as

Operation ‘Ten-go’, was an attempt by the

superbattleship Ya m a t o, the world’s largest,

to wreak havoc among the Allied ships with

its 18-inch guns before beaching itself on the

shore and using its crew as naval infantry.

These attacks were launched with the aim

of destroying or driving off the ships of the

US Fifth Fleet (including a powerful Royal

Navy component) and isolating the Ameri-

can troops on Okinawa. But they failed – and

thousands of Japanese lost their lives, includ-

ing 2,500 on Ya m a t o alone. However, they

did sink 36 US ships and damage a further

368, the heaviest US naval losses of the

Second World War.

Left to fight on alone, the Japanese garri-

son made a desperate last stand in the

southern tip of the island where it had herded

many civilians. The end came on 22 June

1945 when the 10th Army HQ announced

that all organised resistance on Okinawa had

ceased, though it would take another week to

complete the mopping-up operation.

Caught in the crossfire

During the 83 days of the battle, around

a quarter of a million people were killed.

They included the vast majority of the

110,000 Japanese and Okinawan combatants,

most of whom refused to surrender. Some

12,500 American servicemen lost their lives

(out of total casualties of 76,000), making

Okinawa by far the bloodiest US battle of

the Pacific – and one of the costliest in the

country’s history. Perhaps most tragically of

all, more than 125,000 Okinawan civilians

were killed (a third of the prewar population)

• either caught in the crossfire or because
  they believed Japanese propaganda that it
  was better to kill themselves than be raped
  and murdered by the Americans. One
  15-year-old Okinawan boy – who was
  persuaded by Japanese soldiers to kill his

“MEN FOUGHT

AND BLED IN AN

ENVIRONMENT SO

DEGRADING I BELIEVED

WE HAD BEEN

FLUNG INTO HELL’S

OWN CESSPOOL”

→

Fighttothedeath

Marineslookonas

dynamitechargesexplode

amongJapanesecaves.

Thevast majorityof Okinawa’s

110,000defendersdied in the

battle for the island

USMC-NARA

mud;shellfire,floodedcraterswiththeir

silent,pathetic,rottingoccupants;knocked-

outtanksandamtracs,anddiscarded

equipment– utterdesolation...Menstrug-

gledandfoughtandbledinanenvironment

sodegradingI believedwehad been flung

intohell’sowncesspool.”

DeterminedtodefendOkinawatothelast,

theJapanesefoughtwithfanaticalbravery.

Thegarrisonwassupportedbywavesof

kamikazeattacksfromplanes,manned

rockets,humantorpedoesandevenships

launchedonsuicidemissionsfromthehome

islands.Theplaneswereflownbyofficersof

theShimpūTokkōtai, theDivineWind

SpecialAttackunits,whohadpledgedto

“crashtheirairplanesintoenemyshipsin

actsofself-immolation”.Meanwhile,the

one-waysurfaceshipmission,knownas

Operation‘Ten-go’,wasanattemptbythe

superbattleshipYa m a t o, theworld’slargest,

towreakhavocamongtheAlliedshipswith

its18-inchgunsbeforebeachingitselfonthe

shoreandusingitscrewasnavalinfantry.

Theseattackswerelaunchedwiththeaim

ofdestroyingordrivingofftheshipsofthe

USFifthFleet(includinga powerfulRoyal

Navycomponent)andisolatingtheAmeri-

cantroopsonOkinawa.Buttheyfailed– and

thousandsofJapaneselosttheirlives,includ-

ing 2,500onYa m a t o alone. However, they

didsink 36 USshipsanddamagea further

368,theheaviestUSnaval losses of the

SecondWorldWar.

Lefttofightonalone,theJapanesegarri-

sonmadea desperatelaststandinthe

southerntipoftheislandwhereit hadherded

manycivilians.Theendcameon 22 June

1945 whenthe10thArmyHQannounced

thatallorganisedresistanceonOkinawahad

ceased,thoughit wouldtakeanotherweek to

complete the mopping-up operation.

Caughtinthecrossfire

Duringthe 83 daysofthebattle,around

a quarterofa millionpeoplewerekilled.

Theyincludedthevastmajorityofthe

110,000JapaneseandOkinawancombatants,

mostofwhomrefusedtosurrender.Some

12,500Americanservicemenlosttheirlives

(outoftotalcasualtiesof76,000),making

OkinawabyfarthebloodiestUSbattleof

thePacific– andoneofthecostliestinthe

country’shistory.Perhapsmosttragicallyof

all,morethan125,000Okinawancivilians

werekilled(athirdoftheprewarpopulation)

• eithercaughtinthecrossfireorbecause
  theybelievedJapanesepropagandathatit
  wasbettertokillthemselvesthanberaped
  andmurderedbytheAmericans.One
  15-year-oldOkinawanboy– whowas
  persuaded by Japanese soldiers to kill his

“MENFOUGHT

ANDBLED INAN

ENVIRONMENTSO

DEGRADINGI BELIEVED

WEHADBEEN

FLUNGINTO HELL’S

OWN CESSPOOL”

→