OKINAWA
<April 1, 1945 - June 21, 1945>
The final battle in the Pacific was at Okinawa, the largest of
the Ryukyus Islands located at the southern tip of Japan. The
Allied
forces had been on Japanese soil since the battle at Iwo
Jima. The invasion of Okinawa, “Operation Iceberg,”
would establish the island as a base for troops to train, and
later stage an attack on the Japanese mainland. Okinawa had four
airfields that American forces could utilize in conjunction with
the invasion.
The work of the MIS
was invaluable in the Okinawa campaign. MIS linguists
translated two vital captured documents. One document captured
was the Japanese defense plan for Okinawa, which included a signal
codebook. The other was a chart showing the artillery and heavy
mortar positions of the Japanese defense strategy. The two key
translated documents provided the American troops with an advantage
over the Japanese and are believed to have shortened the Okinawa
campaign.
The battle of Okinawa became the largest amphibious assault in
the Pacific war. Both sides were aware that a victory at Okinawa
was vital to the outcome of the entire war. The Japanese fought
desperately with kamikaze
attacks. The American and Japanese forces both suffered very high
casualties, however American forces emerged victorious. In addition
to conquering Okinawa, American forces also sunk Japan’s
largest battleship, Yamato.
With Allied forces securing Okinawa, communications and essential
raw material supplies were cut off to Japan. Okinawa became a
great air and naval base for American forces to plan the invasion
of Japan.
