Outcome & Significance
Outcome
Won: America
Lost: Japan
Casualties: 190,000 people lost their lives. Half of them being Okinawan civilians and over 5,000 being American sailors due to the Kamikaze campaign.
Significance
The Battle of Okinawa was important because it gave Americans a taste of how the invasion of Japan would be like, was the bloodiest sea-land-air battle in American military history, and led to the use of the atomic bomb in Japan.
Okinawa was the last battle in the Pacific. The battle was part of the three-point-plan Americans had for winning the war in the Far East. Okinawa was the last island captured by Americans before moving on to the North and invading Japan. This made it so Americans could have a "preview" of what the invasion would be like. More casualties and difficulties occurred then was expected. Okinawa became the bloodiest battle in history. It really surprised both Japan and the US. Partly because of this, the atomic bomb was used. It was effective and made it so time was not wasted with a battle in Japan. It reassured that not as many American casualties occurred in battle and that Japan was more directly effected.
Won: America
Lost: Japan
Casualties: 190,000 people lost their lives. Half of them being Okinawan civilians and over 5,000 being American sailors due to the Kamikaze campaign.
Significance
The Battle of Okinawa was important because it gave Americans a taste of how the invasion of Japan would be like, was the bloodiest sea-land-air battle in American military history, and led to the use of the atomic bomb in Japan.
Okinawa was the last battle in the Pacific. The battle was part of the three-point-plan Americans had for winning the war in the Far East. Okinawa was the last island captured by Americans before moving on to the North and invading Japan. This made it so Americans could have a "preview" of what the invasion would be like. More casualties and difficulties occurred then was expected. Okinawa became the bloodiest battle in history. It really surprised both Japan and the US. Partly because of this, the atomic bomb was used. It was effective and made it so time was not wasted with a battle in Japan. It reassured that not as many American casualties occurred in battle and that Japan was more directly effected.
"My dear parents, I shall depart from this life at 0700 hours on the 29 of June, 1945 .... Patriotic duty demands (my sacrifice)."
-Ryugi Nagatsuka (Kamikaze)
-Ryugi Nagatsuka (Kamikaze)
A group of troops sitting on a tank and driving to their next destination.