Japanese prisoners of war captured by Marines of the 6th Division in POW stockade at Okuku Okinawa
10th Army Soldiers Carry Wounded Native on Okinawa
96th Division Troops Flush Out Japanese Troops on Okinawa
6th Marine Division blasts Japanese Position on Okinawa
Japanese Soldier Trying to Escape at Oroku Peninsula Okinawa
US Infantrymen Move Inland from Okinawa Beachhead
7th Infantry Division soldiers of the US 10th Army swarm into Yonabaru on the coast of Okinawa
Beach Crowded with US Landing Craft during Okinawa Invasion
US 10th Army rifleman with the 32nd Infantry, 7th Division searches a Japanese prisoner who has just emerged from a cave on Okinawa
Marines Display Japanese Souvenirs on Okinawa
First Division Marine Advance to Dakeshi on Okinawa
Wounded 5th Marines on Okinawa May 1945
Japanese Planes Shot Down In Attack On Okinawa Invasion Fleet
Marine Rifleman Looks over Ruins of Naha Okinawa
Marine LVT Amtracs Landing On Okinawa Beach 1945
Marine Pilots at Dash Rite Inn Bomb Shelter on Okinawa
Japanese Shinyo class Suicide Motorboat on Okinawa
Marine Tosses Phosphorus Greanade at Sniper on Okinawa
USS LSM-322 in the far background off Okinawa Beachhead on April 1st as a Coast Guard manned LST in the foreground launches a LVT-4 amphibious tractor
Japanese Ship Under Attack during Third Fleet Raid on Okinawa October 10, 1944
Chaplain Leads Service for 184th Regiment on Okinawa
Japanese Dummy Planes on Katena Airstrip on Okinawa
US Navy LSTs Lined up at Reef in Okinawa
Refugees Get Medical Treatment from US Troops on Okinawa
Troops Operate Bulldozer on Okinawa Airfield
6th Division Marines Pull Wounded Japanese from Cave on Okinawa
Marine 3rd Amphibious Corps in Action on Okinawa
Planes Low Level Attack at Mouth of Bishi River pre invasion bombardment of Okinawa 1945
96th Division Troops Sleep after Capturing Big Apple Hill Okinawa
Marines March into Sobe during Invasion of Okinawa
Burning Okinoyamo Maru Okinawa
Rocket attack from Navy LSM toward beach at Okinawa
US Navy LST at Okinawa Beaches
Tractor Jeep and M7 Priest Stuck in Mud on Okinawa 1945
Marines Race for Foxholes as Shell Explodes on Okinawa
Cabbage Booby Trapped with Type 97 grenade by Japanese on Okinawa
Marines Carry Children Found in Caves on Okinawa
6th Marine Division Tanks Advance on Naha Okinawa
Marine Infantry with Thompson and M1 Carbine Okinawa April 15 1945
Japanese soldier surrenders to Marines in Cane Field Okinawa
Marines board Transport for Invasion of Okinawa
Marine Linemen Work on Communications on Okinawa
Stinson L-5 Sentinel Carries Wounded Marine from Itoman near Okinawa Front
Marines Wade Ashore to Support Beachhead on Okinawa
Marines and LVT on the beach of Iheya Jima Off Okinawa 16 July 45
Marines Evacuate Wounded Comrade Under Fire on Okinawa
LVT Amtrac and first Marine Casualty on Okinawa
5th Marine Regiment Gunners Sleep in Foxhole on Okinawa
Marines Manning .30 Caliber Browing Machine Gun on Okinawa
Marine Third Amphibious Corps 155 mm “Long Tom” Gun Crew on Okinawa
Marines Take Up Positions on Street in Naha Okinawa
Marines Clear Japanese Cave with Flamethrower on Okinawa
27th Division Troops Clear Japanese Caves on Okinawa 1945
6th Marine Division Flame Throwing Tank in action Okinawa May 1945
22nd Marine Regiment Prepares for Advance on Naha Okinawa
Japanese Soldiers POW Carry Wounded Comrade on Okinawa
7th Infantry Division Troops Mopping Up on Okinawa
Marine Communication Crews Establish Phone Lines on Okinawa
Troops Leaving Landing Craft during Invasion of Okinawa
1st Marine Division Fights Japanese On Okinawa
Japanese Prisoners Get Soup Ration at Camp near Kadena Okinawa
Food and Water Parachuted to Marines at Shuri Okinawa
6th Division Marines Resting in Suburbs of Naha Okinawa
Marines Hunt Japanese Snipers amid Ruins of Naha Okinawa
Wrecked Barrel of Camouflaged Japanese Gun Captured on Okinawa
US Army 10th Infantry Outflank Important Shuri Castle Victory On Okinawa
Marines Communication Platoon on Okinawa
Aerial View of Leveled City of Naha Capital of Okinawa
6th Division Marine with Japanese soldier on Okinawa
Soldiers Warming Rations on Portable Stove on Okinawa
1945 Okinawa Wrecked Japanese Truck
General Stilwell and Col. Pachler on Okinawa 1945
77th Infantry Division Soldier Saving Okinawan Children Next to LVT Buffalo 1945
aerial view of during D Day April 1945 Okinawa
Marine Flame Thrower at Cave Okinawa
US Marines Closing in at old tomb Okinawa
Group of Japanese Soldiers to Surrender on Okinawa 1945
Okinawa Invasion LVT
LVT Buffalo 96th infantry division Chatan Okinawa 1945
Wreck Okinawa 1945 4
Okinawa Invasion fleet
Japanese Prisoner Pow On Okinawa 1945
Battleship fires at Japanese Plane 1 April 1945 Okinawa
Okinawa Invasion beachhead
7th Air Force Soldiers Make Home in Cave on Okinawa 1945
Battleship USS West Virginia BB-48 bombarding Okinawa
Marines Lvt Amtracs Amphibious Tractors On Okinawa 1945
1945 Okinawa1st Div. Marine firing tommy gun
Battleship Fires on Japanese Suicide Plane off Okinawa pacific
Marines 155mm Howitzer fire Okinawa
US Soldiers in Dugout Call Station on Okinawa 1945
10th Army Troops Move into Yonabaru on Okinawa
Fleet Ready to Invade Okinawa
Marines Hit the beach from LVT 1945 Okinawa
834th Anti Aircraft Artillery 37mm Halftrack and Thompson Gunner Okinawa
Wreck Okinawa 1945 3
7th infantry division landing on Okinawa in LVT Amtrac
Okinawa Invasion 1 April 1945
Amphibious approach Okinawa beach 1945
75mm Recoiless Rifle in Action Okinawa 1945
27th Division Troops Clear Japanese Caves on Okinawa
US Marine Gun Crew in Firefight near Naha Okinawa
Naval gunfire support Okinawa 1945
Aerial view invasion in Kerama Retto Battle of Okinawa 1945
Captured Japanese AA Gun Okinawa pacific
7th Infantry Rifleman on Okinawa pacific
Okinawa dummy Japanese plane
USS LSM(R)-197 Firing Rockets at Okinawa
Wreck Okinawa 1945
Okinawa April 1945
Helicopter Landing On Okinawa Pacific
DUKW Amphibious Truck Loaded With Supplies Okinawa 1945
Marines on Okinawa
LVT Amtrac amphibious lands 96th infantry division troops Okinawa 1945
Ie Shima beach jeeps and LST 1945
Wreck Okinawa 1945 2
Okinawa Invasion aerial view
Wounded Marines on Okinawa 1945
aerial view of beachhead Okinawa
1st Aid Station Set Up for 24th Army Corps on Okinawa
USS West Virginia BB-48 Covers Troops in LVT B111 Heading for Okinawa
Destroyed Japanese ships Okinawa 1945
Soldiers Advance on Japanese Cave on Okinawa
Troops on Captured Japanese 150 mm gun Type 89 Cannon on Okinawa
Gen. Shepherd and Gen. Buckner Watch Battle on Okinawa
Okinawa Invasion 1945
LVT Buffalo Being Lowered into Water off Okinawa’s Orange Beach 1945
Troops Establishing Beachhead on Okinawa 1945
96th infantry division LVT Amtrac against seawall Okinawa 1945
Marines Hunt Japanese Sniper Shuri Castle Okinawa 1945
Okinawa Invasion landing forces
1878th Aviation Engineers Use Bulldozers to Build Road on Okinawa June 1945
Battle of Okinawa: 1 April 1945 – 22 June 1945.
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War Two. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only 550 km away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland (coded Operation Downfall). Four divisions of the US 10th Army (7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th) and two USMC Divisions (1st and 6th) fought on the island. Their invasion was supported by naval, amphibious, and tactical air forces.
The battle has been referred to as the “typhoon of steel” in English, and tetsu no ame (“rain of steel”) or tetsu no bōfū (“violent wind of steel”) in Japanese. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of kamikaze attacks from the Japanese defenders, and to the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater during World War 2. Based on Okinawan government sources, mainland Japan lost 77 166 soldiers, who were either killed or committed suicide, and the Allies suffered 14 009 deaths (with an estimated total of more than 65 000 casualties of all kinds). Simultaneously, 42 000 – 150 000 local civilians were killed or committed suicide, a significant proportion of the local population. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki together with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria caused Japan to surrender less than two months after the end of the fighting on Okinawa.