World Perspective : OKINAWA : The Final Campaign

As 182,000 U.S. assault troops started ashore, World War II’s last big battle began 50 years ago today. The Japanese worked a year, creating 60 miles of underground positions-enough to shelter all 100, 000 defenders. their strategy: a defensive battle to delay U.S. takeover of this key staging point to the Japanese mainland.

‘Blowtorch and Corkscrew’

A hallmark of fighting on Okinawa was attacks on caves and fortified positions that honeycombed the hills, escarpments and terraces. Americans assaulted many of these positions using a method known as “blowtorch (flammables) and corkscrew (explosives).” Some scenarios:

1. Support team uses automatic-weapons fire to suppress defenders, allowing flamethrower team to approach.

2. Flamethrower, supported by two riflemen, directs flame into cave, causing suffocation, burns.

3. Demolition man tosses in satchel charge of explosives, sometimes sealing cave.

4. Gasoline, grenade dropped down vent.

What Made Okinawa Different

Kamikaze attacks: Suicide pilots in 1,465 planes filled with explosives took a huge toll, sinking 26 ships, damaging 164 and killing more than 3,000 sailors. Name means “divine wind,” after typhoon that destroyed Mongol fleet invading Japan in 1281.

Naval losses: This was the costliest battle in Navy history: 32 ships sunk, 368 damaged and nearly 10,000 casualties. One measure of the ferocity of the campaign is that more Navy men were killed than wounded-a highly unusual situation.

Fallen leaders: Neither commander survived the battle, the only time this happened in the Pacific war. Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. was killed in action June 18. Four days later, his counterpart, Lt. Gen. Mitsuru Ushijima, committed suicide.

Correspondent killed: Probably the most famous casualty was Pulitzer-winning columnist Ernie Pyle, whose writing endeared him to ordinary soldiers. He was killed April 18 on le Shima, a nearby island, during fighting coincident with that on Okinawa.

Okinawan culture: Ethnic mixture of Chinese, Malays and Ainus. Once independent, the islanders were absorbed into Japanese empire in 1870s. Fighting in 1945 virtually destroyed the island. Estimates of civilians killed: 42,000 to 150.000.

Wounded care: 2.8% of American wounded died, a mortality rate half that of other Pacific battles and comparable to that in Europe. U.S. used 15,000 gallons of whole blood. Cave conditions, lack of equipment and drugs left Japanese wounded little chance.

Okinawa’s Price

Okinawa produced more American casualties than any Pacific campaign. How it compares to four other costly battles (American figures include killed and wounded; for Japanese, who customarily fought to the death, figures are for killed.):

Battle: Tarawa*

Duration (days): 3

Area (square miles): 1/2

Distance to Japan (miles): 3,200

Casualties (American): 3,019

Casualties (Japanese): 4,500

*

Battle: Peleliu

Duration (days): 72

Area (square miles): 5

Distance to Japan (miles): 1,650

Casualties (American): 10,021

Casualties (Japanese): 10,500

*

Battle: Saipan

Duration (days): 25

Area (square miles): 48

Distance to Japan (miles): 1,500

Casualties (American): 16,525

Casualties (Japanese): 30,000

*

Battle: Iwo Jima

Duration (days): 36

Area (square miles): 8

Distance to Japan (miles): 750

Casualties (American): 26,038

Casualties (Japanese): 21,000

*

Battle: Okinawa

Duration (days): 82

Area (square miles): 485

Distance to Japan (miles): 350

Casualties (American): 49,151

Casualties (Japanese): 90,000**

* Betio only

** Includes approximately 20,000 Okinawan conscripts

Defense in Depth

Japanese defenders used direct fire and mutually supporting reverse-slope positions. Combined with interconnecting tunnels, this made it possible for Americans to be atop a hill, yet not control it:

Attacking U.S. troops

Japanese defensive positions

Path of Battle

After Americans landed, some turned north and by April 20 controlled entire northern part of island. After reaching east coast, remainder wheeled south and by April 5 had met the main defenses. Not until June 21 was Okinawa declared secure.

Perimeter of Japanese stronghold:

April 1: Invasion forces land

April 1-2: Fake invasion distracts defenders

June 21: Japanese defeated

Tongues of Fire: Flamethrowing tanks, covered by infantry to prevent suicide attacks, were a vastly more dangerous and feared weapon than the version carried on the backs of soldiers:

Hand-Held Tank Fuel capacity 4 gallons 290 gallons Firing time 5-10-sec. bursts up to 2.5 min. Range 40 yards 60-80 yards

Sources: “Okinawa: Typhoon of Steel,” “Victor in the Pacific,” “History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II,” “Okinawa: Victory in the Pacific”; Researched by TOM REINKEN / Los Angeles Times