The Battle of Okinawa

What happened

U.S. Tenth Army forces landed on Okinawa on April 1, 1945, in the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific war. Nearly three months of ferocious fighting and mass kamikaze attacks killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and enormous numbers of Okinawan civilians.

Why it matters

As the last major battle before a planned invasion of Japan's home islands, Okinawa's staggering cost weighed heavily on the decision to use the atomic bomb.

Sources

• The National WWII Museum. Operation Iceberg: The Battle for Okinawa · General source