| Description: | Marines land on Okinawa shores. Marines of the US 10th Army in camouflage battle dress storm out of a landing craft to establish a beachhead, March 31, 1945 on Okinawa, largest of the Ryukyu (Loochoo) Islands, 375 miles from Japan. Enemy resistance grows stiff as they advance to the southern sector of the island, which is on the threshold of Japan. On their first day ashore, US forces captured two airfields, which they started using almost immediately in their operations against the Japanese. In discussing the action on Okinawa, US secretary of War Henry L. Stimson said on April 12, 1945 that the campaign is slow and the fighting is hard adding that the enemy is apparently set for another last-ditch stand. He continued, however, our Navys power in the air and on the seas created a disaster for the Japanese during this past week in their effort to challenge the operation in the Ryukyus. The enemys loss of the battleship Yamato (on April 7) and of several hundred planes is further assurance that Okinawa will be one of the American bases for the final drive against the homeland and its power in AsiaEApril 19, 1945. (39573-FMC, National Archives). |
|
Okinawa
