History - Military history -- List of battles -- World War II
The Battle of Okinawa, fought on the island of Okinawa in the Ryukuku Islands[?] was the largest amphibious assault during the Pacific campaign of World War II.
The land campaign was controlled by 10th Army[?], commanded by Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner[?]. The army had two corps under its command, III Amphibious Corps[?], consisting of 1st and 6th Marine Divisions, with 2nd Marine Division as an afloat reserve, and XXIV Corps[?], consisting of the 7th, 27th, 77th and 96th Infantry Divisions. During the course of the campaign, Buckner was killed during the campaign by artillery fire, becoming one of the most senior US casualties in the entire war.
Before this battle, an evacuation ship called Tsushima-maru was sunk by a U.S. submarine and many schoolchildren were killed.
The casualty figures were extremely high and are reflected in the length of time (nearly 6 months, from April 1, 1945 until September 1945) which it took to take the island and obtain a surrender from the Japanese forces.
