The tragic Battle of Okinawa Island

The Ryukyu Islands consist of approximately 140 islands, stretching from southern Japan to the southeast for a length of 2045 kilometers. At the center of these islands is Okinawa Island. 'Chong' means' sea 'in Japanese, and Okinawa means' rope floating on the sea'. Okinawa Island is the largest island in the Ryukyu Islands, with a length of about 108 kilometers from north to south, a widest point of about 30 kilometers from east to west, and a narrowest point of only about 4 kilometers in the Ishikawa Isthmus, with a total area of about 1256 square kilometers.

24 kilometers west of Okinawa Island is the Keiliangma Islands, with vast water surfaces between each island that can accommodate large warships and serve as a repair and supply base. There is a small island called Kiyose Island between the Keiliangma Islands and Okinawa Island, which can be used as a base for artillery movement due to its close proximity to Okinawa Island.

The Okinawa War was the last war on the Pacific battlefield, and this is something we were aware of later. In the military strategy formulated by the US military in 1945, it was not known that the war would end in August. This plan divides the annual operations into three phases, with the first phase being the conquest of the Ogasawara Islands (the "Iwo Jima War") and the Ryukyu Islands from April to June; Landing on China's coastal islands from July to September; Starting from October, we will attack the southern part of Shenzhou and the Kanto Plain in our hometown of Japan.

The US military believed that seizing Okinawa Island could establish a chain of encirclement from the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific, passing through Iwo Jima, to Okinawa Island in the south, blocking its maritime transportation with the southern region, and promoting more favorable conditions for strategic bombing of Japan's homeland. In 1945, Commander Nimitz of the Pacific Fleet submitted his operational plan to the Joint Chiefs of Advisors of the United States and obtained approval.

To ensure an absolute military advantage in the Battle of Okinawa, the Allies deployed most of their forces, including British and American sailors, in the Pacific theater, under the unified command of Commander Spruance of the 5th Fleet, consisting of seven special task forces. Namely: the 58th (US) and 57th (UK) aircraft carrier special task forces, the 52nd, 53rd, 54th, and 55th protection and assistance special task forces, and landing transport fleets. In the above-mentioned formations, there are 34 aircraft carriers of various types (2108 carrier based aircraft), 22 battleships, and 320 other combat ships. There are also 500 landing transport ships, as well as logistics and auxiliary ships, making the total number of ships more than 1200. The landing force is led by the 10th Army Group commanded by Buckner, consisting of 8 divisions and 180000 soldiers from the 3rd and 24th armies. The total military strength of the Allied forces was 287000.

The Japanese aggressors determined that the US military must first land on Okinawa Island and nearby islands before attacking Japan's homeland. Once Okinawa Island is lost, the air and sea control in the coastal areas of North Korea and China will fall into the hands of the US military, and Japan's homeland will be completely exposed to the scale of the US military's sea and air impact. Therefore, Okinawa Island becomes the final fortress that Japan needs to ensure.

In order to protect the final barrier of our hometown, the Japanese formed the 32nd Army, which includes the 9th, 24th, 62nd Divisions and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade, commanded by Masao Watanabe, with a total military strength of over 100000 people. What angered Masao Watanabe was that the Japanese headquarters were worried that the US military might land on the coast of our country next, so they transferred the strongest 9th Division of the 32nd Army, which had just arrived in Okinawa. As a result, Watanabe fell ill and could not take charge, and the Japanese headquarters had to appoint Mitsuru Niushima as the commander of the 32nd Army.

Due to limited military strength, after arriving in Okinawa, Niushima Man revised his defense plan and abandoned the two airports near the northern coast of Okinawa. He deployed his main force in the southern part of Okinawa Island and recruited more than 20000 local residents to participate in the defense, forming a strong fortified position centered on the southern town of Shouli. He prepared to use this as the main position to engage in a land battle with the US army.

In addition, the Japanese aggressors only deployed one special task force composed of local people in the Yuguqi area, the primary landing site of the US military, with the primary task of delaying the US military's landing actions. In order to prevent the exposure of its true protective deployment, the Japanese ordered all artillery to launch a firepower counterattack against the land-based US military and naval vessels, in order to receive unexpected results during the decisive battle on land.

On the night of March 9, 1945, 334 American long-range bombers took off from Guam, each carrying 6-8 tons of incendiary bombs. At 12:15 the next day, American planes arrived over Tokyo and immediately dropped over 2000 tons of incendiary bombs, causing nearly 41 square kilometers of buildings east of the Imperial Palace of Japan to be burned down, about a quarter of Tokyo's area. Among them, 18% are industrial areas, 63% are commercial areas, and the rest are residential areas. All 22 planned industrial policies were destroyed, with over 267000 buildings burned down, 83793 people burned to death, 100000 people severely injured, and 1 million people left homeless.

The Japanese headquarters immediately formulated the "Tian" combat plan in view of the severe threat that their hometown had already faced. To implement this plan, the Japanese aggressors will gather 2990 land and naval aircraft (including 1230 aircraft used for the "Kamikaze" special attack operation) and deploy them in China's coastal areas, Ryukyu Islands, and the homeland of Shenzhou. Attempting to use all possible military force at the time to launch a surprise attack and destroy the main force of the US Pacific Fleet gathered in the coastal city near Okinawa Island, in order to isolate the US land-based forces, cut off their retreat and support, and then surround and annihilate them on land by the 32nd Army, thus winning the successful anti landing operation on Okinawa Island.

On March 14, 1945, Spruance personally led the 58th Special Task Force (renamed as the 58th Special Task Force on January 26, 1945) from Ulithi Naval Base in the Caroline Islands and sailed into the waters north of Okinawa and south of Shenzhou on the 17th. This most powerful invading fleet in the Pacific consisted of 8 heavy aircraft carriers, 8 light aircraft carriers, 8 battleships, 18 cruisers, and 56 destroyers.

After learning about the actions of the US aircraft carrier fleet, the Japanese immediately launched the "Tian" operation. On March 18th, the Japanese 5th Air Force invaded the special task force of the 58th aircraft carrier located about 90 nautical miles southeast of China. The Japanese reported sinking 2 American aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 1 cruiser, and 1 destroyer, and damaging 2 aircraft carriers.

Just after the Japanese invasion, the US carrier based aircraft launched from the aircraft carrier continued to attack the airports and military policies of Japan's Shenzhou and Shikoku. The next day, the US carrier based aircraft launched another attack on the ports of Wu and Kobe in the Japanese Inland Sea. The US military's assault continued until March 21st, destroying a total of 528 Japanese planes in the air and on the ground. Due to the severe loss of Japanese planes, the Japanese air force was unable to send many planes to assist in the anti landing operation on Okinawa Island.

On March 19th, 20th, and 21st, the Japanese 5th Air Force launched a series of aircraft attacks on the US 58th aircraft carrier special task force. The Japanese reported sinking 5 American aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, and 2 light cruisers once again.

In practice, the US aircraft carriers did suffer significant losses, but no carriers were sunk. The Franklin aircraft carrier suffered the most severe loss during the assault on March 19th. At 7am that morning, a group of Japanese kamikaze special attack aircraft suddenly emerged from the clouds and launched a surprise attack on the 58th special task force. Two Japanese planes collided with the deck and side of the USS Hornet aircraft carrier, causing an explosion that killed 101 people and injured 269 others.

Another Japanese plane crashed into the USS Franklin aircraft carrier, detonating the bombs carried by the carrier's planes on the deck. The ship was then engulfed in flames, which were extinguished two hours later. The ship is now in a state of chaos, with over 3000 crew members, 724 killed, and 265 decorated. Subsequently, towed by the destroyer, they returned to the sailor base.

Starting from March 23rd, the 58th Special Task Force completed its airstrikes on the Japanese Honjo Air Base and turned to assisting in the landing operations on Okinawa Island.

On March 26th, the top five infantry battalions of the 77th Infantry Division of the 24th Army of the United States launched a surprise landing on Aga Island, Qingliujian Island, Outland Island, Zuma Wei Island, and Yajia North Island in the western part of Okinawa Island.

By March 29th, the US military had fully occupied the Keiliangma Islands and established a seaplane base and fleet berthing and logistics supply base to assist in the landing operation on Okinawa Island, allowing Allied ships to obtain supplies, maintenance, and reorganization nearby.

On March 31st, the US tank landing ship and medium landing ship transported two 155mm artillery battalions from the 420th Field Artillery Group, totaling 24 guns, to land on Keiisee Island and occupied the entire island without resistance. Keiisee Island is about 18 kilometers away from the primary landing site of the US military, the beach of Yuguqi, and about 13 kilometers away from Naha City, a heavily protected Japanese city in the southern part of Okinawa Island. The 155mm howitzer deployed on the island can effectively control these two areas and provide strong assistance to the US military's land and land operations. Thus, the US military has completed the preliminary preparations for landing on Okinawa Island.

At 4:00 am on April 1st, Rear Admiral Turner commanded the amphibious landing fleet to enter the waters 7-3 nautical miles west of Okinawa Island, and began the transfer operation from transport ships to landing craft. At 5:30, Turner commanded the naval guns of the 52nd, 53rd, 54th, and 55th special task forces to prepare for the landing at the beach of Yuzuruzaki.

In over 2 hours of shelling, more than 100000 shells were fired cumulatively. At 8:10, the landing troops, protected by aircraft and naval guns, advanced towards the western coast of Okinawa Island by amphibious tanks and tracked transport vehicles. At 8:30, the vanguard troops landed at Baishatantou. The landing proceeded exceptionally smoothly, encountering almost no resistance, to the point where a military journalist wrote, "We seem to be the first explorers of this island

On that day, the top troops of the 6th and 1st Marine Divisions, as well as the 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions under Buckner's 10th Army Group, totaling 60000 soldiers, landed. The 17th Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division and the 4th Regiment of the 6th Marine Division respectively occupied Kadena Airport and Reading Valley Airport, which were less than 2 kilometers away from the landing site. At 7:00 the next day, the 7th Division of the 24th Army continued to push eastward and arrived at the eastern coast of Okinawa Island. At this point, the US military has cut Okinawa into two sections.

Given the smooth development after landing and the completion of the north-south incision of the island 12 days ahead of schedule, on April 3rd, Commander Buckner of the 10th Army Group decided to continue accelerating the pace of the push. He instructed the 3rd Army to advance towards the northeast, while the 24th Army turned south.

On that day, the 24th Army commanded by Hodge left the 17th Regiment of the 7th Division to hold their position and gather their main force to advance southward. The 32nd regiment of the division headed south from Zhongcheng Bay and encountered Japanese invaders in Juchang. This was the first time that the US military landed on Okinawa and engaged in combat with regular Japanese troops. With the assistance of a tank cluster, the 32nd regiment killed 385 Japanese invaders and occupied Juchang; When the 165th Regiment of the 96th Division was pushing towards Hill 165, it also encountered strong resistance from the Japanese invaders. The US army fought hard for several hours but was unable to occupy it. Later, the regiment turned to the right and at the end of the day, it seized places such as Xishe, Yasuya, Putianma, and Izo. Subsequently, the 24th Army encountered increasingly strong resistance from the Japanese invaders.

The development of the 3rd Army heading north was unusually smooth. Under the command of Gage, the army advanced to the Ishikawa Isthmus on the same day, and then Buckner instructed Gage to boldly head north. On April 13th, the 6th Marine Division advanced a total of 40 kilometers and occupied the coastal promontory in the northeast of Okinawa Island, approaching the northernmost Japanese stronghold of Bianhu.

Although Niu Shima Man's plan had already been reported to Japanese Prime Minister Akira Koizumi and Army Chief of Staff Mitsuro Umezu before the war, and had obtained the consent of both superiors, the US military's push still caused a huge uproar in Japan. On April 7th, Akira Koizumi stepped down and, with the support of the Emperor, the representative of the peace faction, Kantaro Suzuki, became the last Prime Minister of Japan during World War II. On the other hand, the Japanese headquarters ordered sailors and air force to immediately advocate for a so-called special attack operation against the US military in order to assist Okinawa.

From April 6th to June 22nd, the Japanese Navy Air Force organized a total of 10 "Jushui Operations" and deployed approximately 3742 aircraft (including 1506 "Kamikaze" special attack aircraft). At the same time, the Japanese army aviation frequently carried out small-scale offensives, deploying about 4109 aircraft (including 887 Kamikaze special attack aircraft).

The US military estimated in advance that the Japanese might launch an attack on US ships in the waters off Okinawa Island by land and naval planes, especially suicide planes. Therefore, the aviation forces restricted various airports in Japan's hometown and organized 16 radar posts around the landing area to strengthen vigilance. A total of 2258 aircraft were lost in the Japanese organized "Kikushi Operation". According to Japanese reports, about 404 US warships were sunk or damaged (34 were submerged and 368 were injured in practice, and not a single US cruiser or above was sunk).

Along with the suicide attack in the air, the Japanese Navy Joint Fleet formed a naval special attack fleet consisting of the remaining main naval force of the 2nd Fleet (battleships Yamato, cruisers Yamato, and eight destroyers) to attack American ships anchored in Okinawa Island.

At 16:00 on April 6th, the fleet, led by Rear Admiral Ito, departed from the Seto Inland Sea Base. At 20:00, the fleet has now crossed the inner sea minefield and entered the Pacific Ocean. 10 minutes later, this fleet was discovered by a US submarine, and at the same time, the radar of the Yamato also detected a US submarine 7 kilometers away.

Upon learning of the Japanese fleet's deployment, Spruance immediately instructed Mitchell's 58th Carrier Fleet to head north from the waters off Okinawa Island, along with his 52nd and 54th Task Forces, to encircle and annihilate the final force of the Japanese Combined Fleet.

The battleship Yamato and the battleship Musashi, which were buried in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, are sister ships, with a tonnage even 4000 tons more than the battleship Musashi. The ship was designed in 1937 and took four years to complete. It was launched and put into service before the sniper attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The standard displacement is 68000 tons, with a full load draft of 10.6 meters. Planned staffing of 2200 people and practical staffing of 2767 people.

The ship has 4 turbine engines with a total of 150000 horsepower and a maximum speed of 27.5 knots (1 knot=1 nautical mile/hour=1.852 kilometers/hour). The ship is equipped with 150 naval guns of various calibers, among which 9 main guns are 460mm in length, with each shell weighing 1450 kilograms and a maximum range of 42 kilometers. The armor thickness was greater than any battleship in the world at that time. The straight armor in the engine compartment was 408.9 millimeters, the side armor was 410 millimeters, and the horizontal armor thickness was 200 millimeters. Along with the Musashi, it was known by the Japanese as the "never submerged battleship".

At 8:22 am on April 7th, Commander Mitchell of the 58th Special Operations Fleet sent a very brief telegram to Spruance: "Are you going to attack or am I going to attack?" After a moment of hesitation, Spruance immediately understood that this was Mitchell's magnanimity and humility. He could personally command the sinking of the largest Japanese warship, which was a great honor for the American generals who had been fighting in the Pacific for many years. Spruance immediately called and said, 'Attack!'

At 10 o'clock, 280 carrier based bombers and fighter jets took off. In Mitchell's next telegram to Spruance, he specifically used clear text to inform his superiors: "Unless otherwise instructed, I will attack the Yamato fleet at 12:00 After receiving this provocative telegram, Captain Yukiko Yamato of the Yamato class had no effective countermeasures except for a fit of rage.

At 12:20, the US "Pirate" type climbing bomber and "Kolsia" type torpedo plane penetrated the Japanese ship's anti-aircraft firepower and dropped the first batch of bombs and torpedoes on the Yamato. The port side of the Yamato was primarily struck by a torpedo, followed by two bombs landing on the starboard stern, leaving the ship in a state of chaos and bloody mess. The cruiser "Yashi" next to it has now been paralyzed, and the destroyer "Binfeng" is catching fire and gradually sinking.

At 13:37, the second batch of invading US aircraft arrived, and the Yamato was hit by three torpedoes and several bombs. The hull tilted 15 degrees to the left, and a lot of seawater poured into the cabin, causing the speed to drop to 18 knots. The loophole has not been closed yet, and about 100 third batch US military aircraft are advocating for invasion. At this moment, heavy rain is falling from the sky, disrupting the US military's attack. At 14:00, the seventh torpedo hit the Yamato, causing the ship to tilt again. In order to balance the ship's viewpoint, Captain Yuki Yuki ordered water to be injected into the right engine room. At this moment, there were hundreds of sailors working inside, and 3000 tons of seawater drowned all of them.

Fortunately, the fate of the Yamato was not saved, and the fourth and fifth batches of American planes followed suit one after another. The 12th torpedo hit the ship, causing it to tilt at an angle of 35 degrees. The masts and chimneys were all destroyed, the deck of the warship cracked, the turrets were all destroyed, and the bodies were scattered in all directions, with blood flowing all over the ship.

At 14:22, the largest battleship in the history of human sailors was submerged, along with the last few warships of the Japanese Combined Fleet - the cruiser Yagura, the destroyer Haruki, the destroyer Ryoki, the destroyer Iwaki, and the destroyer Hamakaze. 4230 fleet members died in battle. The US military participated in the war with 386 aircraft, but only lost 10 and 10 pilots.

In the northern part of Okinawa Island, the US military suffered setbacks during the attack on the border. One of the US vanguard companies was blocked by the Japanese invaders, and most of the entire company was killed. Fortunately, the US military encountered a Chinese Hawaiian resident surnamed Liu who came to Okinawa for business during the war and was detained by the Japanese as a laborer to build fortifications for them.

After the US military arrived on the island, he took the opportunity to escape the surveillance of the Japanese invaders and found the US military, requesting to work for them. With the help of this person, the US military grasped the detailed drawings of the Japanese invaders' tunnel works and learned that there was also a regiment of Japanese military forces stationed on the opposite side of the border in Izumi Island. At 21:00 on the 15th, the US military advocated sniping at the border, but was discovered by the Japanese and changed to a strong attack. The two sides engaged in hand to hand combat. After several hours of intense fighting, the US military occupied the surface position of the Japanese invaders in the early morning of the 16th. Four days later, the US military cleared the Japanese invaders in the tunnel.

The development of the southern part of Okinawa Island has encountered great difficulties. Starting from April 7th, the attack of the US 24th Army came to a halt, advancing less than 1 kilometer in just four days. Here, Niudao Man divided the two divisions and one brigade of the 32nd Army into a single line, with the 62nd Division in the middle, the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade on the left, and the 24th Division on the right. These troops were transferred from the Kwantung Army to Okinawa. Although they were mostly new recruits, they were well-equipped and had a high fighting spirit.

Within the Japanese 32nd Army, Niu Shima was a rational commander who was well aware that the defeat of the 32nd Army was only a matter of timing. Therefore, what he needed to do was to delay the American occupation of Okinawa as much as possible and kill American troops as much as possible. But the Chief Military Advisor, Chang Yong (who drafted the directive for the 1937 Nanjing Massacre), advocated for a counterattack against the American army and drove them back to the sea in response to the battle plan against Manchukuo. Helpless, Niudao Man issued a counterattack command.

On April 12th, the 22nd Squadron of the 62nd Division launched a counterattack. That night, the Japanese used various caliber artillery to shell the American positions, and then the 22nd Squadron began to attack. But at this moment, the illumination flares launched by the US military illuminated the sky as if it were daylight, completely exposing the invading Japanese troops to the firepower of the US military. One hour later, the Japanese were forced to retreat.

On Highway 5 leading to Shouli, there are undulating limestone hills surrounded by many natural caves, cliffs, and valleys. Less than 800 yards west of the highway, there is a high ground with mountains on both sides and a saddle shaped center. The two armies continued to compete for this high ground called Jia Shu.

At 6:00 on April 19th, the US military launched a powerful firepower assault on the Japanese positions. To ensure the effectiveness of firepower assault, the US military has deployed 27 artillery battalions with a density of one gun per square meter. 379 combat aircraft also took off to assist in the battle.

It should be said that no creature in the fire assault area can withstand this terrible steel rainstorm. However, the Japanese invaders miraculously avoided them. When the infantry advocated for an attack, the Japanese invaders hiding in caves, rock caves, and tunnels emerged one after another, shooting at the enemy with various firearms, making it difficult for the US military to advance. The US military saw that a frontal attack was not feasible, so they turned to a flanking attack. Major General Kleiner, the commander of the 27th Infantry Division, instructed a tank company to protect an elite infantry battalion and flank back between Jiashu and Xiyuan, advancing from the left wing towards Jiashu Heights.

The Japanese have long been on guard and have sealed off this direction with layers of firepower such as mortars, machine guns, and anti tank guns. The US tanks were pushed by strong gunfire, but they were hit by Japanese gunfire, and gradually separated from the advanced soldiers. The rear infantry lost tank protection, making it more difficult to advance, so they had to retreat. The 30 tanks that rushed ahead without infantry assistance dared not rashly deepen and were forced to turn back. By the time they returned to their original attacking position, 22 tanks had already been destroyed by the Japanese invaders.

The 92nd Infantry Division, which was responsible for assisting on the right flank, only occupied the diagonal position in front of the West Plains Heights, while the 7th Infantry Division on the left flank was blocked by the strong resistance of the Japanese invaders and did not advance a step. The next day, the US military launched another attack on the Jia Shu highland.

At 5:40, six American battleships, six cruisers, and eight destroyers were the first to fire naval guns at the Japanese positions. 20 minutes later, 324 artillery pieces from 27 artillery battalions fired together at the front line of the Japanese invaders, then raised their guns and fired 400 meters towards the enemy's rear. At 6:30, the artillery fire was lowered and the front line was shelled for another 10 minutes. In the Pacific War, this was the most intense shelling, with a total of 19000 shells fired.

Subsequently, the 96th and 7th Infantry Divisions advocated for a feint attack. 50 minutes later, the 27th Infantry Division launched a fierce attack towards the Jia Shu highland from the west of the defense. However, despite unprecedented shelling, the Japanese military's positions remained unscathed. Despite the strong attack of the US military, they were all defeated and suffered heavy casualties. By dusk, the 24th Army had 720 casualties.

In the following days, the US military continued to push very slowly. Although the 96th Infantry Division broke through the West Plains defense, it was obstructed on the high ground of the front field and suffered multiple defeats. The commander of the 24th Army, Hodge, advocated for Buckner to conduct amphibious landing operations behind enemy defenses, making it difficult for the enemy to balance the front and rear. However, Buckner rejected this proposal, believing that there were too many reefs along the southern coast of Okinawa and the beaches were not suitable for loading and unloading supplies. Even if a beachhead was established after landing, it would still be surrounded by Japanese invaders and unable to develop further.

Buckner is preparing to transfer some of the Marine Corps' troops from the northern part of Okinawa to the outpost. He instructed the commander of the 3rd Army, Gage, to transfer a tank battalion from the 1st Marine Division to strengthen the 27th Infantry Division. However, at this moment, the intelligence department stated that the Japanese had abandoned the Jia Shu highland and retreated backwards, and the US military had occupied this highland. This news surprised Buckner and others greatly, as they truly did not understand why the Japanese aggressors would abandon this high ground that the US military had spent a lot of effort to occupy a few days ago.

Originally, there was once again a rift within the Japanese invaders. Considering the equally heavy casualties on our side, the defending side advocated for the reduction of military strength and the defense of Shouli. Niu Shima Man agreed to this plan and ordered the troops to retreat. But soon after, Niu Shima Man was persuaded by the main attacker's advisor Chang Yong to change his mind and decide to counterattack against the US military.

On April 27th, the Japanese launched a sniper attack on the position of the US 96th Division with one squadron. Unexpectedly, as soon as the troops began to move, they were discovered. Artillery and tanks launched a counter attack on the Japanese counterattack troops along Highway 5, and the Japanese were defeated. Late that night, the Japanese sniped again, but this time they were not detected. The sleeping American soldiers were caught off guard and most of them died in battle. But this small-scale counterattack cannot change the overall situation on the battlefield. Although the US frontline divisions suffered heavy casualties, the Japanese invaders suffered even greater losses. On May 4th, the Japanese launched their final counterattack, depleting their reserve forces, and Niushiman ordered his troops to stop attacking.

In the subsequent battle, the US military's push was still slow, and Buckner refused to let the soldiers take greater risks in order to accelerate the attack speed. This is also beyond reproach for the naval commanders, including Nimitz who arrived on Okinawa Island.

The US fleet at sea is constantly facing the threat of the Japanese kamikaze attack team, which causes the US to lose an average of 1.5 ships per day. Spruance's flagship battleship, the New Mexico, was also attacked, and a kamikaze plane crashed into the bridge. Spruance's bedroom was only separated by two corridors from the bombed cabin, and he was resting there at the time. Fortunately, he was unharmed.

On May 31st, the US military occupied Shuli. Seven days ago, Niudao Man ordered his troops to retreat from here during heavy rain, carrying the troops of the island residents. Under the impact of US bombers and naval guns, the retreating troops were scattered everywhere, with thousands of bodies left on the muddy roads. On June 13th, the US military seized the last important stronghold of the Japanese invaders, Mount Yaeyase, and then turned to a hole by hole clearance campaign. Afterwards, the Japanese invaders and some residents on the island displayed extreme arrogance, paranoia, strangeness, and brutality. After failing to break through, Bu Yi chose to commit suicide, while Bu Yi was often forced to jump off a cliff and even killed directly by the Japanese invaders. According to statistics, a total of 75000 people died in the Okinawa War, accounting for about 16% of the island's residents, most of whom did not die in the war.

On July 2nd, the Okinawa War ended, lasting for 96 days. About 135000 Japanese soldiers were killed, over 10000 were captured, 16 surface vessels and 8 submarines were lost, and 7830 aircraft were lost (including more than 3000 destroyed on the ground), including 2200 special attack aircraft.

More than 7300 American soldiers were killed in action, about 32000 were injured, and an estimated 40000 were killed. In addition, Major General Buckner, commander of the US 10th Army Group, was killed by Japanese artillery fire at the outpost observation post on June 18th. 34 US warships were sunk (mostly by Japanese special attack planes), with a total of 368 ships suffering varying degrees of damage (including 8 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 2 cruisers, and 33 destroyers), 763 carrier based aircraft lost, and 4900 sailors killed in action.