The Battle of Okinawa was the final battle in the effort to defeat the Japanese combatants against the Allied forces. Okinawa was the largest island in the Ryukyu Islands and it was strategically advantageous being only 350 miles away from the Japanese homeland of Kyushu. The Japanese, Okinawans, and the Allies all knew of Okinawa being the final stepping-stone for an invasion of the Japanese homeland. The Japanese had fortified Okinawa from the beginning of the war. The Allied forces in the Pacific had the understanding that Okinawa would provide the most hardship of any battle in the Pacific of the Second World War. Thus, they assembled the greatest amphibian assault force the world had seen to date. Operation Iceberg had been delayed long enough. Operation Iceberg had begun on April 1, 1945. This invasion would be named L-Day (Battle of Okinawa #1).
There were many encounters between Japanese and Allied forces before the final battle at Okinawa. L-Day and Operation Iceberg should have begun weeks before April 1, but the Allied forces were delayed by Iwo Jima and the situation in the Philippines. Part of the Japanese army in Okinawa was shipped out to China to fight the hostile Nationalists in China. Then, much focus went to Iwo Jima and much of the Japanese forces were sent to protect Iwo Jima. The Japanese were aware of the strategic advantage the Allies would have if they were to succeed in Iwo Jima. The Allies were to take Iwo Jima so U.S. fighters could escort the B-29 bombers the whole way to mainland Japan. The Japanese were to defend Iwo Jima with their lives. Surrendering would have been more costly to the Japanese soldiers than dying proudly for their country. The Japanese forces in Iwo Jima were ready and in abundance. The Allies struggled much more than thought previously. There were a few reasons for this. The main reason was the Japanese strategy of leaving the beaches undefended and letting the Allies onto the beach.
