Okinawa Power Point

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Stef Cohen & Kelly Broadbent Honors U.S. History II, Period 2 Mr. Greenberg

Transcript of Okinawa Power Point

Page 1: Okinawa Power Point

Stef Cohen & Kelly Broadbent

Honors U.S. History II, Period 2

Mr. Greenberg

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Objectives

• To learn the importance of the Battle of Okinawa during World War II.

• To give an understanding of what happened at Okinawa in the spring of 1945.

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Okinawa is one of the Ryukyu Islands off of the southern tip of Japan

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Why Okinawa was important for the Allies

• To invade Japan Allies needed to capture the pacific islands.

• The islands supplied Japan during battle and Allies wanted to cut them off.

• Allies would also use these islands as refuelling and repair stations.

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Why Okinawa was important to the Japanese

• After many battles Japan’s military was deteriorating. • They knew they could not win.

• Their goal was:• decrease the size of the Allie army

• decrease allies supplies and fleet

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Naval Bombardment

• Mid- March 1945

• Greatest naval armada ever

• Attacked by kamikaze, and Ohka• Ohka are rocket

powered kamikaze

• Nicknamed “Baka” Japanese for idiot

*Naval bombardment of Okinawa

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Start of Okinawa

• The invasion on land began April 1st, 1945

• There were no signs of the Japanese arm

• 60,000 American soldiers survived arrived

• Americans cleared the north of the island

• Little battle in beginning *Allies land on an Okinawa beach

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Kamikazes Attacks

• Suicide plane attacks against warships

• Kamikazes attacks used in Okinawa began on April 6th, 1945

• Estimated that about 2,000 kamikazes in Okinawa

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Japanese Plan

• No troops defend beaches -avoid casualties

• Dug tunnels and caves in high grounds-Away from beaches

-Allies could not use superior naval and air power

-Is where Japanese headquarters were to be found

-Americans eventually used grenades and thrown them in the caves

*A Japanese underground military

headquarter bottom right

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Important dates

• April 29th-Huge barrage, largest in Pacific theater

• May 4th - Ushijima ordered a counter attack on the coast behind the Americans, it was unsuccessful

• May 21st-Japanese had withdrawn to the southern tip of the island

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Mass suicide in Okinawa

• Grenades were given to civilians for suicide

• Anyone found with found were executed

• Japanese commanders encouraged mass suicide

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*Some civilians chose to be taken captive rather than commit suicide

*A woman poses where bones of deceased civilians were thrown

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End of the battle

• Became obvious Japan would lose in June

• Ushijima had committed suicide

• American secured Okinawa July 2nd 1945

* American flag planted in Okinawa

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Aftermath for Americans

• Dead or missing-12,513

• Wounded-38,916

• Non-combat losses-33,096

• Sunken ships-79

• Aircrafts destroyed-763

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Aftermath for Japanese

• Dead or missing-66,000

• Wounded-17,000

• Captured-7,455

• Sunken ships-16

• Aircrafts destroyed-3,130

• Civilians dead/missing75,000-140,000

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Conclusion

• American victory

• Huge causalities for the Japanese

• Allies ready to invade Japan’s mainland.

• unnecessary after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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Okinawa is now a Okinawa is now a beautiful vacation spotbeautiful vacation spot