Misplaced Pages

#927072

62-1398: [REDACTED] Simon B. Buckner Jr.   † [REDACTED] Roy Geiger [REDACTED] Chester W. Nimitz [REDACTED] Raymond A. Spruance [REDACTED] William Halsey Jr. Ground units : [REDACTED] Tenth Army Naval units : [REDACTED] Fifth Fleet Ground units : [REDACTED] 32nd Army Naval units : [REDACTED] Combined Fleet [REDACTED] United States Navy [REDACTED] Royal Navy [REDACTED] Royal Australian Navy [REDACTED] Royal New Zealand Navy [REDACTED] Royal Canadian Navy [REDACTED] Ground Forces [REDACTED] Imperial Japanese Navy [REDACTED] Imperial Japanese Army Air Service 850 Kamikaze Aircraft [REDACTED] Ground Forces [REDACTED] American personnel: Battle casualties: ~50,000, including ~12,500 dead Army: 19,929 Navy: 10,007 at Okinawa, 1,294 on USS Franklin Marines: 19,460 Non-battle casualties : 26,211 to 33,096 (all causes) [REDACTED] British personnel: Battle casualties: 119 Killed, 83 Wounded. 228 Aircraft Lost, 4 fleet carriers lightly damaged in Kamikaze strikes. Second Sino-Japanese War The Battle of Okinawa ( Japanese : 沖縄戦 , Hepburn : Okinawa-sen ) , codenamed Operation Iceberg ,

124-593: A British Commonwealth fleet with Australian , New Zealand and Canadian ships and personnel. The Japanese land campaign (mainly defensive) was conducted by the 67,000-strong (77,000 according to some sources) regular 32nd Army and some 9,000 Imperial Japanese Navy troops at Oroku Naval Base (only a few hundred of whom had been trained and equipped for ground combat), supported by 39,000 drafted local Ryukyuan people (including 24,000 hastily drafted rear militia called Boeitai and 15,000 non-uniformed laborers). The Japanese had used kamikaze tactics since

186-631: A demonstration off the Minatoga beaches on the southeastern coast to deceive the Japanese about American intentions and delay movement of reserves from there. Tenth Army swept across the south-central part of the island with relative ease, capturing the Kadena and the Yomitan airbases within hours of the landing. In light of the weak opposition, General Buckner decided to proceed immediately with Phase II of his plan,

248-469: A frontal assault on the dug-in Japanese, although extremely costly in American lives, his strategy was ultimately successful. Late in the battle, Buckner failed to realize that the Japanese were pulling back to a secondary defensive line, allowing the Japanese to avoid destruction and escape with a significant force. Reducing this force in the southern part of the island cost enormous casualties, especially among

310-543: A further seventy-one died when the ship Abner Read struck a floating mine. On Kidna, 168 Allied soldiers were wounded or fell ill. The bombardment and invasion of the deserted island was written off as a "training exercise", and the Aleutian Campaign officially ended after 439 days of warfare. This constituted the Aleutian Islands campaign . In 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant general . In July 1944, Buckner

372-598: A long campaign of island hopping , the Allies were planning to use Kadena Air Base on the large island of Okinawa as a base for Operation Downfall , the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands , 340 mi (550 km) away. The United States created the Tenth Army , a cross-branch force consisting of the U.S. Army 7th , 27th , 77th and 96th Infantry Divisions with the 1st , 2nd , and 6th Marine Divisions , to fight on

434-488: A minimum of 14 and up to 18 escort carriers were in the area at all times. Until 20 April, British Task Force 57, with 4 large and 6 escort carriers, remained off the Sakishima Islands to protect the southern flank. The protracted length of the campaign under stressful conditions forced Admiral Chester W. Nimitz to take the unprecedented step of relieving the principal naval commanders to rest and recuperate. Following

496-640: A nursing unit. This mobilization was conducted by an ordinance of the Ministry of the Army, not by law. The ordinances mobilized the students as volunteer soldiers for form's sake; in reality, the military authorities ordered schools to force almost all students to "volunteer" as soldiers; sometimes they counterfeited the necessary documents. About half of the Tekketsu Kinnōtai were killed, including in suicide bomb attacks against tanks and in guerrilla operations. Among

558-421: A rocky pinnacle located about 1,000 yd (910 m) southwest of Arakachi (later dubbed " The Pinnacle "). By the night of 8 April, American troops had cleared these and several other strongly fortified positions. They suffered over 1,500 battle casualties in the process while killing or capturing about 4,500 Japanese. Yet the battle had only begun, for it was realized that "these were merely outposts," guarding

620-427: A suicide attack on Yomitan. They destroyed 70,000 US gallons (260,000 L) of fuel and nine planes before being killed by the defenders, who lost two men. Meanwhile, the 77th Infantry Division assaulted Ie Shima , a small island off the western end of the peninsula, on 16 April. In addition to conventional hazards, the 77th Infantry Division encountered kamikaze attacks and even local women armed with spears. There

682-400: A terrible spectacle rather than as the intended victim. We forgot self for the moment as we groped hopelessly for the thought of that other man up there. The US Navy's Task Force 58 , deployed to the east of Okinawa with a picket group of 6 to 8 destroyers, kept 13 carriers (7 fleet carriers and 6 light carriers) on duty from 23 March to 27 April and a smaller number thereafter. Until 27 April,

SECTION 10

#1733086216928

744-450: A year. The Battle for Attu , Operation Landcrab, occurred across three weeks in May 1943. The casualties on both sides were high. On shore, some 549 US soldiers were killed, 1,148 were wounded, and 1,814 suffered cold and disease. Of the 2,900 Japanese garrison, only 28 survived. Off shore and in the air overhead, many dozens of airmen and sailors of both sides lost their lives during the months of

806-510: Is remembered for constructive progressiveness, with a share of severity tempered with hard, sound sense, and justice." However, one cadet's parent commented: "Buckner forgets cadets are born, not quarried". Buckner was with troops for the rest of his career. In September 1936 he became executive officer of the 23rd Infantry Regiment at Ft. Sam Houston in Texas. Promoted to colonel in January 1937, he

868-763: The Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion landed without opposition on Keise Shima, four islets just 8 mi (13 km) west of the Okinawan capital of Naha . A group of 155 mm (6.1 in) "Long Tom" artillery pieces went ashore on the islets to cover operations on Okinawa. The main landing was made by the XXIV Corps and the III Amphibious Corps on the Hagushi beaches on the western coast of Okinawa on 1 April. The 2nd Marine Division conducted

930-519: The Battle of Leyte Gulf , but for the first time they became a major part of the defense. Between the American landing on 1 April and 25 May, seven major kamikaze attacks were attempted, involving more than 1,500 planes. The 32nd Army initially consisted of the 9th , 24th and 62nd Divisions and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade. The 9th Division was moved to Taiwan before the invasion, resulting in shuffling of Japanese defensive plans. Primary resistance

992-711: The United States Military Academy , West Point, New York ; one year as student at The Infantry School at Fort Benning , Georgia; four years at the Command and General Staff School , Ft. Leavenworth , Kansas, with the first year as a student (distinguished graduate), then three years as instructor; four years at the Army War College , Washington, D.C., with year one as student then three years as executive officer; four more years at West Point, as Assistant Commandant and Commandant of Cadets. At West Point, "His rule

1054-593: The bombardment of Ellwood in California and the bombardment of Fort Stevens in Oregon). Lieutenant Paul Bishop of the 28th Bombardment Group recalled that: General Simon B. Buckner Jr. said to us that the Japanese would have the opportunity to set up airbases in the Aleutians, making coastal cities like Anchorage , Seattle , and San Francisco vulnerable within range to attack by their bombers. The fear of that scenario

1116-593: The 1930s. The potential for some kind of action was considered seriously by both US and Canadian forces. When the US was finally drawn into World War II, the defense of Alaska had already been underway - but no one knew the where, when or how the Japanese would attack. It came in a stunning surprise attack on Dutch Harbor 3–5 June 1942; farther west, Imperial Japanese forces seized the islands Kiska and Attu , bringing ashore some 7,000 troops (at Kiska) and nearly 3,000 at Attu. American commanders, including Buckner, feared that

1178-409: The 21 male and female secondary schools that made up these student corps, 2,000 students died on the battlefield. Even with the female students acting mainly as nurses to Japanese soldiers, they were still exposed to the harsh conditions of war. There was a hypnotic fascination to the sight so alien to our Western philosophy. We watched each plunging kamikaze with the detached horror of one witnessing

1240-585: The Aleutian Campaign. The loyal courage, vigorous energy and determined fortitude of our armed forces in Alaska—on land, in the air and on the water—have turned back the tide of Japanese invasion, ejected the enemy from our shores and made a fortress of our last frontier. But this is only the beginning. We have opened the road to Tokyo ; the shortest, most direct and most devastating to our enemies. May we soon travel that road to victory. Subsequently, in August 1943, Kiska

1302-562: The Army's Alaska Defense Command . He was promoted to major general in August 1941. He became known as a hard, tough leader, sleeping under a single sheet no matter how cold it was and denying his men the use of under arm deodorants, declaring that a man should smell like a man. Alaskan waters, including areas along the Aleutian Islands and into the Bering Sea coastline, had previously been reconnoitered by Imperial Japanese Naval vessels in

SECTION 20

#1733086216928

1364-643: The Japanese suicide attacks , although Ushijima had disbanded the majority of the suicide boat battalions before the battle because of expected low effectiveness against a superior enemy. The boat crews were re-formed into three additional infantry battalions. Operation Ten-Go ( Ten-gō sakusen ) was the attempted attack by a strike force of ten Japanese surface vessels, led by Yamato and commanded by Admiral Seiichi Itō . This small task force had been ordered to fight through enemy naval forces, then beach Yamato and fight from shore, using her guns as coastal artillery and her crew as naval infantry. The Ten-Go force

1426-551: The Japanese actually had about 700, dismantled or well camouflaged and dispersed into scattered villages and towns; the US Fifth Air Force disputed Navy claims of kamikaze coming from Formosa. The ships lost were smaller vessels, particularly the destroyers of the radar pickets , as well as destroyer escorts and landing ships. While no major Allied warships were lost, several fleet carriers were severely damaged. Land-based Shin'yō-class suicide motorboats were also used in

1488-661: The Japanese garrison of two and a half divisions. The staff calculated that superior quality and numbers of weapons gave each US division five or six times the firepower of a Japanese division. To this, would be added the Americans' abundant naval and air firepower. On Okinawa, the Imperial Japanese Army mobilized 1,780 schoolboys aged 14–17 years into front line service as an Iron and Blood Imperial Corps ( Japanese : 鉄血勤皇隊 , romanized :  Tekketsu Kinnōtai ), while female Himeyuri students were organized into

1550-410: The Japanese out from each cave or other hiding place. The Japanese sent out Okinawans at gunpoint to obtain water and supplies for them, which led to civilian casualties. The American advance was inexorable but resulted in a high number of casualties on both sides. As the American assault against Kakazu Ridge stalled, Lieutenant General Ushijima—influenced by General Chō—decided to take the offensive. On

1612-628: The Japanese would use the islands as bases to strike within range along the rest of the US West Coast . The West Coast was previously attacked several times in the past six months (including unrestricted submarine warfare in coastal waters, the bombardment of the lighthouse at Estevan Point on Vancouver Island by submarine I-26 , as well, I-25 torpedoed and shelled the freighter S.S. Fort Camosun off Cape Flattery, Washington State. The freighter did not sink and rescuers towed it to safety in Neah Bay. plus

1674-568: The Royal Navy carriers had armored flight decks , they experienced only a brief interruption to their force's operations. The land battle took place over about 81 days beginning on 1 April 1945. The first Americans ashore were soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division who landed in the Kerama Islands , 15 mi (24 km) west of Okinawa on 26 March. Subsidiary landings followed, and the Kerama group

1736-477: The Shuri Line. The next American objective was Kakazu Ridge ( 26°15′32″N 127°44′13″E  /  26.259°N 127.737°E  / 26.259; 127.737 ), two hills with a connecting saddle that formed part of Shuri's outer defenses. The Japanese had prepared their positions well and fought tenaciously. The Japanese soldiers hid in fortified caves. American forces often lost personnel before clearing

1798-581: The United States in 1896. Buckner was raised near Munfordville, Kentucky , and accompanied his father on his 1896 presidential campaign when he served as the running mate of ex-Union general John M. Palmer . Buckner attended the Virginia Military Institute . When he turned 18 in the summer of 1904, his father asked President Theodore Roosevelt to grant him an appointment to West Point . Roosevelt granted this request and Buckner graduated in

1860-461: The attack. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. Buckner, Lesley J. McNair , Frank Maxwell Andrews , and Millard Harmon , all lieutenant generals at the time of their deaths, were the highest-ranking Americans to be killed in World War II . Buckner and McNair were posthumously promoted to the rank of four-star general on July 19, 1954, by a Special Act of Congress (Public Law 83-508). Buckner

1922-408: The battleship's crew, and to aim for the bow or the stern where armor was believed to be the thinnest.) Of Yamato ' s screening force, the light cruiser Yahagi and four of the eight destroyers were also sunk. The Imperial Japanese Navy lost some 3,700 sailors, including Admiral Itō, at the cost of ten US aircraft and twelve airmen. The British Pacific Fleet , taking part as Task Force 57,

Battle of Okinawa - Misplaced Pages Continue

1984-444: The civilian population, who were trapped in the battle zone. A quote of his from 1945 was reported in the newspapers back home when he said that he intended to Christianize the Japanese and that "the best way to do that was to give them a Christian burial". On June 18, Buckner arrived in his command jeep which was flying its standard 3-star flag to visit a forward observation post on a ridge approximately 300 yards (270 m) behind

2046-605: The class of 1908. He served two military tours in the Philippines , and wrote about his adventures in Tales of the Philippines – In the Early 1900s . During World War I , he served as a temporary major, drilling discipline into aviator cadets. For the 17 years beginning May 1919, Buckner's assignments were not with troops but with military schools as follows: four years as tactical officer at

2108-447: The course of the battle, including fighters, attack aircraft, scout planes, bombers and dive-bombers. The invasion was supported by a fleet consisting of 18 battleships , 27 cruisers , 177 destroyers / destroyer escorts , 39 aircraft carriers (11 fleet carriers , 6 light carriers and 22 escort carriers ) and various support and troop transport ships . The British naval contingent accompanied 251 British naval aircraft and included

2170-648: The evening of 12 April, the 32nd Army attacked American positions across the entire front. The Japanese attack was heavy, sustained, and well organized. After fierce close combat , the attackers retreated, only to repeat their offensive the following night. A final assault on 14 April was again repulsed. The effort led the 32nd Army's staff to conclude that the Americans were vulnerable to night infiltration tactics but that their superior firepower made any offensive Japanese troop concentrations extremely dangerous, and they reverted to their defensive strategy. The 27th Infantry Division , which had landed on 9 April, took over on

2232-591: The ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of Japanese kamikaze attacks and the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle was the bloodiest and fiercest of the Pacific War, with some 50,000 Allied and around 100,000 Japanese casualties, also including local Okinawans conscripted into the Japanese Army. According to local authorities, at least 149,425 Okinawan people were killed, died by coerced suicide or went missing. In

2294-591: The front lines, as Marine infantry advanced on the Japanese-held Ibaru Ridge. Visits from the general were not always welcome as his presence frequently drew enemy fire, usually as he was departing. Buckner had arrived with his standard three stars showing on the front of his steel helmet and a nearby Marine outpost sent a signal to Buckner's position stating that they could clearly see the general's three stars on his helmet. Told of this, Buckner replaced his own helmet with an unmarked one. As Buckner stood at

2356-720: The island. The Tenth Army was unique in that it had its own Tactical Air Force (joint Army-Marine command) and was supported by combined naval and amphibious forces. Opposing the Allied forces on the ground was the Japanese Thirty-Second Army . The Battle of Okinawa was the single longest sustained carrier campaign of the Second World War. The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, known in Japanese as " tetsu no bōfū ". The nicknames refer to

2418-643: The naval operations surrounding the battle, both sides lost considerable numbers of ships and aircraft, including the Japanese battleship Yamato . After the battle, Okinawa provided the victorious Allies a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields in proximity to Japan as they planned to invade the Japanese home islands. In all, the US Army had over 103,000 soldiers (of these, 38,000+ were non-divisional artillery , combat support and HQ troops, with another 9,000 service troops), over 88,000 Marines and 18,000 Navy personnel (mostly Seabees and medical personnel). At

2480-413: The outpost, a small flat-trajectory Japanese artillery shell of unknown caliber (estimated to have been 47mm) struck a coral rock outcrop near him, and fragments pierced his chest. Buckner was carried by stretcher to a nearby aid station, where he died on the operating table. He was succeeded in command by Marine General Roy Geiger . Total American deaths during the battle of Okinawa were 12,513. Buckner

2542-484: The period of 26 March to 30 April, 20 American ships were sunk and 157 damaged by enemy action. By 30 April the Japanese had lost more than 1,100 planes to Allied naval forces alone. Between 6 April and 22 June, the Japanese flew 1,465 kamikaze aircraft in large-scale attacks from Kyushu, 185 individual kamikaze sorties from Kyushu, and 250 individual kamikaze sorties from Taiwan , then called Formosa . While US intelligence estimated there were 89 planes on Formosa,

Battle of Okinawa - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-509: The practice of changing the fleet designation with the change of commanders, US naval forces began the campaign as the US 5th Fleet under Admiral Spruance, but ended it as the 3rd Fleet under Admiral Halsey. Japanese air opposition had been relatively light during the first few days after the landings. However, on 6 April the expected air reaction began with an attack by 400 planes from Kyushu . Periodic heavy air attacks continued through April. During

2666-494: The ridge and therefore failed with the loss of 22 tanks (see ja:嘉数の戦い ). Although flame tanks cleared many cave defenses, there was no breakthrough, and the XXIV Corps suffered 720 casualties. The losses might have been greater except for the fact that the Japanese had practically all of their infantry reserves tied up farther south, held there by another feint off the Minatoga beaches by the 2nd Marine Division that coincided with

2728-484: The right, along the west coast of Okinawa. General John R. Hodge now had three divisions in the line, with the 96th in the middle and the 7th to the east, with each division holding a front of only about 1.5 mi (2.4 km). Hodge launched a new offensive on 19 April with a barrage of 324 guns, the largest ever in the Pacific Ocean Theater . Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers joined the bombardment, which

2790-588: The seizure of northern Okinawa. The 6th Marine Division headed up the Ishikawa Isthmus and by 7 April had sealed off the Motobu Peninsula . Six days later on 13 April, the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Marine Regiment , reached Hedo Point at the northernmost tip of the island. By this point, the bulk of the Japanese forces in the north (codenamed Udo Force ) were cornered on the Motobu Peninsula. The terrain

2852-563: The start of the Battle of Okinawa, the US Tenth Army had 182,821 personnel under its command. It was planned that Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. would report to Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner until the amphibious phase was completed, after which he would report directly to Admiral Raymond A. Spruance . Total aircraft in the US Navy, Marine and Army Air Force exceeded 3,000 over

2914-555: The war was over. Buckner furthermore objected to the deployment of African American troops in Alaska, writing to his superiors of his concern that they would remain after the war, "with the natural result that they would interbreed with the Indians and the Eskimos and produce an astonishingly objectionable race of mongrels which would be a problem". The campaign to take back Attu Island took nearly

2976-590: Was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army . The initial invasion of Okinawa on 1 April 1945 was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II . The Kerama Islands surrounding Okinawa were preemptively captured on 26 March by the 77th Infantry Division . The 82-day battle lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945. After

3038-589: Was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final stages of World War II . It was annihilated during the Battle of Okinawa . The Japanese 32nd Army was formed on March 13, 1944 as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in Okinawa and the surrounding Ryukyu Islands . The Japanese 32nd Army had 77,000 men (39,000 infantry in 31 battalions and 38,000 artillery, armor and combat service troops) plus

3100-594: Was assigned the task of neutralizing the Japanese airfields in the Sakishima Islands, which it did successfully from March 26 to April 10. On April 10, its attention was shifted to airfields in northern Formosa. The force withdrew to San Pedro Bay on April 23. On May 1, the British Pacific Fleet returned to action, subduing the airfields as before, this time with naval bombardment as well as aircraft. Several kamikaze attacks caused significant damage, but as

3162-518: Was followed by 650 Navy and Marine planes attacking the Japanese positions with napalm , rockets, bombs, and machine guns. The Japanese defenses were sited on reverse slopes , where the defenders waited out the artillery barrage and aerial attack in relative safety, emerging from the caves to rain mortar rounds and grenades upon the Americans advancing up the forward slope. A tank assault to achieve breakthrough by outflanking Kakazu Ridge failed to link up with its infantry support attempting to cross

SECTION 50

#1733086216928

3224-662: Was given command of the 66th Infantry (Light Tank) at Ft. Meade in Maryland. In September 1938, he commanded of the 22nd Infantry at Ft. McClellan , Alabama. From November 1939 to August 1940 he was Chief of Staff of the 6th Division at Camp Jackson in South Carolina, Ft. Benning in Georgia, and Camp Beauregard in Louisiana. Buckner was promoted to brigadier general in 1940 and was assigned to fortify and protect Alaska as commander of

3286-621: Was heavy fighting before the area was declared secured on 21 April and became another airbase for operations against Japan. While the 6th Marine Division cleared northern Okinawa, the US Army 96th and 7th Infantry Divisions wheeled south across the narrow isthmus of Okinawa. The 96th Infantry Division began to encounter fierce resistance in west-central Okinawa from Japanese troops holding fortified positions east of Highway No. 1 and about 5 mi (8 km) northwest of Shuri , from what came to be known as Cactus Ridge . The 7th Infantry Division encountered similarly fierce Japanese opposition from

3348-608: Was invaded by Canadian and US soldiers. Just as at Attu, the weather conspired to aid the enemy. An estimated 5,400 soldiers and sailors had been secretly withdrawn by the Imperial Navy under cover of fog prior to the arrival of allied forces. Allied commanders refused to believe that the Japanese could have completely evacuated Kiska. For eight days, troops searched the island, firing into the dense fog and sometimes accidentally shooting their comrades. Twenty-four Allied soldiers were killed by friendly fire, four by Japanese booby traps, and

3410-473: Was mountainous and wooded, with the Japanese defenses concentrated on Mount Yaedake , a twisted mass of rocky ridges and ravines on the center of the peninsula. There was heavy fighting before the Marines finally cleared Yaedake on 18 April. However, this was not the end of ground combat in northern Okinawa. On 24 May, the Japanese mounted Operation Gi-gou: a company of Giretsu Kuteitai commandos were airlifted in

3472-690: Was real at the time because the Japanese were nearly invincible and ruthless in Asia and the Pacific. We knew that they bombed China relentlessly and by surprise on Pearl Harbor , so we had to make sure it wouldn't happen here in the continental U.S. similar to what the Germans did over London and Coventry . Buckner gave orders in June 1942 for the indigenous Aleut people to be evacuated and for their villages to be burned. The Aleut people were not allowed to return until 1945, after

3534-455: Was secured over the next five days. In these preliminary operations, the 77th Infantry Division suffered 27 dead and 81 wounded, while the Japanese dead and captured numbered over 650. On March 28, 1945, 394 civilians on Tokashiki island were forced by Japanese soldiers to kill themselves after the landing of US troops. The operation provided a protected anchorage for the fleet and eliminated the threat from suicide boats. On 31 March, Marines of

3596-559: Was sent to Hawaii to organize the Tenth Army , which was composed of both Army and Marine Corps units. The original mission of the Tenth Army was to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan; however, this operation was canceled, and Buckner's command was instead ordered to prepare for the Battle of Okinawa . Beginning on April 1, 1945, this turned out to be one of the largest, slowest, and bloodiest sea–land–air battles in American military history. Despite historic amphibious assets, Buckner insisted on

3658-400: Was spotted by submarines shortly after it left the Japanese home waters and was intercepted by US carrier aircraft. Under attack from more than 300 aircraft over a two-hour span, the world's largest battleship sank on 7 April 1945 after a one-sided battle, long before she could reach Okinawa. (US torpedo bombers were instructed to aim for only one side to prevent effective counter flooding by

3720-620: Was the highest-ranking American military officer killed during World War II, and he remained the highest-ranked officer killed in action until the death of Lieutenant General Timothy Maude during the September 11 attacks . Buckner was married to Adele Blanc Buckner (1893–1988). They had three children: Simon Bolivar Buckner III, Mary Blanc Buckner, and William Claiborne Buckner. Named in honor of Buckner: Buckner's military decorations and awards include: Thirty-Second Army (Japan) The Japanese 32nd Army ( 第32軍 , Dai Sanjū-ni gun )

3782-632: Was the son of Confederate general Simon Bolivar Buckner and his wife Delia Hayes Claiborne. Buckner and his father are named after the Venezuelan soldier and statesman, Simón Bolívar , who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia to independence from the Spanish Empire. His father was Governor of Kentucky from 1887 to 1891, and was the Gold Democratic Party's candidate for Vice President of

SECTION 60

#1733086216928

3844-432: Was to be led in the south by Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima , his chief of staff , Lieutenant General Isamu Chō and his chief of operations, Colonel Hiromichi Yahara . Yahara advocated a defensive strategy , whilst Chō advocated an offensive one. In the north, Colonel Takehido Udo was in command. The naval troops were led by Rear Admiral Minoru Ōta . They expected the Americans to land 6–10 divisions against

#927072