Okinawa Campaign

On 1 April 1945, U.S. forces stormed ashore on the Japanese held island of Okinawa. This amphibious assault and the campaign that followed was the largest campaign conducted in the Pacific conducted during World War II, and also the culmination of the lessons learned during over three years of amphibious warfare. As the final joint campaign of the war, it incorporated the principles and techniques which had been proven successful during previous operations. The author examines how joint service coordination and cooperation were exercised among the U.S. ground, air, and sea forces which participated in the campaign and how it led to victory on Okinawa.