The Military Channel needs to get their facts right: Okinawa 1945

[Will Carry]

The Battle for Okinawa was the last big battle of WWII and may have been the bloodiest. The Japanese wanted to inflict so many casualties on American forces that they would not dare to invade Japan.....they achieved their objective.

I watch the Military Channel all the time, but I just got through reading a book called "Okinawa: The Ultimate Battle" (Great read). So when they had a program on about Okinawa, I had to watch. Don't believe eveything you see on the Military Channel. The documentary was old and a lot of new information has been found since it was made. Here are some things I caught that were incorrect.

Military Channel: There wer 120,000 Japanese troops on Okinawa

Fact: There were Jap 70,000 infantry 7,000 Jap marines. The Japanese conscripted every Okinawan male from 14 to 45 as laborers/cannon fodder. They had almost no military training and were not envolved in the heaviest fighting.

Military Channel: There were 30,000 civilian casualties on Okinawa

Fact: Somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000

Military Channel: There were 15,000 US casualties at Okinawa. ???

Facts: I don't know where they got that figure. There were around 12,000 kia, 30,000 wia 30,000 battle fatigue, 30,000 non combat related injuries. 3 crack Marine divisions and 3 veteran infantry divisions were no longer able to fight. Even the few who made it out without injuries were never the same again.

Military Channel: The Japanese battleship Yamato was sent on a suicide mission to Okinawa with only enough fuel for a one way trip, just enough to get to Okinawa.

Facts: The captain of the Yamato made sure his ship was fully fueled before he set out. All of the young naval cadets were taken off the ship becuase the Japanese navy new they would need competent young men to rebuild Japan after the war. Unlike the Japanese Army, the Jap Navy was not suicidal. The Japanese Navy stopped letting naval cadets go in to combat 14 months before the war ended. They knew they were beaten.

Edited February 13, 2011 by Will Carry

[vontar]

Well, as far as correcting history. There is not much talk about the USS Reuben James either, sunk by German Uboat U-552 Oct 31, 1941, before Pearl Habor. We where in an undeclared state of war in the Atlantic before we declared war.

[Mechanic_X]

I think they sent aircraft carriers on a "one way" mission to try and free up the Yamato and her group.

Quote by a torpedo bomber pilot,"If you want holes in the deck send the dive bombers, if you want it sunk, send us."

[vontar]

On one hand we where lucky they got sunk in shallow water as we raised many of them back up and put them back out to sea faster then rebuilding. Plus while raising and repairing those. Our Ship yards where busy building new ships.

Many in Japan did not know how serious they had hurt us. Had Yamoto knew and had he known where our carriers where he would have went after them.