What was the Battle of Okinawa?
Q: What was the Battle of Okinawa?
A: The Battle of Okinawa was a great battle of World War II that took place on Okinawa Island in the Ryukyu Islands, south of the four big islands of Japan. It was between the military forces of the Empire of Japan and the Allies, and it is considered to be the last major battle of World War II.
Q: When did this battle take place?
A: The Battle of Okinawa took place from April to June 1945.
Q: What is Okinawa's status today?
A: Today, Okinawa is Japanese territory, but there are still American military bases there.
Q: How many casualties were there during this battle?
A: There were at least 150,000 civilian casualties during this battle, 18,900 killed or missing American soldiers and 53,000 injured American soldiers. Additionally, about 100,000 Japanese soldiers were killed and 7,000 captured.
Q: What name has been given to this battle in English?
A: This battle has been called "Typhoon of Steel" in English.
Q: How did some civilians respond to Japanese propaganda regarding Americans?
A: Some civilians believed Japanese propaganda which said that Americans were barbarians who would do terrible things to prisoners if they were captured; as a result some civilians killed their families and themselves rather than risk capture by Americans.
