Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
USS Tennessee bombarding Okinawa with her 14"/50 main battery guns, as the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) in the foreground carries troops to the invasion beaches.
Date 19 February – 21 June 1945 Location Volcano Islands and Ryukyu Islands, Pacific Ocean Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States  United Kingdom	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Chester W. Nimitz Douglas MacArthur Holland Smith Simon B. Buckner  † Roy Geiger Joseph W. Stilwell Ray Spruance Marc A. Mitscher William Halsey, Jr. Sir Bernard Rawlings Sir Philip Vian Bruce Fraser	Tadamichi Kuribayashi  † Mitsuru Ushijima  † Isamu Cho  † Hiromichi Yahara (POW) Seiichi Itō  † Minoru Ota  † Kosaku Aruga  † Keizō Komura
Casualties and losses
27,113 dead or missing, 74,501 wounded, 79 ships sunk and scrapped, 773 aircraft destroyed Casualties from Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa	98,811–128,375 dead or missing, 17,000 wounded, 7,216 captured, 21 ships sunk and scrapped, 3,130 aircraft destroyed, 75,000–140,000 civilians dead or missing Casualties from Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa

The Volcano and Ryukyu Islands campaign was a series of important battles during World War II. These battles took place between January and June 1945. They involved the Allied forces, mainly the United States and the United Kingdom, fighting against the Imperial Japanese forces.

The fighting happened on islands in the Pacific Ocean. These islands are part of the Volcano and Ryukyu groups. The two biggest land battles were the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. A major sea battle, called Operation Ten-Go, also happened during this time.

The Allies wanted to capture these islands. They needed them as places to prepare for a possible invasion of Japan. The islands would also help them launch air attacks and block Japan by sea. However, Japan surrendered after atomic bombs were dropped and the Soviet Union invaded Japanese Manchuria. This meant a full invasion of Japan was not needed.

What Were the Main Battles?

The campaign included several key fights. Each battle was important for the Allies' plan to get closer to Japan.

Why Was Iwo Jima Important?

Iwo Jima was a small island, but it was very important for air power. The Japanese had a radar station and airfields there. From these airfields, Japanese planes could attack American B-29 bombers. These bombers were flying missions to Japan.

If the Americans captured Iwo Jima, they could use it for their own planes. It would be a base for fighter planes to protect the B-29s. It could also be an emergency landing strip for damaged B-29s. These planes sometimes could not make it back to their bases in the Mariana Islands.

The plan to take Iwo Jima started in October 1944. The battle itself began on February 19, 1945. By March 26, the island was under American control. American fighters started flying missions from Iwo Jima on March 11.

What Happened at Okinawa?

Okinawa was very close to Japan. Capturing it would give the Allies a perfect place to launch an invasion of the Japanese mainland. About 131,000 Japanese soldiers were on Okinawa. They dug in strongly in the southern part of the island. They did not try to stop the Americans at the beaches.

Instead, Japanese General Mitsuru Ushijima wanted to stop the Americans from getting inland. He used kamikaze pilots to attack the Allied ships. Kamikaze pilots were Japanese pilots who crashed their planes into enemy ships on purpose.

On April 7, the huge Japanese battleship Yamato was sent on a kamikaze-style mission. This mission was called Operation Ten-Go. However, the Yamato was sunk before it could reach the Allied invasion fleet. Vice Admiral Seiichi Ito and the battleship's commander, Kosaku Aruga, died in this mission.

The fighting on land was very tough. Many military personnel were killed, wounded, or went missing to secure the island. Most Japanese officers died or took their own lives by the end of the battle. Only a few officers survived, though more soldiers surrendered.

Controlling the Volcano and Ryukyu Islands helped the US Army Air Forces. They could now launch missions against targets on the main Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu. The first major raid on Tokyo from these new bases happened on March 9 and 10.

How Did Air Power Play a Role?

Air power was very important in this campaign. After the Mariana Islands were captured in 1944, American planes attacked the Volcano and Bonin Islands. Islands like Haha-Jima, Chichi-Jima, and Iwo Jima were hit by US aircraft.

Later in 1944, planes from US Navy and Royal Navy aircraft carriers attacked Japanese forces on the Ryukyu Islands. This included islands like Amami, Tanega, and Miyako. These islands had Japanese military bases and other important structures. They needed to be destroyed so Allied troops could operate safely around Okinawa.

Kamikaze bases in the Ryukyu Islands were a big danger to the US and British forces near Okinawa. Allied air attacks continued until August 1945. The bombing became even stronger after the invasion of Okinawa. Thousands of Japanese aircraft and many merchant ships were destroyed. This led to a great loss of both civilian and military lives.

See also

• Japan campaign
• Japanese air attacks on the Mariana Islands