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1 April in military history: Landings on Okinawa, 1945

Military history · 1 April · World War II, Pacific; World War IFull calendar

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Black and white photograph: soldiers in helmets packed into an open amphibian tractor with a painted hull number churn through choppy water toward the shore, with landing craft and distant warships behind them.
Men of the US 7th Infantry Division head for the Okinawa beaches in amphibian tractors (LVTs) on 1 April 1945. Public domain. U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph SC 205191, 1945, via Wikimedia Commons.
Quick answer

On 1 April 1945 the US Tenth Army landed on the Hagushi beaches of Okinawa and met almost no resistance: the Japanese 32nd Army waited in fortified lines in the south. Some 50,000 to 60,000 men were ashore by nightfall. The battle lasted until late June. On 1 April 1918 the Royal Air Force was formed.

The Battle of Okinawa, 1945: the last great battle of the Pacific

1 April to 22 June 1945 · 81 years ago

The United States won the Battle of Okinawa, fought from 1 April to 22 June 1945, the largest amphibious battle of the Pacific War. American forces took the island from Japan after nearly three months of savage fighting and mass kamikaze attacks on the fleet.

Read the full story of The Battle of Okinawa, 1945: the last great battle of the Pacific ›

Frequently asked questions

What happened on Okinawa on 1 April 1945?

The US Tenth Army began landing on the Hagushi beaches on the west coast of Okinawa. It met almost no resistance, and Kadena and Yontan airfields were taken the same day.

How many troops landed on the first day?

The US Army's official history and the National WWII Museum give more than 60,000 by nightfall. The Marine Corps histories, like the reports of Task Force 51 and the Tenth Army, give an estimated 50,000.

Why did the Japanese not defend the beaches?

In early 1945 the 32nd Army decided not to try to destroy the invaders at the beaches but to fight from fortified lines in the south of the island.

How many people died in the Battle of Okinawa?

The Army's official history counts 12,520 Americans killed or missing. Japanese military dead are put at about 90,000 to 110,000. Estimates of Okinawan civilian deaths range from about 42,000 to 150,000.

When was the Royal Air Force created?

On 1 April 1918, when the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service were merged into it, under the Air Force (Constitution) Act 1917.

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