The Battle of Okinawa, 1945, The Staggering Butcher's Bill that Justified Atomic Warfare

History's Greatest Battles

This invasion stood as the last great offensive of World War II, its staggering cost of blood and sacrifice weighing heavily on the scales, tipping the balance toward the use of atomic weapons to bring the conflict to an end.
Okinawa. 1 April - 22 June, 1945.
US Forces: 180,000 Men.
Japanese Forces: ~ 117,000 to ~130,000 Men.
Additional Reading and Research:

• Leckie, Robert. The Last Battle of World War II.
• Sledge, E.B. With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa.
• Feifer, George. Tennozan: The Battle of Okinawa and the Atomic Bomb.

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