What was the main point of the battle of okinawa?

Answer 1

On the outbreak of World War 2 (WWII), the United States had not yet entered the war. However, the U.S. would be drawn into combat on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese (who then were allies with the Axis powers) bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. There were several battles which would consequently take place in and around the Pacific Ocean between the two nations, which would become known as the PTO (Pacific Theater of Operations). General Douglas MacArthur was the Supreme Allied Commander of the PTO, while General Dwight Eisenhower held the same distinction regarding the ETO (European Theater of Operations). The two nations were in a constant battle for the seas; both the United States and Japanese had a formidable navy and at first the Japanese held the upper hand because so many ships and aircraft were destroyed or rendered inoperable from the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, the United States rallied and began a strong comeback. Battles of note between the two nations included Midway Island, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Combat on the land varied greatly from naval warfare in that logistics were a constant concern. In the European theater, fighting was mostly a landlocked affair; pre-existing and makeshift roads made supplies such as munitions, rations, and fuel somewhat more readily available for transport to the front lines. However, fighting on the seas and the ocean created difficulties of its own. The Allied powers adopted a policy known as "island hopping." Japan was known as an enemy which would not readily surrender and it became imperative that the U.S. should take the fight directly to the Japanese homeland. The U.S. and MacArthur would accept nothing short of unconditional surrender from the enemy, just as Eisenhower demanded in Europe. Several reasons for this may include: 1.) Because the U.S. believed they could produce a quicker defeat if they went straight for "the jugular of the enemy" (i.e. the mainland). 2.) This absolute and unconditional surrender would prevent overall casualties (deaths and combat-related injuries) for the U.S. that may have skyrocketed had the U.S. continued to fight outside the Japanese mainland. 3.) Attack upon the Japanese mainland would also have incentive for morale in the U.S. armed forces and the civilians in the states because of a retribution mentality of Pearl Harbor (revenge). As was discussed before regarding "island hopping," the U.S. would need to build a base of operations on various islands to provide adequate supplies for a spearhead attack into Japan. The Philippines was an early major offensive for the U.S. on its way to the Japanese motherland. Eventually, the navy and marines would reach Iwo Jima, where the fighting became even more difficult because the island was considered a part of Japanese soil. The same can be said of Okinawa; which was yet another island that needed to be taken for the major push onto the mainland.

Answer 2

Okiawa would determine if an invasion of the Japanese homeland was needed