Jay Elwes

The nightmare of Okinawa made Truman decide to use the atom bomb

Given the way the Japanese fought, the president judged that if the war continued there would be many more casualties than those at Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The USS Bunker Hill, hit by two kamikaze pilots at Okinawa. Credit: Getty Images 
issue 11 April 2020
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  • Crucible of Hell: Okinawa, the Last Great Battle of the Second World War

    Saul David

    Collins, pp. 418, £25

The US operation of 1945 to take the island of Okinawa was the largest battle of the Pacific during the second world war. Seven US divisions were used in the operation, approximately half a million men, along with the entire US Pacific fleet of 1,457 ships. The initial assault was led by a landing force of 183,000, which brought with it 747,000 tons of cargo.

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