by Daniel Wrinn
Attrition style warfare
Ignoring the great opportunities for maneuver and surprise available in the amphibious task force, the Tenth Army executed most assaults on Okinawa using an unimaginative attrition style of warfare, which played to the Japanese defenders’ strength. This unrealistic reliance on firepower and siege tactics only prolonged the fighting. The Oroku Peninsula and Ie Shima Landings (despite being successful) comprise the only division-level amphibious assaults after L-Day. Also, the few night attacks made in unison by the Army and Marine forces (which were successful) were not encouraged. The Tenth Army squandered several opportunities for tactical innovations that could have hastened a breakthrough into enemy defenses.
Unity of service
Excluding squabbles between the 77th Infantry Division and 1st Marine Division after the Marines’ seizure of Shuri Castle (in the Army’s zone), the battle for Okinawa represented joint service cooperation at its finest. This was General Buckner’s finest achievement, and General Geiger continued with this level of teamwork after Buckner was impaled through the chest and killed in action. The battle of Okinawa today is still a model of study in inter-service cooperation for succeeding generations of military professionals.
The best training
Marines deployed in Okinawa received the most practical and thoroughly advanced training of the war. Well-seasoned and battle-hardened division and regimental commanders anticipated Okinawa’s requirements for cave warfare. They built-up areas to conduct realistic rehearsals and training. This battle produced few surprises.
Many Marines who survived Okinawa went on to top positions of leadership that influenced the Marine Corps for the next two decades. Two Marine Corps commandants emerged from this hellish ordeal: General Lemuel Shepherd of the 6th Marine Division and Colonel Leonard Chapman, CO of the 4/11 Marines. Oliver Smith and Vernon McGee were promoted to the rank of four-star general. At least seventeen others achieved the rank of lieutenant general—including George Axtell, Alan Shapley, Ed Snedeker, and Victor Krulak.
Corporal James Day recovered from his wounds and returned to Okinawa forty years later as a Major General in command of all Marine Corps bases on the island.
During the taping of the battle’s fiftieth anniversary, General Victor Krulak gave a fitting epitaph to the brave men who gave their lives on Okinawa. Speaking on camera, he said: “The cheerfulness with which they went to their death has stayed with me forever. What is it that makes them all the same? I watched them in Korea, I watched them in Vietnam, and it’s the same. American youth is one hell of a lot better than he is usually credited.”
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Operation Watchtower
The 1942 invasion and battle for Guadalcanal
ALSO BY DANIEL WRINN
World War II Pacific: Battles and Campaigns from Guadalcanal to Okinawa 1942-1945
"A brisk and compelling game changer for the historiography of the Pacific Theater in World War II." – Reader
An enlightening glimpse into nine battles and campaigns during the Pacific War Allied offensive.
Each of these momentous operations were fascinating feats of strategy, planning, and bravery, handing the Allies what would eventually become a victory over the Pacific Theater and an end to Imperialist Japanese expansion.
Operation Watchtower, a riveting exploration of the spark that set off the Allied offensive in the Pacific islands, detailing the grueling struggle for the island of Guadalcanal and its vital strategic position.
Operation Galvanic, an incredible account of the battle for the Tarawa Atoll and base that would give them a steppingstone into the heart of Japanese-controlled waters.
Operation Backhander, a gripping retelling of the war for Cape Gloucester, New Guinea, and the Bismarck Sea.
Battle for Saipan, Marines stormed the beaches with a goal of gaining a crucial air base from which the US could launch its new long-range B-29 bombers directly at Japan’s home islands.
Invasion of Tinian, is the incredible account of the assault on Tinian. Located just under six miles southwest of Saipan. This was the first use of napalm and the “shore to shore” concept.
Recapture of Guam, a gripping narrative about the liberation of the Japanese-held island of Guam, captured by the Japanese in 1941 during one of the first Pacific campaigns of the War.
Operation Stalemate, Marines landed on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for General MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines.
Operation Detachment, the battle of Iwo Jima was a major offensive in World War II. The Marine invasion was tasked with the mission of capturing airfields on the island for use by P-51 fighters.
Operation Iceberg, the invasion and ultimate victory on Okinawa was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater. It was also one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific, lasting ninety-eight days.
This gripping narrative sheds light on these often-overlooked facets of WWII, providing students, history fans, and World War II buffs alike with a captivating breakdown of the history and combat that defined the ultimate victory of US forces in the Pacific.
Wings of Victory: World War II adventures in a war-torn Europe
“Historical fiction with a realistic twist.” – Reviewer
Thrilling World War II adventures like you’ve never seen them before.
As the Nazis invade Europe on a campaign for total domination, a brutal war begins to unfold which will change the course of the world forever—and John Archer finds himself caught in the middle of it. When this amateur pilot joins the Allied war effort and is tasked with a series of death-defying missions which place him deep into German-occupied territory, his hair-raising adventures will help decide the fate of Europe.
In War Heroes, John is caught up in the devastating Nazi invasion of France while on vacation. Teaming up with ambulance driver Barney, John will need his amateur pilot skills and more than a stroke of luck to pull off the escape of the century.
In Bombs Over Britain, the Nazis have a plan which could change the course of the entire war . . . unless Archer can stop them. Air-dropped into Belgium on a top-secret mission, Archer must retrieve vital intelligence and make it out alive. But that’s easier said than done when the Gestapo are closing in.
And in Desert Scout, Archer finds himself stranded beneath the scorching Libyan sun and in a race against time to turn the tide of the war in North Africa. But with the Luftwaffe and the desert vying to finish him off, can he make it out alive?
Packed with action and filled to the brim with suspense, these thrilling stories combine classic adventures with a riveting and historical World War II setting, making it ideal for history buffs and casual readers. If you’re a fan of riveting war fiction novels, WW2 aircraft, and the war for the skies, Archer’s next adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat.
World War One: WWI History told from the Trenches, Seas, Skies, and Desert of a War Torn World
“Compelling . . . the kind of book that brings history alive.” – Reviewer
Dive into the incredible history of WWI with these gripping stories.
With a unique and fascinating glimpse into the lesser-known stories of the War to End All Wars, this riveting book unveils four thrilling stories from the trenches, seas, skies, and desert of a war-torn world. From one captain’s death-defying mission to smuggle weapons for an Irish rebellion to heroic pilots and soldiers from all corners of the globe, these stories shed light on real people and events from one of the greatest conflicts in human history.
•WWI: Tales from the Trenches, a sweeping and eerily realistic narrative which explores the struggles and endless dang
ers faced by soldiers in the trenches during the heart of WWI
•Broken Wings, a powerful and heroic story about one pilot after he was shot down and spent 72 harrowing days on the run deep behind enemy lines
•Mission to Ireland, which explores the devious and cunning plan to smuggle a ship loaded with weapons to incite an Irish rebellion against the British
•And Journey into Eden, a fascinating glimpse into the lesser-known battles on the harsh and unforgiving Mesopotamian Front
World War I reduced Europe’s mightiest empires to rubble, killed twenty million people, and cracked the foundations of our modern world. In its wake, empires toppled, monarchies fell, and whole populations lost their national identities.
Each of these stories brings together unbelievable real-life WWI history, making them perfect for casual readers and history buffs alike. If you want to peer into the past and unearth the incredible stories of the brave soldiers who risked everything, then this book is for you.
References
Information regarding the WWII Pacific Theater is vast. The information I gathered for this book came from several sources. The USMC archives maintained by the Washington National Records Group in Suitland, Maryland, were a source of reference information as well as websites, newspaper articles, and even History Channel documentaries.
First-hand accounts, as recorded by the surviving participants, also contributed to my research.
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Hallas, James H. The Devil's Anvil: The Assault on Peleliu. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1994.
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1944: the Forgotten Corner of Hell. Oxford: Osprey, 2002.
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