Son of Medicine Man brought this up with me, I didn't realize this was this week in history. The casualty counts are pretty depressing:
On another note, 68 years ago today, operation Iceberg began on Love Day, April 1st, 1945. It was the beginning of what is more commonly known as the Battle of Okinawa. It was the United States most costly battle in World War II. U.S. losses were over 62,000 casualties of whom over 12,500 were killed or missing.
"Although Allied land forces were entirely composed of U.S. units, the British Pacific Fleet provided about 1/4 of Allied naval air power (450 planes). It comprised a force which included 50 warships of which 17 were aircraft carriers, but while the British armored flight decks meant that fewer planes could be carried in a single aircraft carrier, they were more resistant to kamikaze strikes. Although all the aircraft carriers were provided by Britain, the carrier group was a combined British Commonwealth fleet with British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian ships and personnel. Their mission was to neutralize Japanese airfields in the Sakishima Islands and provide air cover against Japanese kamikaze attacks."
Allied Casualties and losses
12,513 killed
38,916 wounded
33,096 non-combat losses
Total: 84,570
Japanese Casualties and losses
About 95,000+ killed
7,500-10,755 captured
Total: 105,755+
Estimated 42,000-150,000 civilians killed