Battlefield S6/E4 - Destination Okinawa
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NBC Universal
Directed by Dave Flitton, Andy Aitken, James Wignall
Produced by Dave Flitton (series prod.), David McWhinnie, Ken Maliphant, David Rozalla
Written by Dave Flitton, Andy Aitken, James Wignall
Narrated by Jonathan Booth
Music by David Galbraith
Distributed by Public Broadcasting Service
Release date(s) 2002
Running time 6 116-minute episodes
Country USA
Language English
My father was in the First Marine Division seeing action in all major battles including Okinawa. He was horribly wounded at Okinawa, but survived. He was and will always be my hero.
@@comradepinochet1253 GREAT HERO!
Endless respect and may God bless your family.
Your father deserves our thanks.
men like your dad are heroes to me too
My grandpa fought on Saipan, Tinian, Eniwotok, Iwo Jima and Okinawa- have no idea how he survived. I served and lived on Okinawa for four years- a beautiful island, but I abhor the thought of fighting over 70,000 well dug in defenders. The "mountains" are densely covered with thick, thorny native plants and the rocks are jagged lava- takes the meat right off the bone if you slip and fall on the stuff without proper protective gear- beautiful and horrible. Respect to all who fought there and my heart goes out to the civilians who died there- they suffered the worst.
Artis indonesia
He’s a car
He probably played dead! :)
That good point the mainland ethnic imperial Japanese army treated Okinawans horribly
I respect all who fought there. Personally l couldnt have done it.
My grandfather was United States Army Air Corps, 8th Signal Corps on Okinawa. He was a Morse code and radioman with Marines during the battle. He survived kamikaze attacks, strafing runs, banzai charges, booby traps, the whole shabang. He even witnessed the sinking of the USS Bunker Hill. Passed away 4 years ago at the age of 91. Love you and miss you dearly. Roy Clayton Nichols, 1924 - 2015
Wow, thanks for sharing him!
Congratulations.
1:34:14
1:14:46
😅😊😅😮😊
My grandpa E.O. Bakke landed on Okinawa April 1st under kamikaze bombardment sinking his troop ship. He was hit by Japanese artillery fire on April 6th, 1945 at Chocolate Drop Hill as a .30 cal gunner in the Army’s 77th infantry division. He said a red mist was always over the ground on Okinawa. There was nothing living. There was only mud, craters, charred remains from flamethrowers and constant shelling. He hid from enemy patrols wounded and was only found when a GI saw him raise his hand near death the next day. He was evacuated to the Phillipines where he recovered and then earned several medals in the battle of Davao. He was transferred back to Okinawa in late July 1945 awaiting the invasion of mainland japan where a 100% casualty rate was expected. After the bombs were dropped saving his life, he was part of the occupying force in Sapporo, Japan until 1947. He passed away in 2012 aged 86. His uniforms and medals are in my possession. He is greatly missed.
My grandparents were too young for ww2 but my great grandparents chased the Germans of their property. Pitchforks against machine guns. Afterwards they were in the resistance.
Thanks so much for sharing that
Hughes Enterprises thank you for his service and to for sharing.) Never gotten.
Wow, what a guy. And what should I bet that he never bragged about it? Like so many of The Greatest Generation, I imagine he kept most of it to himself. My uncle was at the helm of an aircraft carrier at Okinawa, he never had too much to say about it.
I..We.. are very Proud of what your Grandfather did for all of US. We thank him for his Services. I am sure you miss him. We lost my mother's Youngest Brother that she raised because their mother was paralyzed. He never heard her speak. But he was 1 of the 173rd Airborne Casper Aviation Platoon. He had 7 yrs in the Army when he Volonterd to do first Tour VIETNAM in march of 1965 they were the First Army Unit to go inland. He Survived first Tour as Crew Chief on HUEY & lost his son during that tour. He was served Dev. Papers as he stepped onto his porch for his welcome home. So he had no place to go & no job so he Volonterd for Second tour & was killed 6 WKS LATER ON Dec 19 1965 Gov. Wanted to Bury him on CHRISTMAS Day but we Refuse Bury him day after. We still miss him. Dearly
An incredible documentary that show how much we owe to our fathers and grandfathers who fought this war.
Don't forget that women played a huge part in WWII, especially when it came to the "spygames". They were there for our boys as nurses, Doctors, in the French resistance women grabbed the nearest gun and fought. We're the only country that doesn't put women on the front lines. In Vietnam they fought, Korea, etc... Just saying, we need to salute all the men and women on both sides of the "colored" line. Amazing how we can't stand Hitler killing and treating Jews and Gypsies as inferior and here we are putting blacks on the bus in the back! Hypocrisy!
No More Religion! You are so right - I forgot to mention our mothers and grandmothers who were so important in that great struggle - I apologize.
+JoachimderZweite though I agree we should acknlowledge the women who contributed a lot, the tombstones indicate a far greater measure of sacrifice on the male side so lets be honest and balanced in our appreciation and not diminish the all most gave and also be thankful to everyone who served and helped the cause of freedom and decency for all.
+No More Religion! Its what I fight for to this very day. I rescued many Filipina's that are in domestic service in Middle East. They are lured there, have their passports taken and live like slaves. The only support I get is from Americans and for this I am forever grateful.
You mean how much you owe the soviets
The US was simultaneously supporting operations in New Genie, the Marshall Islands, Italy and the D-Day landings in Normandy!!
Yes this over looked a lot these days while people like to prop the Soviets up and say America did nothing in WW2. There was also massive air combat and bombing raids carried out non stop which is a massive war on its own.
@@stephenvargas5806 well, if you look to the Soviet situation, you have to admire it. They came out weak after the communists revolt. The communists devastated the country afterward and then WWII broke out. The Soviets failed against the Japanese in the east, lost the Winter war with major blow to their army and they stretched the Red army in Europe(Estonia, Lithuania and Poland). Then the German attack Russia and almost reached Moscow. Despite that, they rebelled the German and then they occupied it along with Eastern Europe. America didn’t suffer the same before, during or after the war as much. Although all the people initially involved in WWII are war criminals ( Hitler, Mosslini, Stalin, emperor of Japan and Churchill) . Some times you have to be fair for their achievements even for a BOS like Stalin.
@@stephenvargas5806 more like people say the other way around.
@@stephenvargas5806 yes and I’m sick of it
No melodramatic cliff hangers and obnoxious commentary, just a detailed and factual recount of history. Battlefield is by far the greatest documentary war series ever made.
Totally agree!! My dad served in China with the 14AAF during the war.
I'd like to extend my respects to all the US veterans who fought in the Pacific Theatre. I've spent my whole adult life working , hunting and fishing in peacetime and I have never taken it for granted.
Were you a child soldier by any chance?
I lived on Okinawa when I was a kid in 1954-55. There were human bones in every creekbed. My friends and I knew there had been a big battle there of course, but we had no idea what a hell it had been only ten years previously. We were just kids. The Okinawans were always nice to us.
where did you live there on base or off-base..?
Imo japan is one of the most beautiful places on earth
@@JosephPbuckleyNorthAmerican I was there cutting tuna in -95
@@ElCarboon Ei perkele :D
That's awful. In my homeland I didn't have to witness human remains as a child. At least you didn't really understand it you were able to keep your childhood innocence somewhat.
My father was commander of the 17th Regiment of the 7th infantry division. Not only did face combat in central Okinawa, but he was involved in planning the attack on the island. He received a Bronze metal Oak Leaf cluster for meritorious service for his part in the planning.
Wow😮😊
I remember visiting Great Uncle Benjamin’s grave in the Ozarks when I was a very young boy. He was US Army KIA on Okinawa. We visited his grave in 2016 when I was there. (At 44 years old). Forty years had gone by. Uncle Ben’s grave is still there. I’ve now lived 46 years. Ben didn’t get even half that.
Discovery channel used to air this series all the time, that what some good stuff. Now its just endless reruns of mythbusters
Discovery Channel sucks, and has for a long time in my opinion.
R
EvilPoet85 0-
political correctness and over sensitivity training of people killed it.
No, the original company was bought out - along with the History Channel *and I think one more channel) by a shlock, greed crazed reality show zombies. But it is a great loss. I can't get AHC without paying more. But a shitload of religious and qvc junk.
My great grandfather Dean Loucks was killed by a kamikaze attack aboard the USS Ticonderoga. He received the Silver Star for actions during the battle for manning a exposed radio position coordinating anti aircraft fires. He was buried at sea.
These battlefield docs r the best most detailed accounts of every theater o f WW2 kudos
The Allied troops that fought at Okinawa, were some brave men.
and the Japanese weren't? Hahah
respect to the two sides ...but the japanese bravery is a next level .
@@rayankaghasi5380 not really, dying for anyone but yourself is just dumb, why be a slave to someone else when you can choose your own destiny, I have more respect for the ones that surrendered and realized they didn’t have to pointlessly die for some guy they never knew/met
Allied? You mean American right? Okinawa was an American show.
@@Jklopoppcorn Exactly
The designation for the Corsair was F4U, the Hellcat was the F6F.
@@Harloadshekelbondsteinberg no you
All of these wwll documentaries heavily remind me of my Grandad and my GreatGrandad , they were both full-time professional Army officers in the Greek Royal Army. Miss you guys❗
My late Dad fought in the New Guinea and New Britain campaigns with the Australians, often beside US Marines. He was captured in 1943 and endured six months of torture. He was sprung from the stockade along with ten other Australians by sympathetic natives and walked through 50 miles of jungle to reach his troops. When he was enlisted he weighed 85kg. At the end of the war he weighed 55kg but because he was a lawyer, he was seconded to the Rabaul War Crimes Tribunals as a prosecutor and then Judge Advocate. He finally returned home in late 1946 having pronounced 73 Japanese guilty of war crimes. They included the Japanese who tortured him. All 73 were hung. My mother said when he arrived home, she took one look at him and burst into tears. He said, "at least I am alive". Lots of his comrades did not make it. Of the 463 Australians enlisted with him in Feb 1942, only 103 made it home. Australia only had a population of 6 million in 1945. But 900,000 men enlisted, approximately 1:3 males in the country. They were all volunteers. Conscription or the draft is against the law in Australia and you cannot be forced to serve overseas. Most volunteered anyway. If you look at the emblem of the 1st Marines, the big red 1. Beside it is the southern cross. Its the way the 1st respected the Aussies who fought along side them and from that experience came the ANZUS Treaty which joins the US, Australia and New Zealand at the hip militarily and economically. When Trump sought to wriggle out of the refugee arrangement this was pointed out to him, and thats why he backed down.
They weren't. In the late 60s we had two years of National Service after you finish school. You could choose between have two years in the armed forces of, if you were at uni, join the CMF. There were Citizens Military Forces units at most universities or you could join an Army reserve unit. Only volunteers went to Vietnam. If your unit was marked to go, you were asked whether you objected. If you did you were transferred to a CMF unit instead. There is so much bullshit about our troops in Vietnam. We had it easy despite what some veterans say. We had charge of Phuc Tuoi province. It was not the front line. The main action was in stopping stuff getting down the road in Laos and Cambodia to reinforce the Viet Cong. We did roving patrols but nothing like the situations up near the DMZ where it has like WW1. The Americans were trying to fight a conventional war against insurgents. They lost. In WW2, in my fathers case he was with Ameican units of the 1st Marines. These guys had come from Guadalcanal. No better training than that.
Stephen in OZ Well you learn something new everyday hey , I was only a kid in that time and just remember a lot of blokes getting called up and going to Vietnam.
1st marine have the Guadalcanal patch never really looked at it to close it just really only says Guadalcanal while the big red an army division just has a big 1 on it you only really see it red on ASU's we have a couple of ex marines in my battery who deployed with 1st marine division and soldiers from ft Riley who deployed with the big red 1 but it's all about that old Ironsides 1st Armored Division
ya the big red one is army not marine
@FooBar Maximus Correction; we don't call lawyers "attorneys" in Australia and "college" is called "university" by the way and many Australians enlisted regardless of their social class. You're welcome.
That was a hard-fought, but impressive Allied victory.
You can't cancel us we've infiltrated all of your institutions! Go gen z, go gen z, woke army!!!! ♥️💚❤🏳️🌈🌈
If Germany had won WW2, antiwhite communism would have been defeated once and for all.
The Battle of Okinawa is not nearly as famous as the island battles for Guadacanal and Iwo Jima, but it's outcome was just as important as those battles for ensuring Imperial Japan's defeat in WW2.
Without the A bomb we would have lost countless men invading the Japanese home islands.
@@SaundersE5so what… you invade a country you should pay the price. Not murder a civilization of innocent people
It sure as hell is, the Guadalcanal one is barely known actually!
Actually, it was more important.
Didn't see it mentioned so I figured I'd add a fun fact. The "VT fuse" described at around 44 minutes or so is short for "variable time fuse". It was named that because the US didn't want their enemies to find out that they had created a functioing proximity fuse, so they simply claimed it was an adjustable timed detonation fuse, hence "Variable Time".
The proximity fuse or "VT" fuse was a BRITISH invention that was gifted to the Americans in a knowledge exchange between the two countries. Americans greatly improved on the British gift and mass produced it. The same info exchange by the British gifted the HEDGEHOG anti submarine weapon to the Americans.
God bless all the Allied troops that fought at Okinawa. That was an impressive victory.
84,500+ American casualties (12,500+ KIA) in less than 3 months. The US Marines were losing an average of 155 men a day on Okinawa. That's just Killed in Action. Almost 500 Marines were getting wounded each day on Okinawa. Then, aside from combat casualties, there were also 33,096 non-combat casualties. Many of them deaths from disease and infection because the living conditions on that island were brutal. Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were pure hell.
Kudos to the US Forces that defeated a determined and well entrenched foe at the Battle of Okinawa.
Ill say it too....thank you. I've watched several of them and love them!
This documentary describes Nimitz perfectly. Good job.
Thank you for the best quality upload available. Video quality is better than 240p max setting suggests.
I don't understand why people dislike shows like these. If you don't like it who's holding a gun to your head to watch the bloody thing. I suppose there's a few Japanese that might not give it a thumbsup but hey it is what it is right??????
This show was way too light on Buckner's conduct. He was a baby MacArthur without the Old Soldier's luck (or brain). I had to dislike based on that.
+BJ Wilson No... The Japanese high-school text books have a different version of WW2 thats different from the rest of the world.
Rustic Box Well History doesn't lie
Your username is awesome
"Stand up and fight like a farmer" Jimi Hendrix.
sir Jonathan booth is one of the most good narrator I heard in documentary film,....God bless you sir and more power! from Philippines
Some people often complain or disagree with the use of the Atomic bombs, but if you watch this / understand the casualties, you should see that the Allies had to use it, as all Allied nations were war weary - including the ability of the Home Front to sustain the war effort.
You can and you can't, I don't believe they cared so much about saving lives as they did saving money, another year of war they probably would have had trouble affording and the communism creeping into Japan instead of democracy. You're right. People love to justify it saving lives, and it did, but millions were already dead, if they didn't have the bomb they would've staged an invasion just fine. It's interesting alt history though, if there was no bomb and there had to be a Soviet/American race to Tokyo much like Berlin. Maybe ending in a split demo/comm Japan?
+4444 1212 Off course it wasn't because of the money. Nobody likes wars and if they had invaded the mainland the war would probably have lasted another year. Another year of what they were trying so hard to end. Why choose that when you can just bomb them - which don't forget were those who started the whole mess - and get it over with in no time. Besides, the bombings took much less lives than an invasion would have taken for the Japanese alone. Also, invading a country from the sea is quite different from invading it from land. Don't forget the thousands that died on D-day. There was absolutely no reason to invade the mainland instead if dropping the atom bombs.
I totally agree with the atomic bomb on Japland. Just a pitty they didn't have more of them. Funny how the Japanese war declaration b4 Pearl Harbor didn't get through and their surrender did. =/ The aggressors didn't even get 1/10th of what they deserved. So sad for all Asia nations.
Film & TV yeah, dumbasses think that if US asked Japan nicely, Japan would surrender.
I disagree, the americans were under pressure when the soviets declared war to Japan. Russia was more than capable of conquering Japan and the US wanted to stop that.
Yay! More comment wars! *Grabs a bowl of popcorn*
Alpha Jalloh give me half of your popcorn.. i have couple cup of tea.. you want?
rachmad aziz kk *hands over 50% of popcorn*
JJ Lozada Overused insult, be original.
+JJ Loz Are you seriously that disturbed by someone's skin pigment? If God above made us all then your beef is with him, if you think we evolved then your beef is with evolved genetics and again your opinion does not matter so why hurl insults? Insults are emotionally based and serve no evolutionary purpose you might as well grunt- will that be one grunt or two? Or a Hallelujah? Me I'm a Hallelujah man.
My father was in the thick of it, with the 96th infantry striking the middle of the Shuri Line. When they ran out of bullets, they went hand to hand and even drowned a couple of Japanese in "puddles". I can't begin to imagine the trauma of that
My grandfather E.M.Sanders was in the 2nd Eng Brg. C Company of the 2nd Division. He would NOT talk about his experiences on Okinawa.. but every time you hear something about roads, bridges or bunker removal, its a good chance he was his company doing it. All he would say about Okinawa was "It was the worst thing a human could experience." After the island was secured he then drove one of 3 bulldozers that cleared the road to, and thought, Hiroshima. He took part in the occupation of Japan until '48, when he was sent home. He died of cancer at the age of 78.
My great Grandfather served in this battle and got bad ptsd
The Battlefield series is one of most in-depth documentaries!
The battle of Stalingrad was the worst of World War II. 23 August 1942-2 February 1943: 1,798,619 casualties 🇷🇺
I respect the Russians and their contributions but the main reason there was so many deaths wasn't because it was more intense, it was because both armies were willing to fight to the death.
@beatle pete yes exactly. They didn't care for losses, they just sent more men.
The real horror of the atom bomb is not the explosive power. If all they did was level a city everyone would still be using them. It is the radiation effects that made its use unthinkable. Poison not only the blast area but everything downwind for decades or longer. The release of radiation and its effects by the bomb was not understood very well by the military at first. The use of the bomb disclosed that to the world.
@FooBar Maximus You really are FUBAR, you git. I bet you love the KZhead comments section where you can be a total pratt without worrying about the op's desire & potential to FYUBAR.
@@skinnykarlos710 danm someone is whinny like a little bitch.
First let me compliment you on the upload. It gave me a perspective on the conflict in this area other than a grunts recollection from the business end of a rifle. Even when beginning military service such accounts were rare, and the larger picture presented here helps me understand why. Second, please accept my humble apologies for the barely literate diatribe of so many of the responses here in the comments . Children DO have a tendency to squabble. Finally, the use of the Atomic bomb was a criminal act, just as a policeman shooting a mass murderer is a criminal act, albeit a justifiable one and not a prosecutable offense. In the face of continuing resistance of such an intensity, and with the oft repeated statements about the Japanese fighting to the last man, woman, and child, (And yes I caught the remark in the movie about women attacking with spears on Okinawa.) the designation NON-COMBATANT was removed from the entire population, making any city on the Japanese mainland a legitimate target. The interesting thing about that is that some of the incendiary raids actually produced more casualties than the Atomic bombs. The Atomic bombs are just a contemporary cause celeb. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto warned against waking the sleeping giant. Japan knew what it was buying in to and got what it paid for.
My father had the luck to end up in both Normandy and Okinawa.
Harsh bro
The Corsiar outclimbed the Hellcat by 800 feet per second? That's one heck of a climb rate!
I've lived,worked and continue to revisit Okinawa. I visited the Southern battle sites, Kakazu Ridge on Shuri line. It's a very breathtaking experience to see the battle sites and history retold.
Some of these documentaries are a decade old and even older and they are just as good. These series are so good as they get down right into the guts of the battles. Timeless as some parts of history should always be remembered. Especially to the newer generations as they don't theor freedom was in jeopardy at one time and these vets gave up everything to see that didn't happen.
Respect for not cutting out the credits at the end.
I love the soundtrack for this documentary series, I need it
27:00 - 360 combat vessels and 1139 auxiliary ships, 60 carriers were at hand to provide air cover (26 fleet and light carriers, the rest escort carriers), 18 battleships, and over 200 destroyers were used. During operations between March and June 1945, Spruance's 5th Fleet consumed more fuel than Japan imported in 1944.
Bat Guano yaa...and they were cranking out a DE every week a CVE every 2 weeks and essex class carriers were pouring out of shipyards at stupid rates if production. Not to mention the building of ever underestimated heavy and light cruisers plus fast battleships
I agree
It was a savage experience for all
Tawara left blood on the sands between tides
My Uncle was an Army Scout and fought on Okinawa. He was awarded a bronze star with valor and one of his two purple hearts in the battle. Climbed into a tunnel and killed 5 Japanese including a ranking officer with his 45 sidearm. They recovered a lot of timely intelligence documents, which led to the medal. Told me the closest he came to dying was when he and another scout had crawled forward of their own lines. A friendly fighter spotted them in the tall grass in no man's land. The plane made a couple of runs on them thinking they were enemy forces. Said he never hugged the earth harder, and lived to tell the story.
Better than history channel. And I learned a few new things I hadn’t learned before, like how the Kamakazi’s followed US planes closely to disguise themselves and such, interesting.
My Dad was in the 6th Marine Division, 29th Regiment, First Battalion. He carried a flamethrower and was a prime target for snipers. He managed to survive the battle and came home in early 1946. For years after he got home he had flashbacks and hated fireworks. I just hope my grandchildren don't have to fight the next war.
I was very surprised to learn that the Corsair outclimbed the Hellcat by 800 feet per second. 47:47
the very best documentaries about the conflict....Thank you so much, and....Carry on!
Good discussion on the fascinating subject of naval doctrine and early carrier tactics.
Live By the Sword, Die By the Sword at the Hand of the U.S. Naval Forces.
The Corsair could "outclimb the Hellcat by 800 feet per second.". So, it could reach LEO in less than five mins? Impressive!!
AbeBSea LEO?
@@cocotaveras8975 Lower Earth Orbit
Mate the quality of swag round Nottingham these days blows anything you have to offer away in an eye blink!
Being stationed/living here in Southern Japan since April '96, i had the opportunity to visit Okinawa almost every other month and had chances to visit some of these sights around the island. Glad Japan and the US are now allies helping each other not just military way, but economically.
I was with the 22nd MEU out of Camp Lejeune,NC. While in my ICB there was a Marine with us that a s rap book from his Grandfather. His Grandfather was a Marine on Iwo Jima. The scrap book had pics of skull pyramids, bodies stacked 8ft high and all kinds of death and destruction. The pics are burnt in my head as the real ones are.
youtube comments really bring out the of humanity, especially in the history docs
@FooBar Maximus I believe he was using sarcasm
@FooBar Maximus that commrnt was 4 years ago but you're probly rite ,do u think the Marines should have threw 3 entire divisions against Iwo Jima, n COMPLETELY wrecked them? I think Iwo Jima at that stage shoulda been bypassed, I think Vandergrif is WAY too generously portrayed (flags of our fathers) n he was a ghoul that wanted Marine "glory" that he didn't want MacArthur to get. There COULDA been increased DD patrols for downed B29 crew n escort carriers for fighter cover for raids on Japan
Flubadubadub flubadubadub flubadubadub, flubadubadub
thank your dad for his service. he probably saw alot of things as a flamerthrower that most men should never have seen.
My grandfather a WW2 vet has celebrated his 91st birthday Happy Birthday Roger Minch
My Great Uncle was a BAR gunner with the 96th Infantry Division. In the Southern part of Okinawa, he was shot by machine gun fire, and was possibly brought to medical where he died of his wounds later on. He died in July, at the age of only 19. I have his 48 star flag and picture next to it. I had yet another Great Great Uncle who was at Okinawa in the Marines, he had survived the war and lived on to his 90s. He was a radio interceptor with the Navajo code talkers. He wasn't genetically Navajo, he simply reported to them. He intercepted Japanese radio transmissions and reported them to the actual code talkers.
Japan had a small window of opportunity after Pearl Harbor, which they attempted to exploit by seizing Midway before American industrial power could get into overdrive. Many credit Midway to be the turning point of the war, but i disagree. The war was already turning in favor of the Americans, through sheer production volume, and even if all the American carriers had been lost in the battle. The US would have been able to match Japan again in under a year. In addition, i very much doubt Japan would have the logistics and oil production to invade Hawaii and there is no way they would have been able to hold the Islands. The war was simply impossible for Japan to win, even if the US had suffered a loss of material and manpower twice as fast as the Japanese.
+Aaron Richards avatar
Japan didn't care about a few islands in Pacific in their original strategy, they wanted a Tsushima-style total victory over the U.S. Pacific Fleet so that they could force U.S. to a peace conference. Even after U.S. industrial power went into over drive PTO was still the redhead stepchild of WW2 (even Burma front received more material compared to PTO). Major offensives happened once a year in PTO compared to one every six to eight months in Europe because it took that long to build up everything we needed. The Pacific War didn't turn into U.S. favor until late 42 and early 43, after South Pacific campaign ended in complete Allied victory.
Andrwei Joghansan ,,,,very true..The industrial might of America had been recognised by Yamamoto before pearl harbour.He realistically acknowledged the fact that Japan was about to awaken a sleeping giant that would crush Japan eventually,no matter what transpired..
Dude, we had the war won as soon as we cracked JN25 and all versions thereafter ....they had no chance after that...we knew: who? what? when? where? how? and the nukes of course... ....but midway was the turning point, it verified the intel advantage and qualified our equipment and competency of our mil leaders to execute and *Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292 aircraft* ...till you execute....its just theoretical...plus our manufacturing advantage was *never* in doubt.... *admiral yamamoto* cited this prior to pearl harbor, having studied in the US and served as *naval attache* in DC prior to the depression
Your an idiot
Chester Nimitz was a brilliant military commander. He wasn't concerned with fanfare or accolades, but in final victory, with as few American casualties as possible.
My uncle was assigned on the USS Morrison, a destroyer, hit by 5 Kamikazes. He was killed by the first one. My dad was on Ie Shima US Army bulldozer operator, was wounded but refused the Purple Heart.
One thing I don't understand is why the Japanese on the southern end of the island weren't just bottled up there and left to rot / starve, as they had no aircraft or ability to threaten the US forces about to invade Japan. Why was it necessary to take Shuri by force / frontal assault?
I've wondered the same thing for many years. Same goes with Iwo and Saipan.
Absolutely superb documentary. Others should use this as a template for the pursuit of excellence.
The United States created the Tenth Army, a cross-branch force consisting of the US Army 7th, 27th, 77th and 96th Infantry Divisions with the USMC 1st, 2nd, and 6th Marine Divisions, to fight on Okinawa. The Tenth was unique in that it had its own Tactical Air Force (joint Army-Marine command), and was also supported by combined naval and amphibious forces. On June 18, General Buckner was killed by Japanese artillery fire while monitoring the progress of his troops from a forward observation post. Buckner was replaced by USMC Major general Roy Geiger. Upon assuming command, GEIGER BECAME THE ONLY US MARINE TO COMMAND A NUMBERED ARMY OF THE US ARMY IN COMBAT; he was relieved five days later by Army General Joseph Stilwell. (The War in Europe had reached an end, and the US Army shifting from the German First posture, was taking a larger role conducting the war in the Pacific.) I've always wondered why they didnt bomb Okinawa with B29s from Saipan and Tinian before the invasion of Okinawa.
I too agree. One of the best WWII documentary series.
46:55 - "The Vought F6F Corsiar." Oops!
man, I miss when documentaries were straight forward & factual
This is THE best series.
Thanks
My first duty station in the Marine Corps was Okinawa in 1986 for 1 year. I was at Camp Kinser, the Southern-most Marine base on the island. Very close to Naha. It was amazing, even 41 years after the Battle of Okinawa, you could see huge shell holes that had been grown over with grass, and guys were still finding grenades and other things in caves.
Considering that the allies were predicting 1.2 million allied deaths in total and 5-10 million Japanese deaths over the course of the invasion of Japan I start to realise how many lives the atomic bombs saved.
Japan lost the war when they decided that human life was of no value.
They lost the war on December 7, 1941. They simply lacked the resources to fight a war of attrition against the industrial capacity of the United States.
Fanatic fucks got what they deserved. Go murica!
no Japan lost the war when we figured out how to split an atom over a city. They thought highly of there own lives or the rest of japan would be a giant ash tray
*meanwhile japan puts soldiers in planes just to commit suicide by ramming into a ship*
The Japanese never had a chance to win the war. Yamamoto knew this even when he was planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was asked at one point what he thought Japan's chances would be in a war with the US, to which he replied that he could play havoc with America for six months or perhaps a year, but after that he could've guarantee nothing. He also noted that the army thought they could win by defeating America in the Pacific, but in reality Japan would have to dictate terms in Washington, and he knew that would never be possible.
Dad passed away in 1995 but I thank you for your comment. He did see some things that I think would horrify most people. I have the utmost respect for the men and women who serve in our military.
My great great grandfather is buried at the military memorial in the Okinawa section. This documentary shed light on the horrific events he went through!
Great ,Great Grandfather? Nope.
good quality doc.thank you.
Thanks for sharing. Around 1:09:31 shown "Tanagawa", the Japanese commander's name, is actually "Tanigawa". Around 1:23:37 shown as "Kazaku" is actually "Kakazu", which consists of "Kakazu Ridge" and "Kakazu West", separated by the "Saddle".
Yes Luga made a few fkups in this one to be fair.
Don’t you mean the largest amphibious of World War Two, even larger than operation overlord.
Yes ur right it was larger than d day op over lord
@38:44 while discussing the Kaiten, photos are of an Type A Ko-hyoteki mini-sub are shown as evidenced by a conning tower.
The U.S. Navy initially decided the Corsairs weren't suitable for carrier deployment, but the Marines and the British were pleased to get them.
Okinawa is in the Pacific.
NOOO, it's in Normandy
+Captain Obvious its in japan lol
+spectar viana which is the Pacific
+Johnathan Cruickshank what
spectar viana Okinawa... is... in... the... Pacific... south-bound of japan island.
After that horrendous battle 100,000 civilians lay dead along with 150,000 Japanese troops. The United States took 76,000 casualties. When I hear an argument against the atom bombs I direct them to this. The escalation of the war at this point was just horrifying.
Cody Maranto most civilians were forced to kill themselves by the Japanese army by pushing them off a cliff
Yeah,they also brainwashed the population that us troops were insane bloodthirsty murders and rapists so most committed suicide as well rather than be captured. Japanese troops also used them as shields.
Cody Maranto But how many more would have died in a conventional attack? One raid on Tokyo burnt down half the city in a fire storm. The atomic bombs may have saved millions of Japanese civilians from starvation and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. And yeah, the war was horrifying. The number of chinese prisoners who died in brutal medical experiments outnumbered those killed in Hiroshima.
Cody Maranto In 1938 the Japanese army entered Nanking. They killed with fire, sword and beastality 250,000 people, men, women and children, World War Two had not yet begun. In 1945 the United States dropped two Atomic devices on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, in the resulting explosions 250,000 people, men women and children died, World War Two come to an end. millions of angry words have been written about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, few people today remember Nanking.
Danny Halas Unit 731 = between 3000 and 12000 people killed in experiments. Hiroshima bombing = between 90,000 and 166,000 killed Nagasaki bombing = between 129,000 and 246,000 so you are not close to being correct there. Both acts were horrible and both sides treated civilians as legit targets on many occasions. Japan tried to literary depopulate China so it would be easier to control, The US directly targeted civilians in their bombing campaigns over Japanese cities to inflict terror on the population and weaken the nation.
What a great documentary!
My Dad never spoke of the war, I can see why. We owe them much.
It was the high casualties at Okinawa and Saipan that swayed the american decision to use the Atomic bombs on Japan
And the fact that over 250 000 allied soldiers would possibly die if they invaded the mainland.
Christian Pedersen ...which again, bomb or no bomb, would be unnecessary as they already had the Japanese completely contained by submarine blockade. Had the Russians not been steam rolling across East Asia, there might have been neither invasion nor bomb - merely a starving of Japan until they came to terms. Even as was, the Japanese surrender was NOT unconditional - the U.S. agreed to their condition that they maintain their emperor.
Michael Jonnes I'm not dumb, i'm just reasonable...idiot
Edvorticus Snorticus I think anyone who says we shouldn't have dropped those bombs needs to imagine themselves on a landing craft heading into one of the main Japanese Islands with a steel helmet on your head and a M-1 rifle in your hand and think that meeting a bunch of starving civilians on the beach with pitch forks, knives and anything else they could use to stab, cut, or otherwise injure you, with regular military units behind them, is a good idea. Keeping in mind that those starving civilians and troops have had nothing but Japanese government propaganda and the Shinto religion pumped into their minds since they where kids by the Japanese government. Some of that propaganda told them that to become a Marine, you have to kill your parents and that Americans ate the enemy's babies. No, no matter what you may think, the only way to truly end that war was to drive it into the Japanese government's head (who tried to cover up the Hiroshima bombing, like it didn't happen) that they would be totally annihilated if necessary if they didn't surrender. Standing off wasn't going to work and Russia was gobbling up as much territory as they could. The war needed to be ended quickly.
Brian Thomas And I think anyone who uses that as a reason for dropping the bombs has to imagine their homes, families, their entire existence being wiped out in a second. Nearly 80,000 people were killed instantly at Hiroshima and they were nearly all civilians, it was a city the size of Pittsburgh today, or Coventry if your in the UK. What happened happened but I don't think you can possibly justify the dropping of a bomb so destructive on a completely civilian area by any argument. Especially not one so lazy and really unnerving to me as your's, which basically amounts to "fighting conventionally would of been too much work" that is not an excuse to target civilians in what is basically one of the biggest mass murders in history.
Send the message clear..: YOU DONT FUCK WITH THE EAGLE!
Still to this day, you’d be hard pressed to find a better WWII series than Battlefield
Very good. Thanks for posting.
how the hell does this video have 764 dislikes
Good doc
Here is my comment. It was thought at the time that the next target had to be the home island of Kyushu due to it being within the range of Allied fighter support on Okinawa... afterwards Honshu would be invaded with the landing near Tokyo. By July it was becoming evident that the Japanese were planning their final organized battle on Kyushu and had far more troops there than anticipated. Nimitz was very rattled by the prospect and rightly so after the fighting on and around Okinawa.
That was another impressive, US victory!
I hope they arrest the traitors that hold one-third of government positions in the USA - Robert Mueller admits he is a Jesuit, which is legal treason on behalf of a foreign nation, the Nazi Vatican city/state that has caused all the wars since the French Revolution. This video explains how the Jesuits run all the secret societies, Skull & Bones, Illuminati, CFR, the Federal Reserve, Freemasons, etc. kzhead.info/sun/fNdvZMirrWd9n5s/bejne.html
@@redavenger5094 Hey Red, it's being reported that Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse are involved in the conspiracy as well, and possibly Snow White as well. Now you know. Pass it on Red.
How about Yeshua? messiahjesusbible.com "You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension.... - a dimension of sound....a dimension of sight...a dimension of mind . You are moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas...you've just crossed over into... The Twilight Zone
Sad to say wars will continue until the end of time. Reasons hatred of our fellow man, greed, negative ambition and our inability to learn how to get along with one another.
I agree.
Nabiha Moses No people of all walks of life get along its the leaders that don't get it.
vaught f6f!!!! corsair.... no such airplane was ever made. now the vaught F4U Corsair was a beautiful fightet 46.58...
Thanks for uploading.
When the Battleships started blasting the shoreline, all they blew up were trees and rocks. The Japanese had pulled back to the southern part of the island. The main beach landing went unopposed.
At 47:00 Vought F6F Corsair?! Are you kidding me! Its the Vought F4U, got it right on the image at least. Oh, and the image they showed of the "Essex" class aircraft carrier was actually a Yorktown class aircraft carrier, just saying
Jose Rojas Yes, yes! The F6F was a Grumman Hellcat, another scourge of the air war.
I always wondered why they didn’t use smoke when the troops stormed the beaches giving the troops cover instead of giving the enemy a clear shot at The troops storming the beaches !
Smoke works both ways, it would have obscured Naval gun and aircraft observers from effective targeting.
I read that the first landings on Okinawa was a walk on; the Japanese had given up the shoreline defense for defense in depth. I remember that someone wired "I might be crazy, but I think the enemies given up in these parts." Halsey reportedly wired back "strike all after crazy"!
Of the Hiroshima bomb, 45 lbs. of U-235 was used. A 15 lbs. ball fired by app. 4 1/2 lbs. of TNT into a 30 lbs. catchers mitt. This caused critical mass and the resultant chain reaction. This chain reaction involved 3 1/2 BB's ( .18 cal. balls) to create the equivalent of 15,000 lbs. of TNT. 3 1/2 BB'S! E equals Mass x Speed of light Squared! Just a little info. for the bean counters out there. Cheers!
There is a mistake few seconds after 1:42:20 when the commentor after saying that a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, on August 9th, an APRIL 15th the emperor announced Japan's surrender. Obviously he should have said AUGUST 15th!