Hell on Earth in the battle of Okinawainawa

All dead in Okinawa
f: id: cyerry0405: 20191201164835j: image
 
 
It is said that one quarter of Okinawans died in the Battle of Okinawa, including the 10-10 bombing of 1944. It is one of the most fierce and bloodiest battles of World War II.
 
The U.S. military assembled 540,000 troops that had accumulated experience of fighting Japan in the Southwest Pacific until then. The total number of Japanese troops intercepted was only 120,000 including Okinawans between the ages of 12 to70. It was a battle that could not be won from the beginning.
 
The Battle of Okinawa was regarded as Attrition Battle to delay the start of the landing operation on the mainland of Japan that the United States had formulated. From July 1944, construction of air raid shelters using natural caves (gama) and building of military bases was carried out with the cooperation of citizens of the prefecture, then on April 1, 1945, the U.S. forces (Allied forces) Landing was launched 
 
Between March 26, 1945 and the fall of Shuri in late May, 70% of Japanese soldiers died, making it virtually impossible to fight. However, the General Headquarter ordered an endurance battle, and the remaining army retreated to the south.
 
Many residents of the prefecture were evacuated to the south in preparation for the Shuri War. Some residents thought they would be safe to accompany the army. Governor Shimada repeatedly visited the military bunker while the shells were fully discharged, and worked closely with the military in order to ensure the safety of the citizens of the prefecture.
 
Basically, Shimada strongly opposed the idea for troops to retreat to the south. If so, he had planed that the prefectural citizens to move to the safe area in the east in advance.
 
However, the strong appeal of the prefectural office was not heard, and around May 24, the Japanese troops began to withdraw in the shadows of the night. Perhaps they feared that the information would leak or if the residents would move and be known to the enemy army. It was a withdrawal without contacting the prefecture government.The withdrawal was successful because the U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft could not fly since the rainy season had began and the rain continued.
 
The southern part of the prefecture became a terrible battlefield that was said to have "collected all the tragedies of this world." The chain of command collapsed, and small troops descend steadily south, continuing their guerrilla-like battle without any supplies. Japanese soldiers expel residents to hunt down bunkers, pick up food, and brutally killed the citizens if they would not obey.
 
The U.S. military deployed mop-up operation because military and inhabitants were mixed and operations were undertaken to disguise as civilians to attack.
Naval fire from the sea, machine gun shooting from the air, and tank fire from the land. Japanese soldiers carried out suicide bomb attack and residents were forced to kill themmselves in a US military attack called an iron storm. More than a thousand people disappeared a day.
 
More than 70% of the prefectural people who died in the war died between the end of May and the end of June. That shows how terrible the situation was. Some of the soldiers, including former junior high school students, died at the forefront.
 
Too many of the civilian were killed because of the one-month endurance battle to delay the U.S. military landing operations on mainland Japan as long as possible, rather than the U.S. military landing. I think here is the cause of the tragedy of Okinawa.
 
Prefectural officials and police officers, including Shimada, also headed to the south. It was to save the lives of as many the prefectural citizens's lives as possible.

"Live on!"

Shimada said to the staff and prefecturals who had fate together. At that time in Japan,it was natural to devote his life to the country, but he said, "Don't die in war." He knew that not only was the battle of Okinawa, but this war was not victorious.
 
I feel like "Live on" was also a word to tell himself. With many citizens and subordinates disappearing, Shimada himself had to fulfill his responsibilities as head of prefectural government. He told young staff, "Surrender to the U.S. Army by hand. They won't do anything wrong." However, he chose not to survive himself and go to a military bunker after the prefectural office
 
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This is a well-organized NHK history program video that gives a good understanding of life and achievements of Akira Shimada. There was a big screen, but this is the only thing you can see right now.
 
Mr. Isoda,MC has a strong way of entering the heat and it is worth seeing. It is frankly told why 90,000 ordinary citizens of the prefecture were involved in the battle, but since the operations of the Japanese army are involved and it is difficult to clarify, I think that point is also ambitious.

“Choice of Heroes” August 13, 2015
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5IX_qWIsdjc
 
If it doesn't open by clicking, please copy and paste. As of the end of 2019, I feel that more and more videos are telling the story of Akira Shimada's life in relation to the edict of education, or the fact that he was martyred, dedicated his life to the country.
 
This program does not beautify him, but I think it is an excellent work that has accumulated facts including a critical viewpoint. The scale and terribleness of the Battle of Okinawa is too much in an hour to be fully described, to depict the life of Shimada and the people around him.
 
But I think it will be a very good entrance for those who want to know.