I think a thread on this topic is needed if the atomic bombings are to be examined…
The Story of the Invasion of Japan
by James M. Davis
Deep in the recesses of the National Archives in Washington, D. C., hidden for over four decades, lie thousands of pages of yellowing and dusty documents. These documents, which are now declassified, still bear the stamp “Top Secret.” Contained in these little examined documents are the detailed plans for “Operation Downfall,” the code name for the scheduled American Invasion of Japan.
Only a few Americans in 1945, and fewer Americans today, are aware of the elaborate plans that had been prepared for the American Invasion of the Japanese home islands. Even few are aware of how close America actually came to launching that invasion and of what the Japanese had in store for us had the invasion of Japan actually been launched.
“Operation Downfall” was prepared in its final form during the spring and summer of 1945. This plan called for two massive military undertakings to be carried out in succession, and aimed at the very heart of the Japanese Empire.
In the first invasion, in what was code named “Operation Olympic,” American combat troops would be landed by amphibious assault during the early morning hours of November 1, 1945, on Japan itself. After an unprecedented naval and aerial bombardment, 14 combat divisions of American soldiers and marines would land on heavily fortified and defended Kyushu, the southernmost of the Japanese home islands.
On March 1, 1946, the second invasion code named “Operation Coronet,” would send at least 22 more American combat divisions against one million Japanese defenders to assault the main island of Honshu and the Tokyo Plain in a final effort to obtain the unconditional surrender of Japan.
With the exception of a part of the British Pacific Fleet, “Operation Downfall” was to be a strictly American operation. It called for the utilization of the entire United States Marine Corps, the employment of the entire United States Navy in the Pacific, and for the efforts of the 7th Air Force, the 8th Air Force recently deployed from Europe, the 20th Air Force, and for the American Far Eastern Air Force. Over 1.5 million combat soldiers, with millions more in support, would be directly involved in these two amphibious assault. A total of 4.5 million American servicemen, over 40% of all servicemen still in uniform in 1945, were to be a part of “Operation Downfall.”
The invasion of Japan was to be no easy military undertaking and casualties were to be extremely heavy. Admiral William Leahy estimated that there would be over 250,000 Americans killed or wounded on Kyushu alone. General Charles Willoughby, MacArthur’s Chief of Intelligence estimated that American casualties from the entire operation would be one million men by the fall of 1946. General Willoughby’s own Intelligence staff considered this to be a conservative estimate.
During the summer of 1945, America had little time to prepare for such a monumental endeavor, but our top military leaders were in almost unanimous agreement that such an invasion was necessary. While a naval blockade and strategic bombing of Japan was considered to be useful, general Douglas Mac Arthur considered a naval blockade of Japan ineffective to bring about an unconditional surrender. General George C. Marshall was of the opinion that air power over Japan as it was over Germany, would not be sufficient to bring and end to the war. While most of our top military minds believed that a continued naval blockade and strategic bombing campaign would further weaken Japan, few of them believed that the blockade or the bombing would bring about her unconditional surrender. The advocates for invasion agreed that while a naval blockade chokes, it does not kill; and though strategic bombing might destroy cities, it still leaves whole armies intact. Both general Eisenhower and General Ira C. Eaker, the Deputy Commander of the Army Air Force agreed. So on May 25, 1945, the combined Chiefs of Staff, after extensive deliberation, issued to MacArthur, to Admiral Chester Nimitz, and to Army Air Force “Hap” Arnold the Top Secret directive to proceed with the invasion of Kyushu. The target date was set, for obvious reasons after the typhoon season, for November 1, 1945.
On July 25th, President Harry Truman approved the report of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, which called for the initiation of Operations “Olympic” and “Coronet.” On July 26th, the United Nations issued the Potsdam Proclamation, which called upon Japan to surrender unconditionally or face “total destruction.” Three days later, on July 28th, DOMEI, the Japanese Government news agency, broadcast to the world that Japan would ignore the proclamation of Potsdam and refuse to surrender.
During this same time period, the intelligence section of the Federal Communications Commission monitored internal Japanese radio broadcasts, which disclosed that Japan had closed all schools to mobilize its school children–it was arming its civilian population and forming it into national civilian defense units, and that it was turning Japan into a nation of fortified caves and underground defenses in preparation for the expected invasion of their homeland.
“Operation Olympic,” the invasion of Kyushu would come first. Its purpose was to seize and control the southern one third of that island and to establish American naval and air bases there in order to effectively intensify the bombings of Japanese industry, to tighten the naval blockade of the home islands, to destroy units of the main Japanese army, and to support “Coronet” the scheduled invasion of the Toyko Plain, that was to come the following March.
On October 27th, the preliminary invasion would begin when the 40th Infantry Division would land on a series of small islands to the west and southwest of Kyushu. At the same time, the 158th Regimental Combat Team would invade and occupy a small island 29 miles to the south of Kyushu. On these islands, seaplane bases would be established and radar would would be set up to provide advance warning for the invasion fleet, to serve as fighter direction centers for the carrier based aircraft and provide emergency anchorage for the invasion fleet, should things not go well on the day of the invasion.
As the invasion grew imminent, the massive power of the United States Navy would approach Japan. The naval forces scheduled to take part in the actual invasion consisted of two awesome fleets–the Third and the fifth.
The Third Fleet, under Admiral “Bull” Halsey, with its big guns and naval aircraft, would provide strategic support for the operation against Honshu and Hokkaido in order to impede the movement of Japanese reinforcements south to Kyushu. The Third Fleet would be composed of a powerful group of battleships, heavy cruisers, destroyers, dozens of support ships, plus three fast carrier task groups. From these fast carriers, hundreds of Navy fighters, dive bombers and torpedo planes would hit targets all over the island of Honshu.
The Fifth Fleet under Admiral Spruance would carry our invasion troops. This fleet would consist of almost 3,000 ships, including fast carriers and escort carrier task forces, a gunfire and covering force for bombardment and fire support, and a joint expeditionary force. This expeditionary force would include thousands of additional landing craft of all types and sizes. Several days before the invasion, the battleships, heavy cruisers and destroyers would pour thousands of tons of high explosives into the target areas, and they would not cease the bombardment until after the landing forces had been launched.
During the early morning hours of November 1, 1945, the actual invasion would commence. Thousands of American soldiers and marines would pour ashore on beaches all along the eastern, southeastern, southern and western coasts of Kyushu.
The Eastern Assault Force consisting of the 25th, 33rd and the 41st Infantry Divisions, would land near Miyaski at beaches called Austin, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, and Cord and move inland to attempt to capture this city and its nearby airfield.
The Southern Force consisting of the 1st cavalry Division, the 43rd Division and Americal Division would land inside Ariake Bay at beaches labeled DeSoto, Dusenburg, Essex, Ford, and Franklin and attempt to capture Shibushi and to capture, further inland, the city of Kanoya and its surrounding airfield. On the western shore of Kyushu, at beaches Pontiac, Reo, Rolls Royce, Saxon, Star, Studebaker, Stutz, Winton, and Sephyr, the V Amphibious Corps would land the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Marine Divisions, sending half of its force inland to Sendai and the other half to the port city of Kagoshima.
On November 4th. the reserve force, consisting of the 81st, and 98th Infantry Division, and the 11th Airborne Division, after feigning an attack on the island of Shikoku would be landed, if not needed elsewhere, near Kaimondake, near the southern-most tip of Kagoshima Bay, at beaches designated Locomobile, Lincoln, LaSalle, Hupomobile, Moon, Mercedes, Maxwell, Overland, Packard, and Plymouth.
The objective of “Olympic” was to seize and control the island of Kyushu in order to use it for the launching platform for “Coronet,” which was hoped to be a final blow aimed at Toyko and the Kanto Plain.
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The rest here.
Other links:
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_downfall1.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/war.term/olympic.html
