Okinawa ground order of battle

Okinawa ground order of battle
The American invasion of the island of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, took place 1 April 1945. The Japanese military was determined to inflict a casualty rate so high that the U.S. government would choose not to invade the Japanese home islands. To this end, the southern portion of the island had been covered with the most extensive system of fortifications and fields of fire yet encountered in the Pacific War.
The island was not declared secure until 22 June, a period of 82 days. Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. became the highest ranking U.S. military officer to be killed in action in the Second World War.
American forces
US Tenth Army
Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., USA (KIA 18 Jun)
Major General Roy S. Geiger, USMC (18 Jun thru 23 Jun)
General Joseph W. Stilwell, USA (from 23 Jun)
Northern Landing Beaches
III Amphibious Corps (Embarked in Task Force 53)
Major General Roy S. Geiger, USMC
Chief of Staff: Brigadier General Merwin H. Silverthorn, USMC
Chief of Corps Artillery: Brigadier General David R. Nimmer, USMC
Left Beaches:
6th Marine Division (24,356 officers and enlisted)
Division Commander: Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., USMC
Asst. Division Commander: Brigadier General William T. Clement, USMC
22nd Marine Regiment (Colonel Merlin F. Schneider, USMC) – Green Beaches
4th Marine Regiment (Colonel Alan Shapley, USMC) – Red Beaches
29th Marine Regiment (Colonel Victor Bleasdale, USMC) – Reserve
15th Marine Regiment (Artillery) (Colonel Robert B. Luckey, USMC)
Right Beaches:
1st Marine Division (26,274 officers and enlisted)
Division Commander: Major General Pedro A. del Valle, USMC
Asst. Division Commander: Brigadier General Louis R. Jones, USMC
7th Marine Regiment (Colonel Edward W. Snedeker, USMC) – Blue Beaches
5th Marine Regiment (Colonel John H. Griebel, USMC) – Yellow Beaches
1st Marine Regiment (Colonel Arthur T. Mason, USMC) – Reserve
11th Marine Regiment (Artillery) (Colonel Wilburt S. Brown, USMC)
1st Provisional Antiaircraft Artillery Group
Commanding officer: Colonel Kenneth W. Benner, USMC
Southern Landing Beaches
XXIV Army Corps (Embarked in Task Force 55)
Major General John R. Hodge, USA
Left Beaches:
7th Infantry ("Bayonet") Division (21,929 officers and enlisted)
Division Commander: Major General Archibald V. Arnold, USA
17th Infantry Regiment – Purple Beaches
32nd Infantry Regiment – Orange Beaches
184th Infantry Regiment – Reserve
48th, 49th, 57th Field Artillery Battalions (105mm)
31st Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
Right Beaches:
96th Infantry ("Deadeye") Division (22,330 officers and enlisted)
Division Commander: Major General James L. Bradley, USA
381st Infantry Regiment – White Beaches
383rd Infantry Regiment – Brown Beaches
382nd Infantry Regiment – Reserve
361st, 362nd, 921st Field Artillery Battalions (105mm)
363rd Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
Reserve:
27th Infantry ("New York") Division (16,143 officers and enlisted)
Division Commander: Major General George W. Griner, Jr., USA
105th Infantry Regiment – landed L+8
106th Infantry Regiment – landed L+8
165th Infantry Regiment – landed L+8
104th, 105th, 249th Field Artillery Battalions (105mm)
106th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
Western Islands (Ie Shima, etc.)
Embarked in Task Group 51.1
77th Infantry ("Statue of Liberty") Division (20,981 officers and enlisted)
Division Commander: Major General Andrew D. Bruce, USA
306th Infantry Regiment – landed Green Beach 17 Apr
305th Infantry Regiment – landed Red Beaches 1 & 2 17 Apr
307th Infantry Regiment – landed Red Beaches 3 & 4 17 Apr
304th, 305th, 902nd Field Artillery Battalions (105mm)
306th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
One Marine BLT
Air Forces
Tactical Air Force, Tenth Army
Major General Francis P. Mulcahy, USMC
Major General Louis E. Woods, USMC
Japanese forces
Thirty-second Army
Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima (seppuku 22 June)
Approx. 67,000 men under arms, incl. 5,000 Okinawan conscripts
24th Division
Lt. Gen. Tatsumi Amamiya (KIA 30 June)
22nd Infantry Regiment
32nd Infantry Regiment
89th Infantry Regiment
62nd Division
Lt. Gen. Takeo Fujioka (suicide 22 June)
63rd Brigade
67th Brigade
44th Independent Mixed Brigade
Maj. Gen. Suzuki Shigeji (died 22 June)
Notes
References
Bibliography
1945 in Japan
Battles of World War II involving Japan
Battles of World War II involving the United States
History of Okinawa Prefecture
Japan campaign
Murder–suicides in Asia
Battle of Okinawa
United States Armed Forces in Okinawa Prefecture
United States Marine Corps in World War II
World War II invasions
World War II operations and battles of the Pacific theatre
Invasions of Japan
Invasions by the United States
Amphibious operations of World War II
April 1945 events in Asia
May 1945 events in Asia
June 1945 events in Asia
World War II orders of battle