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., was struck by coral fragments created by the explosion of a Japanese artillery shell on 18 June and later died of his wounds. Buckner 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.gif 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:
 * US 1st Marine Division SSI.svg 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 division Shoulder Sleve insignia.png 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 Division SSI.svg 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_Division_SSI.svg 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 Division.patch.jpg 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

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)