Summary of Victor Davis Hanson's Ripples of Battle

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The American plan for the invasion of Okinawa was simple: kill so many Japanese, destroy so many aircraft, and sink so many ships that the United States would never want to go through such a ordeal again. But the Japanese had different goals, which were to kill so many Americans that the United States would never want to go through such a ordeal again.

#2 The American invasion of Okinawa was not as easy as it seemed. The Japanese had planned to let the Americans land on the beaches unopposed, then lure them into well-fortified Japanese positions in the southern part of the island. By day, there would be hardly any Japanese in sight; at night, tens of thousands would shell and attack American lines.

#3 The American invasion of Okinawa was led by General Buckner, who commanded all land forces in the invasion. He looked not at the nature of the island, but at the unprecedented killing power of the American fleet, the logistical capacity of the American army, and the deadly nature of his Marines.

#4 The American generals knew nothing of the challenges of Okinawa's steep gorges and impenetrable terrain, the deadly nature of the kamikaze threat, or the frequency of cloudy and rainy weather over the island. They believed that the defenders would be defeated within days.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822513419

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Insights on Victor Davis Hanson's Ripples of Battle

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The American plan for the invasion of Okinawa was simple: kill so many Japanese, destroy so many aircraft, and sink so many ships that the United States would never want to go through such a ordeal again. But the Japanese had different goals, which were to kill so many Americans that the United States would never want to go through such a ordeal again.

#2

The American invasion of Okinawa was not as easy as it seemed. The Japanese had planned to let the Americans land on the beaches unopposed, then lure them into well-fortified Japanese positions in the southern part of the island. By day, there would be hardly any Japanese in sight; at night, tens of thousands would shell and attack American lines.

#3

The American invasion of Okinawa was led by General Buckner, who commanded all land forces in the invasion. He looked not at the nature of the island, but at the unprecedented killing power of the American fleet, the logistical capacity of the American army, and the deadly nature of his Marines.

#4

The American generals knew nothing of the challenges of Okinawa's steep gorges and impenetrable terrain, the deadly nature of the kamikaze threat, or the frequency of cloudy and rainy weather over the island. They believed that the defenders would be defeated within days.

#5

The American invasion of Okinawa was made possible by the heavy bombardment of the Japanese island, as well as the easy landings for the marines. The American high command had anticipated little resistance, and the battle for Okinawa proceeded almost exactly as each side had anticipated.

#6

The American army and marine forces had conquered two-thirds of the island by April 20, but on the seas the tempo of the battle had already shifted dramatically on April 6, when an unforeseen and enormous flight of over 200 Japanese kamikaze pilots descended on the American fleet. They sank four ships and damaged ten others.

#7

The American ground and naval forces suffered 12,520 killed and another 33,631 wounded or missing in the three months between the invasion on April 1 and the official end of the Okinawa campaign on July 2. The naval air forces had fought gallantly in