Military thinking up to this time was that an assault on mainland Japan was inevitable. The factors and characteristics clearly demonstrate what the costliest battle was about and its impact on American military thinking. The Battle of Okinawa is singularly unique in so many ways and stands apart from all other battles in World War II. At Truk, the Japanese naval base was virtually destroyed by American aircraft. The Japanese needed to retain Okinawa after the Japanese naval disaster at Truk in February, 1944, and to keep the defense of Japan as far removed from the homeland as possible. The Americans wanted control of Okinawa because it had four airfields and could support tactical and strategic air operations. It is about sixty miles long and ranges from two to eighteen miles wide and held strategic value for both the Americans and the Japanese. Okinawa is the largest of the Ryukyus Islands and lies 350 miles from mainland Japan. The Battle for Okinawa, April 1 to June 22, 1945, was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. Some of the 1,500 ships and vessels that stretched to the horizon.
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