Operation Iceberg: The Invasion and Conquest of Okinawa in World War II - Softcover

Astor, Gerald

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0440221781 ISBN 13: 9780440221784

Publisher: Dell, 1996

Synopsis

A unique re-creation of one of the century's most decisive battles--the terrible, four-month conflict that preceded by a scant eight weeks the Japanese surrender on V-J Day.  Operation Iceberg, as it was known, saw the fiercest attack of kamikazes in the entire Pacific Theater of War.  The U. S. fleet suffered severe losses: 34 ships sunk, 368 damaged, 5,000 sailors killed and 5,000 more wounded.  Before the Japanese, with a garrison of 100,000, finally surrendered, 7,700 American soldiers were killed and 31,800 were wounded.
In Operation Iceberg Gerald Astor draws on the raw experience of marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen under fire, from generals and admirals to correspondents, line officers and enlisted men on both sides of the battle lines.  Their accounts are dramatic and graphic, brutal and awe-inspiring.  Based on these first-hand accounts, and presenting a view of the battle that places it in the greater context of the entire Pacific theater, Operation Iceberg  is a remarkable account of the last great battle of World War II.

About this title

From Library Journal:

On this 50th anniversary of the battle of Okinawa (April to June 1945), we can expect an avalanche of titles about this last major battle of World War II. Okinawa was an epic amphibious-air-sea-land battle the likes of which may never be seen again. The conflict raged for 83 days; 13,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese perished. Kamikazes sank 34 and damaged 361 U.S. vessels. Both Astor and Leckie are experienced military historians who tell their stories in the words of participants. Astor interviewed numerous veterans and compiled a masterful account of the battle as seen through the eyes of both American and Japanese survivors. He explores the history, training, and morale of the army and marine divisions and demonstrates why each was bound to succeed or fail. On the other hand, Leckie has written a "Monarch Notes" version of the battle that tells us nothing new. For the best history of the Okinawa campaign, readers should consider James and William Belote's Typhoon of Steel: The Battle for Okinawa (1970).?Stanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

On April 1, 1945, a combined Army-Navy-Marine force landed on Okinawa for what turned out to be the last major battle of WWII. In Astor's panoramic overview, nearly 100 American and Japanese survivors recall the fighting, each voice bearing out the author's contention that "the savagery of combat on Okinawa over a period of three months epitomized war at its worst." By June 20, 1945, General Simon Buckner's Tenth Army had conquered the island, though Buckner himself had been killed two days before. Statistics alone convey the epic scale of the battle: 12,520 American and 110,071 Japanese killed; 763 U.S. and 7700 Japanese planes destroyed. In this first-rate account of the tactical ebb and flow, Astor (Battling Buzzards) brings into focus the bitter rivalry between the Army and Marines during the campaign. And he incidentally tells the story of the last days of Ernie Pyle, the war's most celebrated correspondent, including details of Pyle's little-known sojourn with the Marines. Pyle was killed by a sniper on April 18, 1945. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dell
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0440221781
• ISBN 13: 9780440221784
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 576