Defeat of Japan

In February 1945, the Americans launched an assault on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima and Okinawa from Tokyo. The steep beaches of soft volcanic ash were very difficult for landing and the Marines had to scramble ashore as best they could. The Japanese had dug their defences deeply into the lava of this volcanic island and it took the Americans a month of fighting to capture the island. Over 4000 Americans and 25000 Japanese died in the fighting.

Allied Landings on Iwo Jima

Amercians plant the Victory flag In Okinawa, closer to the Japanese mainland, the Americans met even more fanatical resistance. The Japanese navy made its last effort here with the giant battleship Yamato, a cruiser, and destroyers. The last fuel oil in Japan was just enough to take them to Okinawa, where they were to beach themselves and fight to the end. They were stopped on the way and sunk by US carrier strikes. Over 1200 Americans died in the struggle to capture Okinawa, and countless numbers of Japanese.

The Atomic Bomb Japan suffered an appalling heavy weight of bombing. The centres of five major cities were burnt out. On 6th August 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan, destroying most of the city and killing 70000 to 80000 people. Two days later another was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 40000 and injuring 60000. The Japanese finally surrendered and World War Two at last ended amid scenes of unimaginable death, horror and suffering.

Hiroshima after the A-Bomb

The use of the atomic bomb has been questioned on moral grounds. At the time it seemed justified as a means of avoiding the bloodbath of an invasion of Japan against fanatical resistance. Other possible motives were

  1. To defeat Japan before the USSR entered the war against her;

  2. To show results for the astronomical expenditure on developing the bomb;

  3. To warn Stalin off attempts to take more of Europe.