Last amphibious assault in the Pacific

1st April 1945: Marines anticipating a deadly struggle to get ashore are surprised - as the Japanese on Okinawa stay ominously quiet

USS Idaho (BB-42), a New Mexico-class battleship shells Okinawa on 1 April 1945.

‘Armored amphibious tractors of a Marine battalion form into line as the first waves of the Leatherneck invaders commence the charge for the beach at Okinawa. April 1, 1945. The LVTs pictured are fitted with 75mm Howitzers.’

Okinawa, an island with a distinct culture and people, is also a prefecture of Japan. When the US forces landed on Japanese soil for the first time, they expected an even more ferocious defence than they had encountered on their previous island-hopping across the Pacific. This was the final stepping stone, 340 miles (550 km) away from mainland Japan. Significant casualties had been predicted for those landing in the first waves on the beaches.