This film from the end of the Second World War was produced by the U.S. Navy as part of the industrial incentive scheme, and shows the naval engagements that took place during the invasion of Okinawa. It opens with a note informing viewers that this was the final battle fought by the Navy in WW2 and it had the greatest concentration of ships in men in all of history thus far (:09). The film is presented by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard (:38). Explosions as warships fire shells at shoreline installations open the film (:59). A barrage leads to a long line of successive explosions (1:51). British allied forces were attacking to the south at the bypass fortress of Formosa (1:56). Fukushima is seen being hit with shell fire and bombs (2:02). Task Force 58, under the command of Admiral A. Mitscher, stepped up their continued aerial assault on Kyushu (2:24) and targeted Japanese shipping, harbors, air fields and factories. Men of the Navy called the day “Love Day” while in the rest of the world it was Easter Sunday (4:08). In the morning, Marine and Army forces moved in for a beach landing (4:20) and footage follows as troops spill out from amtraks (4:26) / amtracs. 100,000 men were sent ashore (4:33). The first week of the landing was mysteriously quiet and men aboard the 1,400 ships supporting the invasion are seen searching the skies anticipating an attack (5:24). The first Japanese Kamikaze corps plane arrives and takes a suicide dive onto one of the 1,400 ships (5:43). Men of the Japanese Kamikaze corps wore red sashes (5:56) and their target was the deck or hull of any American ship (6:00). Another Kamikaze plane drops near a ship and explodes in the water (6:12). The Kamikaze corps was considered to be Japan’s secret weapon, though U.S. forces were very familiar with them as they had been hitting in the Pacific for months (6:22). In this final attempt, Japan sent every plane it could fly (6:37). Combat continued into the night as gunfire and explosions light up the darkness (8:59). This Navy fleet was the “fleet that came to stay” as it had to support the land invasion (10:21). Foot soldiers are seen moving through rice paddies and over ridges as the fleet provided close support (10:48). Strikes were ordered from the air control room aboard the command ship (10:59). A brigade of ships was set up across the waters to provide the men with a steady line of supply (11:41). Kamikaze fighters are seen at the end of the long supply line (11:55). A Japanese plane is seen hit and breaking apart into the water (12:15). Troops simultaneously fixed their own ships and continued on fighting (13:20). As a plane lands on an aircraft carrier, a missile breaks loose and runs across the deck without exploding (13:39). US forces received news of President Roosevelt’s death on April 13th, 1945 and take a moment to pay respects (14:34) before continuing to fight (15:06). The fighting would continue for three months (15:10). Only about 10% of enemy crafts made it through the US air patrol (15:16). Watchmen on the early hours of May 9th received news of Victory Day in Europe (15:59) or VE-Day though the Pacific war still carried on (16:21). Heavy batteries of cruisers, destroyers, and battleships fired against the hills of Okinawa (16:35). A headline from Washington Post reads “Navy Okinawa Casualties Near 10,000” (18:03). An impressive shot of black smoke puffs in the sky above popping white splashes along the water during intense combat follows (18:20). The film concludes just after a note informing citizens to continue to buy Victory bonds to ensure the end of the war (18:35).

The Battle of Okinawa, Apr 1, 1945 – Jun 22, 1945, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Marine and Army forces against the Imperial Japanese Army.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com