By the Spring of 1945, the American strategy of island hopping had been so successful that essentially all Japanese holdings outside of Japan had been captured. The Americans now set their sights on Japan itself. But, in order to bombard and potentially launch a massive invasion force, it needed the Okinawa Prefecture which included the larger island of Okinawa as well as smaller islands surrounding it. From here, the Allies could launch bombing raids into the heart of the Japanese industrial complex.
The invasion begain on April 1, 1945 and within a week, two major airfields had been captured, repurposed, and made available to Marine fighter pilots. For the next month and a half, Marines would fight for the island and the surrounding islands while being protected by their fighter pilots in Corsairs, courtesy of Marine Air Group 31 and others. Waves of kamikaze pilots streamed in through the battle and many ships were lost despite the significant kill count of the USMC Corsair pilots. Bombing raids were conducted by the USAAF contingent assigned to the Tactical Air Force, Tenth Army.
This FSO is set before and during the Battle of Okinawa. USMC Corsairs along with USAAF bombers and escorts will prepare the island and provide close escort in the way of ground attack as the battle for Japanese territory progresses.
FRAME 1: 06 January 2023
FRAME 2: 13 January 2023
FRAME 3: 20 January 2023
http://www.ahevents.net/index.php/fso-setups/37-pacific-theatre/1327-the-last-hop-okinawa-1945
