WW2/Battles of WW2/Date-by-Date/Pacific • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
The last and largest battle of the Pacific war — a three-month struggle for Okinawa marked by a fortified defense-in-depth, massed kamikaze attacks, and catastrophic civilian losses. (1 April – 22 June 1945)
Chronological Storyline (23 Milestones)
Apr 1, 1945 CE
Allied forces land on Okinawa
The U.S. Tenth Army, comprising Army and Marine divisions, landed on the Hagushi beaches of Okinawa with minimal initial resistance, launching the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007Okinawa 1945: Japan's Last Stand
Apr 5, 1945 CE
Japanese 32nd Army shifts strategy
General Mitsuru Ushijima's 32nd Army withdrew from forward positions to the fortified Shuri Line, opting for a defense-in-depth strategy to maximize American casualties rather than contesting the beaches. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
Apr 6, 1945 CE
First massed kamikaze wave hits fleet
Japanese forces launched the first major coordinated kamikaze attack against Allied naval forces around Okinawa, sinking or damaging numerous ships and marking the start of sustained suicide attacks. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze
US Naval fleet combat against inbound Japanese 'Kamikaze' suicide aircraft, footage captured by US Navy personnel photographer present during the battle. By Unknown author - United States Department of the Navy (edit of https://catalog.archives.gov/id/79004 at 3m56s?), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=152872997
Apr 6, 1945 CE
Operation Ten-Go: Yamato sorties and sinks
The Japanese battleship Yamato, escorted by light cruiser Yahagi and eight destroyers, sortied on a suicide mission to Okinawa but was sunk by overwhelming U.S. carrier aircraft, losing over 3,000 crew. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ten-Go
The Japanese battleship Yamato under attack by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft in the East China Sea on 7 April 1945, as a bomb explodes off its port side. The fire in the area of the aft 155mm turret can be clearly seen. By Unknown author - U.S. Navy photo L42-09.06.05, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44651
Apr 7, 1945 CE
U.S. forces seize Kadena and Yomitan airfields
American ground troops secured the Kadena and Yomitan airfields on Okinawa's western coast, providing critical forward air bases for supporting the ongoing ground campaign. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
Apr 9, 1945 CE
Marines engage Kakazu Ridge defenses
The 6th Marine Division encountered fierce Japanese resistance at Kakazu Ridge, part of the outer Shuri Line, where well-entrenched defenders repelled frontal assaults with devastating fire. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
Apr 12, 1945 CE
Roosevelt dies; Truman assumes command
President Franklin D. Roosevelt died suddenly, bringing Harry S. Truman into the presidency during the critical Okinawa campaign, with implications for the final prosecution of the Pacific War. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_Franklin_D._Roosevelt
Apr 13, 1945 CE
XXIV Corps assaults Machinato Line
General John Hodge's XXIV Corps launched attacks against the Machinato Line, a strong Japanese defensive position west of Shuri, meeting intense resistance from the Japanese 62nd Division. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
Apr 16, 1945 CE
6th Marine Division secures Motobu Peninsula
The 6th Marine Division completed the capture of the Motobu Peninsula in northern Okinawa after fierce fighting against Japanese delaying forces, securing the northern flank of the battlefield. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
Apr 19, 1945 CE
General Hodge launches offensive against Shuri Line
The XXIV Corps launched a major coordinated offensive against the Shuri Line with three divisions, but Japanese defenses in fortified caves and reverse slopes blunted the American advance. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
Apr 28, 1945 CE
U.S. forces break Machinato Line
After ten days of intense combat, American forces penetrated the Machinato Line, forcing Japanese defenders to fall back toward the main Shuri defensive positions. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
May 4, 1945 CE
Japanese counterattack at Shuri Line fails
General Ushijima ordered a major counterattack against American lines, but the poorly coordinated assault was devastated by U.S. artillery and naval gunfire, resulting in heavy Japanese losses. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
May 7, 1945 CE
Conical Hill assault cracks Shuri Line east
The 96th Infantry Division seized Conical Hill, a key terrain feature on the eastern flank of the Shuri Line, threatening to envelop Japanese positions and forcing adjustments in their defense. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
May 11, 1945 CE
USS Bunker Hill hit by two kamikazes
Two kamikaze aircraft struck the carrier USS Bunker Hill in quick succession, killing 393 sailors and wounding 264, one of the deadliest single-ship kamikaze incidents of the war. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bunker_Hill_(CV-17)
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) at sea in 1945. Note: The original photograph is dated 16 October 1945. Bunker Hill was still under repair at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington (USA), from kamikaze damage received on 11 May 1945 when the war ended in mid-August. On 27 September 1945, she sailed from Bremerton to report for duty with the Operation Magic Carpet fleet, being equipped to transport troops to return veterans from the Pacific as a unit of TG 16.12. The vessel made return trips to the U.S. West Coast from Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, and Guam and Saipan. In January 1946 the ship was ordered to Bremerton for deactivation, and was decommissioned into reserve on 9 January 1947. By Unknown author - U.S. Navy photo NH 42373, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63954
May 13, 1945 CE
Sugar Loaf Hill assault begins
The 6th Marine Division began a series of bloody assaults on Sugar Loaf Hill, a small but critical terrain feature in the Shuri Line, suffering heavy casualties over multiple days of intense combat. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
May 18, 1945 CE
Marines finally secure Sugar Loaf Hill
After eleven assaults and extremely heavy casualties, the 6th Marine Division finally secured Sugar Loaf Hill, a pivotal position that had blocked the American advance toward Shuri. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
May 21, 1945 CE
General Buckner shifts to envelopment strategy
General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. adjusted his strategy to envelop the Shuri Line from both flanks, committing the III Amphibious Corps to the west and XXIV Corps to the east. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
May 29, 1945 CE
U.S. forces capture Shuri Castle
American troops of the 1st Marine Division and 77th Infantry Division captured Shuri Castle, the headquarters of General Ushijima's 32nd Army, forcing the Japanese to retreat southward. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuri_Castle_(Okinawa)
Jun 1, 1945 CE
Japanese 32nd Army retreats to Kiyan Peninsula
General Ushijima withdrew the remnants of the 32nd Army to the Kiyan Peninsula in southern Okinawa, establishing final defensive positions for a last stand against advancing American forces. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
Jun 4, 1945 CE
General Buckner killed by Japanese artillery
General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., commander of the U.S. Tenth Army, was killed by Japanese artillery fire while observing front-line operations, becoming the highest-ranking American officer killed in the Pacific War. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Bolivar_Buckner_Jr.
Simon B. Buckner, Jr. as a Brigadier General By US gov - U.S. Army, A Complete History, The Army Historical Foundation, New York 2004, ISBN 978-0-88363-640-4, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74318990
Jun 11, 1945 CE
USS Drexler sunk by kamikazes
Two kamikaze aircraft sank the destroyer USS Drexler off Okinawa, killing 158 crewmen, part of the continuing suicide attacks that inflicted significant naval losses throughout the campaign. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Drexler_(DD-741)
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Drexler (DD-741) underway off Cape Elizabeth, Maine (USA), on 14 November 1944. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 11A. By Unknown author - U.S. Navy photo NH 107142, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1990654
Jun 17, 1945 CE
General Ushijima and staff commit suicide
General Mitsuru Ushijima and his chief of staff General Isamu Cho committed ritual suicide near Mabuni as American forces closed in, marking the effective end of organized Japanese command on Okinawa. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuru_Ushijima
Mitsuru Ushijima (July 31, 1887 – June 22, 1945) By Unknown author - http://www.mod.go.jp/gsdf/mae/14b/nogi/dcg/index.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1903290
Jun 22, 1945 CE
Okinawa declared secured by General Stilwell
General Joseph Stilwell, who succeeded Buckner, declared Okinawa secured, concluding 82 days of combat that killed over 12,000 Americans, 94,000 Japanese soldiers, and an estimated 100,000 Okinawan civilians. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1] By Staff Sergent Walter F. Kleine - Research at the National Archives: Pictures of World War II (specifically ww2_158.jpg). Identification number: 127-N-123170, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44007
![Two Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945. On the left, Davis Hargraves (1926–2011) provides covering fire with his M1 Thompson submachinegun as Gabriel Chavarria (on the right; 1926–2008), with a Browning Automatic Rifle, prepares to break cover to move to a different position. Wana Ridge was a long coral spine running out of northern Shuri Hill and was lined on both sides with Okinawan tombs. Japanese emplacements in the tombs and on the reverse slope of the ridge forced the Marines to carefully fight their way through the fortifications. A Japanese counterattack on the Marines on the ridge on 22 May was repelled. It is not known if this photo was taken before or after the Japanese counterattack. Note that the photographer has apparently taken the picture from a covered position behind the ridgeline.[1]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Ww2_158.jpg/500px-Ww2_158.jpg)
