The Battle of Okinawa began on April 1, 1945 with the American invasion of the Japanese island of Okinawa and ended on June 30, 1945. From the Japanese perspective, Okinawa was the last line of defense to stand in the way of an Allied invasion of the main Japanese islands. Accordingly, the Allies planned to use Okinawa for air support for the planned invasion of the main islands. The fighting ended with the capture of the island by American troops. More than two-thirds of the Japanese defenders died in the course of the battle. There were also high casualties among the civilian population and on the American side. But it was also the first time that Japanese soldiers surrendered by the thousands.
