During my history class I noticed something most peculiar, during the battle of OKinawa US lost a total of 10,000 men, while the Japanese lost a total of 100,000 men. The Japanese have been prided as fierce fighters throughout World War 2, and had "home field advantage". Are these figures correct, or are these statistics distorted to make the US appear a better military?
I have seen similar figures quoted in histories of the battle that I came across, also the relevant issue of After The Battle. Lt-Col Eddie Bauers History of WWII gives 110,000, including conscripted civilians. The Japanese figures include many suicides as most soldiers (and many of the civilian inhabitants) would have done this to protect their honour rather than suffer the shame of surrender. Bauer states that only 7,800 Japanese were captured. Charles
Vasily: I don't have numbers at hand but I'll seek for them and try to bring them later. However, I must clarify something: the 110.000 for the Japanese and 10.000 for the Americans refer to KIAs, not losses —killed, wounded, missing, sick, captured, etc. Also have a list of the total number of Kamikaze attacks in Okinawa and the US Navy's naval losses.
S Foster Okinawa 1945 ISBN 0 304 35172 5 gives: US 10th Army 7032 killed 181 missing 31081 wounded US Navy 4907 killed 4824 wounded (note killed actualy exceeded wouded) native Okinawans 160 000 killed. This includes natives employed by the Japanese. Japanese strength 32nd army + air force and naval units on Okinawa c 77000. This force was destroyed.
