Invasion of Okinawa WWII Large Photo Archive

World War II, Japan

Photo Archive

Extensive archive of 66 silver gelatin photographs from the Battle of Okinawa. World War II. Photos measure between 4 x 4 and 7.5 x 9 inches. Archive shows the American capturing of Okinawa, from the soldiers landing on the beach, trekking into the overgrown interior, passing through the remains of Japanese fortifications, and tending to wounded GIs in a field hospital. The first photo in the archive is of Major General Archibald Arnold aboard an amphibious landing craft with fellow Army soldiers before landing on the beaches of Okinawa. American shock troops are showing trudging through sand dunes, ready to overwhelm the Imperial Japanese holdouts with flamethrowers and light tank units. The battle of Okinawa, known by the Japanese as the "rain of steel," was the bloodiest in the Pacific with around 160,000 military casualties combined. One photo shows the pre-invasion bombardment from a birdseye view, where one can see how the Americans blanketed the island with explosive power prior to deploying ground troops. At least 149,425 Okinawan people were killed, died by suicide, or went missing by the end of the 82-day battle, roughly half of the island's pre-war population. It was also the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific Theater, which one can grasp the scale of in this archive. Several striking photographs show American soldiers administering IV's to wounded comrades still lying on the battlefield. In one, a soldier lies on a stretcher, his eyes closed, an IV drip hanging above him and the dirt walls with tufts of grass suggests his makeshift hospital bed is in a trench. Several photos show aerial views of the island under attack from allied bombs. Images of burning aircraft, civilians fleeing, wounded and fallen soldiers give grave testimony to the scope of destruction. Many of the images have versos marked with details including subject names and locations. Overall very good condition.

Item #18436

Price: $1,500.00