Minoru Ōta was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, and the final commander of the Japanese naval forces defending the Oroku Peninsula during the Battle of Okinawa.
Admiral Minoru Ōta
Japanese commanders on Okinawa prior to the Battle of Okinawa
The Commander's Room of the underground Naval Headquarters. Ōta committed suicide here.
Last telegram to Vice-Admiral.（Japanese modern translation ）
The Battle of Okinawa , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army. The initial invasion of Okinawa on 1 April 1945 was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II. The Kerama Islands surrounding Okinawa were preemptively captured on 26 March by the 77th Infantry Division. The 82-day battle lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were planning to use Kadena Air Base on the large island of Okinawa as a base for Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands, 340 mi (550 km) away.
1st Marine Regiment during fighting at Wana Ridge during the Battle of Okinawa, May 1945
Tekketsu Kinnōtai child soldiers on Okinawa
The super battleship Yamato explodes after persistent attacks from US aircraft.
American aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill burns after being hit by two kamikaze planes within 30 seconds.
