ABSTRACT
Many Japanese army and navy forces were deployed to different locations in the Ryukyu Islands from 1944. On the island of Okinawa, where the military forces were concentrated, military facilities including batteries were constructed and expanded. These included installations designed to protect the island from enemy air and naval attack. In this chapter, the author will draw on the results of extensive surveys and their own research in order to discuss the historical context surrounding the construction and operation of batteries on Okinawa during the Pacific War. By combining the results of the survey with the analysis of both army and navy records, it is possible to reveal not only information about the artillery itself, but also the wider structure and operational status of the batteries from a strategic point of view, including the communicative networks that existed between army and naval units.
