ABSTRACT
The Battle for Okinawa was obviously lost, despite the brave face put on by the commanders in the field and in Tokyo. Generals simply do not commit suicide, even in Japan, when they have won a major battle, and the suicides were mounting. The country now waited for the invasion of the southern island of Kyushu. Resistance in the air proved negligible at best, as few airplanes were in flying condition despite desperate attempts to patch them up and return them to the air, if only with young untrained pilots. Fortifications appeared along the coast, including newly dug trenches and shelters, and the construction of single-plane protective concrete bunkers dotted the few remaining operational air bases.
