After obliterating Japanese troops in the Battle of Iwo Jima in early 1945, the Allies set their sights on the island of Okinawa. The island’s dense foliage made it the perfect location for Japan’s last stand to protect the motherland. The Allies

also knew that securing Okinawa was critical to launching a successful Japanese invasion.
 

On 1st April 1945, the Battle of Okinawa (codenamed Operation Iceberg) saw the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theatre of World War II – a battle that would last 82 brutal days and would involve the Navy’s Fifth Fleet and more than 180,000 U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops. As US troops moved inland the Japanese Imperial Army had them walking into a triangle of defensive positions known as the Shuri Defense Line that resulted in ferocious and deadly fighting. As the battle intensified on land, the sea battle also raged.
 

On 7th April, Japan’s mighty battleship Yamato launched a surprise attack on the Fifth Fleet. Thankfully Allied submarines spotted the Yamato, alerted the Allied fleet who subsequently launched a crippling air attack – resulting in the mighty

battleship sinking with most of its crew. Kamikaze suicide pilots were Japan’s most ruthless weapon.
 

Some pilots steered their planes into ships causing catastrophic damage. These attacks were brutal with 26 ships sunk. But Japan’s desperate acts were for nothing. Rather than surrender, Lt. Ge. Ushijima and Japan’s Chief of Staff, General Cho committed ritual suicide on 22nd June - effectively ending the Battle of Okinawa. Both sides suffered enormous losses. The US

suffered over 40,000 casualties including over 12,000 killed. The Japanese losses were even greater with up to an estimated 110,000 soldiers dying. Victory in the Battle of Okinawa put Allied forces within striking distance of the Japanese mainland…
 

This .999 silver Proof coin commemorates the 75th anniversary of this most important of Pacific campaign. The design, approved by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, depicts the USS Idaho in the midst of battle set against the ominous spectre of

the Japan’s Rising Sun. Only 249 coins have been minted, so call now to ascertain availability.