|
I gennem hele [[Stillehavskrigen]] kunne [[de Allierede]], i modsætning til [[2. verdenskrig i Europa|det europæiske operationsområde]], ikke blive enige om en enkelt [[øverstkommanderende]] ({{lang-en|Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C)}}). Den Allierede ledelse var delt op i regioner: i 1945, var Chester Nimitz, for eksempel, ''de Allieredes øverstkommanderende for Stillehavsområderne'' ({{lang-en|Supreme Allied Commander, [[South West Pacific Area]]}}), mens Douglas MacArthur var ''øverste allierede kommanderende for det sydvestlige stillehavsområde '' ({{lang-en|Supreme Allied Commander, [[South West Pacific Area]]}}). En samlet kommando blev anset for nødvendig til en invasion af Japan. Diskussionerne mellem de forskellige værn, om hvem det skal være ([[United States Navy|den amerikanske flåde]] ønskede Nimitz, mens [[United States Army|den amerikanske hær]] ønskede MacArthur), var så alvorlig, at det truede med at afspore planlægningen. I sidste ende delvist trak flåden sig delvist, og MacArthur skulle have fuld kommando over alle styrker, hvis omstændighederne gjorde det nødvendigt.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', s. 55–57.</ref>
===Considerations Overvejelser ===
TheDe primaryprimære considerationsbetragtninger, thatsom theplanlæggerne plannersvar hadnødt totil dealat withbeskæftige weresig timemed andvar casualties—howtid theyog couldtab, forcehvordan Japan'sde surrenderkunne astvinge quicklyJapans asovergivelse possibleså hurtigt som muligt, withmed asså fewfå Alliedallierede casualtiestab assom possiblemulig. PriorForud to thefor [[Quebec Conference, 1943-konferencen|1943 Quebec-konferencen Conferencei 1943]], audarbejdede jointen Britishfælles britisk-Americanamerikansk planningplanlægningsgruppe, teamen producedplan a("Vurdering og plan (til Japans nederlag", {{lang-en|Appreciation and Plan for the Defeat of Japan"}}), whichsom didikke notopfordrede calltil for anen invasion ofaf thede Japanesejapanske homehjemmeøerne islandsindtil until 1947–1948[[1947]]-[[1948]].<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', ps. 37.</ref><ref>Spector, 276–277.</ref> TheDen Americanamerikanske [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] believedmente, thatat prolongingforlænge thekrigen wari toen suchsådan angrad extentvar was dangerousfarligt for nationalden moralenationale moral. Instead, at thePå Quebec conference-konferencen, thebesluttede [[Combined Chiefs of Staff]], agreedi thatstedet, at Japan shouldbør bevære forcedtvunget totil surrenderat notovergive moreikke thanmere oneend yearet afterår efter [[VE day-dag|Germany'sTysklands surrenderovergivelse]].
The [[USUnited States Navy|Den amerikanske flåde]] urgedopfordrede thetil useanvendelsen ofaf [[blockadeblokade]]r andog airpowerbrug toaf bringluftstyrker, aboutfor Japan'sat capitulationopnå Japans kapitulation. TheyDe proposedforeslog, operationsaktioner totil captureat airbaseserobre inluftbaser nearbyi det nærliggende [[Shanghai,]] Chinai [[Kina]], andog [[Korea]], whichhvilket wouldville give the [[USUnited States Army Air Forces]] aen seriesrække offremskudte forwardluftbaser, airbaseshvorfra fromman whichville tokunne bombardbombardere Japan intotil submissionunderkastelse.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', ps. 44–50.</ref> The [[USUnited States Army|Den amerikanske hær]], onfremførte thepå otherden handanden side, arguedat thaten suchsådan astrategi strategy couldkunne "prolongforlænge thekrigen warpå indefinitelyubestemt tid" andog expendforbruge livesliv needlesslyunødvendigt, andog thereforeat thatdet anderfor invasionvar wasnødvendig necessary.med Theyen supportedinvasion. mountingDe astøttede large-scalestarten thrustaf directlyet againststorstilet thefremryk Japanesedirekte homeland,mod withdet nonejapanske ofhjemland, theog sideingen operationsaf thatde thesideoperationer, Navysom hadflåden suggestedhavde foreslået. Ultimately,I thesidste Army'sende viewpointvandt, hærens wonsynspunkt.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', ps. 53–54.</ref>
Physically,Fysisk var Japan madeet frygtindgydende mål, med kun annogle imposingfå targetstrande, withder fewvar beachesegnet suitable fortil invasion. OnlyKun Kyūshū (theden southernmostsydligste islandø ofi Japan) andog thestrandene beaches of theved [[Kantō region|Kantō plain]]sletten (bothbåde southwestsydvest andog southeastsydøst offor [[Tokyo]]), madevar suitablepassende invasion zonesinvasionszoner. TheDe Alliesallierede decidedbesluttede toat launchiværksætte aen twoto-stagetrins invasion. Operation ''Olympic'' wouldville attackangribe southerndet sydlige Kyūshū. AirbasesLuftbaser wouldskulle beblive establishedetableret, whichhvilket wouldville give coverdækning for Operation ''Coronet'', theangrebet attack oni [[Tokyo Bay-bugten]].
===Assumptions Antagelser ===
WhileMens theJapans geographygeografi ofvar Japankendt, wasvar known,de theamerikanske USmilitære militaryplanlæggere plannersnødt hadtil toat estimateskønne thede defendingforsvarende forcesstyrker, thatsom theyde wouldville faceblive udsat for. BasedBaseret onpå intelligenceefterretninger available, earlyder invar 1945,tilgængelig theiri assumptionsbegyndelsen includedaf the1945, omfattede deres antagelser followingfølgende:<ref name="sutherland">[[Richard K. Sutherland|Sutherland, Richard K.]] ''et al.'', [http://carlisle-www.army.mil/cgi-bin/usamhi/DL/showdoc.pl?docnum=20 ''"DOWNFALL": Strategic Plan for Operations in the Japanese Archipelago'']{{dead link|date=August 2011}}; [[28. Maymaj]] [[1945]]. ([http://www.blackvault.com/documents/wwii/marine1/1239.pdf PDF available here.] Retrieved DecemberHentet [[4,. december]] [[2006]].)</ref>
*"At operationer i dette område ikke kun vil imod de tilgængelige organiserede militære styrker i Kejserriget, men også af en fanatisk fjendtlig befolkning." ({{lang-en|That operations in this area will be opposed not only by the available organized military forces of the Empire, but also by a fanatically hostile population."}})<ref name="sutherland"/>
*"At cirka tre (3) fjendtlige divisioner ville være disponeret i det sydlige KYUSHU og yderligere tre (3) i det nordlige KYUSHU ved indledningen af OLYMPIC-operationen." ({{lang-en|That approximately three (3) hostile divisions will be disposed in Southern KYUSHU and an additional three (3) in Northern KYUSHU at initiation of the OLYMPIC operation."}})<ref name="sutherland"/>
*"At det samlede fjendtlige styrker sat ind mod KYUSHU-operationer ikke vil overstige otte (8) til ti (10) divisioner, og at dette niveau vil være hurtigt nået." ({{lang-en|That total hostile forces committed against KYUSHU operations will not exceed eight (8) to ten (10) divisions and that this level will be speedily attained."}})<ref name="sutherland"/>
*"At cirka enogtyve (21) fjendtlige divisioner, herunder reservedivisioner, vil være på HONSHU ved indledningen af [''Coronet''], og at fjorten (14) af disse divisioner kan være anvendt i KANTOSLETTE-området." ({{lang-en|That approximately twenty-one (21) hostile divisions, including depot divisions, will be on HONSHU at initiation of [''Coronet''] and that fourteen (14) of these divisions may be employed in the KANTO PLAIN area."}})<ref name="sutherland"/>
*"At fjenden kan tilbagekalde sine landbaserede luftstyrker til det asiatiske fastland til beskyttelse fra vores neutraliserende angreb. At under sådanne omstændigheder kan han muligvis samle fra 2.000 til 2.500 fly i dette område ved udøvelsen af stive økonomi, og at denne styrke kan operere mod KYUSHU-landgange ved mellemstationer gennem marker i hjemlandet." ({{lang-en|That the enemy may withdraw his land-based air forces to the Asiatic Mainland for protection from our neutralizing attacks. That under such circumstances he can possibly amass from 2,000 to 2,500 planes in that area by exercise of rigid economy, and that this force can operate against KYUSHU landings by staging through homeland fields."}})<ref name="sutherland"/>
===''Olympic''===
[[ImageFil:Operation Olympic.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Operation ''Olympic'' wasskulle toangribe attackdet southernsydlige Japan.]]
[[ImageFil:Operation Coronet.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Operation ''Coronet'' wasvar plannedplanlagt totil takeat indtage Tokyo.]]
Operation ''Olympic'', invasionen af Kyūshū, skulle begynde på "X-Day", som var planlagt til den [[1. november]] [[1945]]. Den kombinerede allierede flådearmada ville have været den største nogensinde samlet, med 42 [[hangarskib]]e, 24 [[slagskib]]e og 400 [[destroyer]]e og destroyereskorter. Fjorten amerikanske divisioner var planlagt til at deltage i de indledende landgange. Ved hjælp af Okinawa som en samlingsbase, ville formålet have været at erobre den sydlige del af Kyūshū. Dette område vil så blive brugt, som et yderligere samlingssted for derefter at angribe Honshū i Operation ''Coronet''.
''Olympic'' wasville alsoogså toinkludere includeen avildledningsplan, [[deception]]der plan,var knownkendt assom [[Operation Pastel|Operation ''Pastel'']]. ''Pastel'' wasvar designeddesignet totil convinceat thefå Japanesejapanerne thattil theat tro, at Joint Chiefs hadhavde rejectedafvist theideen notionom of aen directdirekte invasion andog insteadi werestedet goingskulle toman attemptforsøge toat encircleomringe andog bombardbombardere Japan. ThisDette wouldvil requirekræve capturingat baseserobre inbaser på [[Taiwan (ø)|Formosa]], alonglangs theden Chinesekinesiske coast,kyst andog ini thedet [[ YellowGule SeaHav]] area.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', ps. 160.</ref> ▼Operation ''Olympic'', the invasion of Kyūshū, was to begin on "X-Day", which was scheduled for November 1, 1945. The combined Allied naval armada would have been the largest ever assembled, including 42 [[aircraft carrier]]s, 24 [[battleship]]s, and 400 [[destroyer]]s and destroyer escorts. Fourteen US divisions were scheduled to take part in the initial landings. Using Okinawa as a staging base, the objective would have been to seize the southern portion of Kyūshū. This area would then be used as a further staging point to attack Honshū in Operation ''Coronet''.
▲''Olympic'' was also to include a [[deception]] plan, known as [[Operation Pastel|Operation ''Pastel'']]. ''Pastel'' was designed to convince the Japanese that the Joint Chiefs had rejected the notion of a direct invasion and instead were going to attempt to encircle and bombard Japan. This would require capturing bases in [[Taiwan|Formosa]], along the Chinese coast, and in the [[Yellow Sea]] area.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 160.</ref>
The [[Twentieth Air Force]] was to have continued its role as the main Allied [[strategic bombing|strategic bomber]] force used against the Japanese home islands. Tactical air support was to be the responsibility of the [[United States Far East Air Force|U.S. Far East Air Forces]] (FEAF)—a formation which comprised the [[Fifth Air Force|Fifth]], [[Seventh Air Force|Seventh]] and [[Thirteenth Air Force]]s—during the preparation for the invasion. FEAF was responsible for attacking Japanese airfields and transportation arteries on Kyūshū and Southern Honshū (''e.g.'' the [[Kanmon Tunnel]]) and for attaining and maintaining air superiority over the beaches.
|
