The troops quickly secured both Kadena and Yontan airfields. Wave after wave of troops, tanks, ammunition and supplies went ashore almost effortlessly within hours. On D-Day, American troops fought hard for every inch of beachhead-but troops landing on Okinawa’s beaches surged inland with little resistance. But the Fifth Fleet’s offensive onslaught was almost pointless and landing troops could have literally swum to shore-surprisingly, the expected mass of awaiting Japanese troops wasn’t there. Soldiers and Army brass alike expected the beach landings to be a massacre worse than D-Day. WATCH Pacific: The Lost Evidence on HISTORY Vault Landing on the BeachheadsĪs dawn arrived on April 1, morale was low among American troops as the Fifth Fleet launched the largest bombardment ever to support a troop landing to soften Japanese defenses. Allied and Soviet troops had liberated much of Nazi-occupied Europe and were just weeks away from forcing Germany’s unconditional surrender. Okinawa Islandīy the time American troops landed on Okinawa, the war on the European front was nearing its end. Though it resulted in an Allied victory, kamikaze fighters, rainy weather and fierce fighting on land, sea and air led to a large death toll on both sides. The invasion was part of Operation Iceberg, a complex plan to invade and occupy the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa. Marine Corps troops descended on the Pacific island of Okinawa for a final push towards Japan. On April 1, 1945-Easter Sunday-the Navy’s Fifth Fleet and more than 180,000 U.S. Otherwise this is a gripping film with forceful storytelling about a remarkable war hero.The Battle of Okinawa (April 1, 1945-June 22, 1945) was the last major battle of World War II, and one of the bloodiest. If ever there was a case where less could have been more, this is it. One or maybe a few helmeted heads shredded or bodies bayonetted can convey much, but twenty deadens the senses. While it is an outstanding technical production, giving spectacle precedence over narrative is the film's Achilles Heel. The most outstanding element of this film, however, is its powerhouse hyper-realistic cinematography and spectacular set constructions that relentlessly convey the brutality of war. Together with a strong support cast that includes several big-name stars, this is a powerful ensemble that carries the story convincingly. While the early life and romance chapter drifts towards melodrama, Garfield is cast to perfection as the wide-eyed and straight talking man of unshakeable principle and Palmer convincingly plays his adorable emotional anchor. On both scores, this film deserves high praise. With an uncomplicated and factual narrative arc, the story rests on two pillars: acting and filming. The heroism depicted in this story is of such an extraordinary magnitude that it can easily overwhelm any consideration of the film's merits. The Ridge was eventually captured and Doss became one of the most decorated heroes of World War II. While the assault was forced to retreat under overwhelming enemy fire, Doss remained behind and single-handedly evacuated 75 casualties, lowering them by rope from an escarpment over 100 metres high. Branded a coward and bullied to leave, he was eventually granted conscientious objector status and became one of the troops sent to capture Hacksaw Ridge in the Battle of Okinawa of May 1945. Not long after meeting the one love of his life, nurse Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), he enlisted with the belief that he could serve his God unarmed and without killing enemy soldiers. A devout Seventh-day Adventist, he swore never to commit violence or even carry a weapon but felt duty-bound to enlist in the Army. Raised in bible best Virginia, Doss had a troubled upbringing under an abusive father. The film plays in two halves: the early life and romance of Army Medic Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) and the actual Battle of Hacksaw Ridge. If it were not a true story that celebrates an unusual hero the film could have been accused of a gratuitous display of unrelenting carnage and military triumphalism. The dramatic realism of modern digital effects spares little and many audiences will find Hacksaw Ridge (2016) one of the most violent sensory assaults that can be experienced in a cinema. Good war-films can be very disturbing to watch.
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