which pacific invasion was more dangerous Okinawa or Peleliu

which invasion do you think was harder

 

Okinawa for sure. The Japanese defenders were ten times as great.

US losses:
12,513 killed in action,
38,916 wounded,
33,096 non-combat losses

Peleliu

US losses:

1,794 killed
8,010 wounded

 

The question here should be which losses were of less worth to the overall conquest of the Pacific theater. In that case, those on Peleliu were the least justifiable.

The taking of Peleliu was "judged" vital early on to the invasion of the Philippines, but as the operation started to develop the need for securing that section was deemed "unimportant". It was bureaucratic/military mindset inertia which allowed the invasion of Peleliu.

Seemed like a good idea at the time, and by the time it wasn't a "good idea", the whole thing was already gaining momentum and couldn't be stopped with "grace". Of course by then the "powers that be" figured it was of so little consequence it would be a "walk over".

Wrong again.

 

Oh, was he asking that? I was referring to danger of Okinawa as an overall military target.

Well, Okinawa:

US :84,528 total casualties (including 33K non-battle loss)

Japan

101,536- 142,058 total casualties

US
9,804 total casualites

Japan
10,897 total casualites

Given the far fewer numbers of US personnel involved in the total operation (with half a million at Okinawa and 2 divisions at Pelieu), Pelieu seems pound for pound more dangerous if it is from the perspective of the average marine.

 

I quess the difference is the "reason" for the loss. Peleliu had been determined a "non-essential", and was probably the most stupid loss of American life since the Aleutian Island "offensive".

Which BTW; was the second most (until Iwo Jima) costly American operation. By percentage of troops commited, to casualties. Meant nothing, and still a matter of "American pride". We sent troops equipped for war in temperate climes to the nastiest area of the American possesions. And then told them as the deployed don't even "bother to take more than your tootbrush, this won't last three days".

It lasted months, just like Iwo. Opps.

We needed Okinawa as a base for staging "Olympia" of the overall "Downfall" operation. It simply had to be taken, the cost was not the problem. The necessity of holding the place should be considered first.