Operation Downfall

[Minardiau]

'''Operation Downfall''' was the overall Allied plan for the invasion of Japan at the end of World War II. It was scheduled to occur in two parts: Operation Olympic, the invasion of Kyushu, set to begin in November 1945; and later Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshu near Tokyo, scheduled for the spring of 1946.

A summery

http://operation-downfall.brainsip.com/

More detailed information on the invasion.

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_downfall1.html

http://www.warbirdforum.com/olympic.htm

[ElHombre]

i recall a book about this subject. the allies would have suffered a defeat due to the weather taking a tuirn for the worse.

[Minardiau]

There is no doubt they would of won. Question remains were the casualty rates being predicted accurate.

I recall during GW1 they were expecting 30,000 casualties just to remove Iraq from Kuwaite.

[Kilgor]

They made 500,000 purple hearts for downfall, and still using them today !
The stockpile is no where near exhausted.

[Ea$y-8]

There is no doubt they would of won. Question remains were the casualty rates being predicted accurate.

I recall during GW1 they were expecting 30,000 casualties just to remove Iraq from Kuwaite.

the US explained that the reason to drop the A-bomb was because they thought they were going to take 1 million casualties when in fact it was expecting only 40,000 casualties or so I have heard.

[thegman]

The Japanese would've fought to the last man, women, and child if the US invaded Japan. So the question back then was choosing the lesser of two evils. But thats just what I think.

[oregongrunt]

They made 500,000 purple hearts for downfall, and still using them today !
The stockpile is no where near exhausted.
Many of the Purple Hearts given out now are new manufature. Maybe those old ones are showing their age.

[Mark Sman]

Downfall map
http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/web03/atlases/ww2%20pacific/ww2%20pacific%20%20pages/ww2%20pacific%20map%2050.htm