This study describes the air-sea offensive supporting the ground-force invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in February and April 1945, which led to the sinking of the Yamato and the onslaught of the Japanese kamikaze.
During the Pacific War, the island invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were the last two major ground campaigns. By the time these took place in early 1945, the US Navy had reached an exceptional level of coordination in its amphibious operations, and was able to overrun and subdue Japanese territories efficiently.
Faced with the increasing might of these forces and to prevent further defeat, Imperial Japan deployed its kamikaze aircraft and attacked many US heavy aircraft carriers and destroyers; several were sunk, while others were knocked out of the war.
This superbly illustrated book explores the air-sea aspects of the pivotal battles that took place, and includes the "death ride" of the Japanese battleship Yamato (the largest ever built), and the mass kamikaze attacks off Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as the Iwo Jima and Okinawa amphibious invasions and the naval and air bombardments of the two islands.
It also considers the contribution of the USAAF and the British Pacific Fleet to the eventual victory of US air and ground forces.

Brian Lane Herder graduated with a BA in History from the University of Kansas in 2003, and a Masters of Library Science from Emporia State University in 2009. He is a legislative librarian for the Kansas state government and his historical research interests include the US military, naval warfare, and World War II. He has published various titles with Osprey including NVG 286 US Navy Battleships 1895-1908 and NVG 293 US Navy Gunboats 1885-1945.

INTRODUCTION
The strategic setting
Origins of the campaign
CHRONOLOGY
OPPOSING COMMANDERS
Japanese
Allied
OPPOSING FORCES
Japanese
Allied
Operation Iceberg orders of battle, April 1, 1945
OPPOSING PLANS
Japanese
Allied
THE CAMPAIGN
Commencing Detachment, February 16-20, 1945
Kamikaze attacks against Fifth Fleet, February 21
Winning Iwo Jima, February 24-March 26
Iceberg preliminaries, March 1945
L-Day at Okinawa, April 1
The Great Onslaught: Kikisui No. 1, April 6-7
Ten-Ichi-Go: Yamato's death ride, April 6-7
Kikisui No. 2, April 12-13
Kikisui No. 3, April 16
Kikisui No. 4, April 27-28
Kikisui No. 5, May 3-4
Kikisui No. 6, May 10-11
Kyushu diversion, May 13-14
Air and naval gunfire support of Tenth Army
Kikisui No. 7, May 23-25
Kikisui No. 8, May 27-29
Okinawa secured, June-July 1945
Aftermath
The Warships Today
Further Reading
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Index