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The Battle for Okinawa Trivia Quiz

The information in this quiz is primarily taken from the 1973 book "The Battle for Okinawa" by Colonel Hiromichi Yahara, Senior Staff Officer of the 32nd Army. He was the highest ranking Japanese officer to leave Okinawa alive.

A multiple-choice quiz by HurricaneBill. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
HurricaneBill

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
272,478

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
959

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 69 (3/10), Guest 67 (4/10), Guest 96 (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What was the date of the American invasion of the Island of Okinawa? Hint

August 7, 1942

June 6, 1944

April 1, 1945

February 19, 1945

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Question 2 of 10

2. What were the primary American forces which invaded Okinawa? Hint

Tenth Army

Second Marines

Third Marines

Fifth Marines

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Question 3 of 10

3. Who was the general commanding the American invasion forces? Hint

Alexander Vandegrift

Roy Geiger

Douglas MacArthur

Simon Bolivar Buckner

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Question 4 of 10

4. What part did the 25,000 man Japanese 9th Division play in the defense of Okinawa? Hint

None. It was moved from Okinawa to the Philippines in December, 1944

It valiantly opposed the Americans from underground bunkers

It valiantly opposed the Americans on the invasion beaches.

It was annihilated near Naha in the 4th to 7th weeks after the invasion

5. Few Japanese soldiers were ever taken alive but of those who were, when asked for their names so that - in accordance with the Geneva Convention - their status could be reported to their homeland, they invariably responded "Naichi e namae wo shirasetakunai." How did this translate? Hint

I do not follow those rules

Please say I was captured while wounded

I am not required to say anything

I do not want my name sent to the homeland

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Question 6 of 10

6. When Colonel Yahara first arrived at Okinawa, he said the relaxed atmosphere on the island reminded him of which of the following? Hint

Pre-war Berlin

Pre-war suburbs of New York City

Pre-war Rome

Small towns in the southern US.

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who was the commander of the Japanese 32nd Army on Okinawa? Hint

Maj. Gen. Isamu Cho

Lt. Gen. Mitsuru Ushijima

Lt. Gen. Watanabi

Maj. Gen. Kitagawa

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Question 8 of 10

8. What role did the 4,000 troops of the Japanese First Infantry play in the defense of the main island of Okinawa? Hint

None. The ship carrying them was sunk en route to the island.

They killed and wounded thousands of US troops at the invasion beaches

None. They had been posted to the island of Daitojima

Very little as they were annihilated in a last-dicth "banzai" charge

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Question 9 of 10

9. As it was considered a great disgrace for any member of the Japanese military to be taken alive, how did Colonel Yahara become a prisoner? Hint

He was wounded and was found unconscious

He was captured while posing as a civilian teacher

He became confused in the shelling and walked into an American position

He was driven mad by the shelling and surrendered

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Question 10 of 10

10. On the evening of April 23, 1945, Lt. Col. Kaya's forces moved to underground shelters on Maeda Hill. When the Americans were attacking the hill, Colonel Kaya, "famous for ingenuity" harassed the enemy by dropping what on them? Hint

Fire bombs

Human excrement

Hand grenades

Flaming bamboo poles

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was the date of the American invasion of the Island of Okinawa?

Answer: April 1, 1945

June 6, 1944 was the allied invasion of Europe, February 19, 1945 was the American Invasion of Iwo Jima and August 7, 1942 was the American invasion of Guadalcanal.

2. What were the primary American forces which invaded Okinawa?

Answer: Tenth Army

Unlike most American invasions of Japanese-held islands in the Pacific, this one was led by the Army. The First and Sixth Marines participated and the Second Marines were in reserve afloat.

3. Who was the general commanding the American invasion forces?

Answer: Simon Bolivar Buckner

Vandegrift was the over-all commander of the Marine invasion forces from Guadalcanal, MacArthur was not involved as he was leading forces in a different area of the Pacific, and Geiger was in command of the First and Sixth Marines which participated in the invasion. Lt Gen. Buckner was killed on Okinawa by Japanese artillery.

4. What part did the 25,000 man Japanese 9th Division play in the defense of Okinawa?

Answer: None. It was moved from Okinawa to the Philippines in December, 1944

The fact that it was moved from Okinawa to the Philippines in December, 1944 caused Yahara to change the defense plans of Okinawa from an attempt to repulse the Americans at the beach-head as he no longer had sufficient strength to do that. Now, it was to become a battle of attrition with interlocking dugouts and pillboxes.

Answer: I do not want my name sent to the homeland

Lt. JG Frank B. Gibney, USNR, who was assigned to interrogate Japanese prisoners and who wrote a chapter in the 1995 English-language publication of Yahara's book, said that many of the prisoners feared reprisals on their families at home so they would chose an alias.

A large number would use Kazuo Hasegawa, who was a famous Kabuki actor and as well known in Japan as Frank Sinatra was in the US. Others would hastily make up a name and then forget it later which made identification difficult. When the prisoners would talk, he said, they were apparently not told what they could not reveal and freely gave any information they had.

In fact, being surprised at their good treatment, many wrote leaflets advocating surrender.

6. When Colonel Yahara first arrived at Okinawa, he said the relaxed atmosphere on the island reminded him of which of the following?

Answer: Small towns in the southern US.

Yahara was graduated from the Military Academy in Japan in 1923 and in 1926 he entered the War College and after that, being recognized for his intelligence and hard work, he was assigned to the serve in the War Ministry. After service there he served two years as an exchange officer in the United States.

This included six months with the troops of the US 8th Infantry and attache service in Washington. Because of this, he learned a great deal about America and its people.

7. Who was the commander of the Japanese 32nd Army on Okinawa?

Answer: Lt. Gen. Mitsuru Ushijima

Maj. Gen. Isamu Cho was Lt. Gen. Mitsuru Ushijima's chief of staff. Watanabi had been in charge of the 32nd Army on Okinawa until he was transferred because of poor health in August, 1944, and Kitagawa was his chief of staff.

8. What role did the 4,000 troops of the Japanese First Infantry play in the defense of the main island of Okinawa?

Answer: None. The ship carrying them was sunk en route to the island.

The general opinion of the Japanese and the General Staff was that the Americans would follow their victory in the Marianas by seizing Daitojima and use it as a foothold to swoop down on the Ryukyus, therefore it should be strengthened. When asked, Col. Yahara opined that Daitojima was just an "isolated rock" 300 kilometers east of Okinawa and of no strategic value.

He believed an aggressive enemy would strike at Okinawa directly. The General Staff eventually came around to Yahara's thinking and dispatched the First Infantry to Okinawa but the ship carrying it (the Toyama Maru) was sunk by the Americans before it could arrive. Yahara knew the battle could not be won but that a long battle would enable Japan to have the time to prepare the defense of the home islands for the anticipated invasion.

9. As it was considered a great disgrace for any member of the Japanese military to be taken alive, how did Colonel Yahara become a prisoner?

Answer: He was captured while posing as a civilian teacher

His commanding generals ordered him to try to escape so he could report to the Army and the Emperor. He tried posing as a civilian to avoid capture so he could carry out his duty but the mission failed. He was later criticized by Major Naomichi Jin, the 32nd Army's air officer, who did manage to follow orders and get to Japan in order to secure more air support. Jin's complaint was not that Yahara failed to complete his mission but that he allowed himself to be taken alive.

Answer: Human excrement

Colonel Kaya was following the tradition of Masashige Kusunoki, the great fourteenth century warrior.

Source: Author HurricaneBill

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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