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By New Year's Day,
1945, it was obvious
the Japanese position
was hopeless.
Recent months had seen a succession of U.S. victories, but even veterans were stunned by the fanatical tenacity of the Japanese. The strategy of "islandhopping" across the Pacific towards Japan had proved highly effective, but there was no promise of an early end to the conflict. |
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 With U.S. forces closing in, the Japanese unleashed waves of "kamikazes" - suicide planes - in a last ditch effort to stave off defeat. During the battle for Luzon, in the Philippines (January 1945), kamikazes sank fifteen U.S. ships and damaged fifty more, but American forces were not deterred. In February, 1945, Iwo Jima fell after a ferocious month-long struggle, and the advance continued. Okinawa was next. |
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Aboard the destroyer
S.S. Little, radio- man/
clerk typist Joe Bini
saw action at Luzon,
and later at Iwo Jima
(Feb. 19-March 16,
1945.)
The U.S. fleet then steamed on towards Okinawa, the Pacific island closest to the Japanese mainland. 
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