Off Okinawa, on the island of the super aircraft carrier USS Lincoln.

MacArthur, commander of the United States Far Eastern Forces, and General Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, looked at the densely packed Allied warships moored on the sea with excitement.

Such a large-scale landing operation will be the first time in the Far East.

As the top commanders of the war against the epidemic, the two of them could hardly maintain their image as five-star generals.

The coastline of the Okinawa Islands can already be seen, and the attack is imminent.

"Okinawa is indeed the most ideal springboard. As long as these islands are captured, Japan's destruction will be just around the corner!" MacArthur said with some high spirits.

Vice Admiral Fraser, commander of the British Pacific Fleet, blinked and suggested:

"How about we make a bet and see if the army can take Okinawa within half a month."

The spectacular and shocking scene in front of him made Lieutenant General Fraser extremely excited. He wanted to say a week, but thinking of what happened in the Philippine Islands, he hesitated and only dared to say half a month.

Lieutenant General Fraser's proposal quickly received a response from everyone. There was no gambling, just a drink and a meal.

After this little episode, time is almost up.

General Nimitz, commander of the Pacific Fleet, glanced at MacArthur, who was smoking a pipe. After seeing the latter nodding, he said to General Spruance, commander of the Fifth Fleet of the Pacific Fleet, and Lieutenant General Buckner, commander of the 10th Army:

"Two generals, wave your batons and let the symphony of war sound!"

Everyone stopped smiling and looked serious.

This is the first day of Operation Iceberg, and it is time for artillery preparations.

Orders were issued layer by layer, and soon the guns of all the warships roared.

The water was turbulent and the shells were raging.

Visible to the naked eye, the Okinawa coastline bursts into brilliant flames.

The naval guns roared first, followed by the aircraft carrier aircraft taking off one after another.

The first ones to pounce on Okinawa were ordinary propeller fighters. The jet fighters carried by the supercarriers Lincoln and Yorktown were in a state of combat readiness and needed to be alert to attacks by Japanese Sakura fighter jets.

Fighter planes flew over the coastline and dropped heavy bombs into the hinterland of Okinawa.

Cannons roared, fighter planes roared, and MacArthur and Nimitz vividly displayed the violent aesthetics of war.

"Whoa!"

"Hard, hard, blast all the Japanese monkeys into the sky!"

"Well done to the Navy!"

…………

Soldiers of the Army's 10th Army lay on the side of the troop carrier, waving their fists and shouting excitedly.

Some people also made various indescribable movements and shouted those words describing organs over and over again.

In Nimitz's plan, artillery preparations would last at least three days.

The Army troops and Marine Corps enjoyed rare meals on the ship for the past three days. The infantry troops would not begin to land until the battle headquarters estimated that the Japanese offensive on the island had been almost destroyed by artillery fire.

While naval guns and carrier-based aircraft were bombing Okinawa, Major General Li Mei, commander of the 20th Air Force, commanded a group of B29 bombers to carry a large number of incendiary bombs to bomb the Japanese island of Kyushu.

Kyushu Island, especially Nagasaki and other places, has been wiped out several times by China's super aerial fortresses and missiles.

Japan's apparent industry has been completely destroyed!

In order to enhance the sense of presence and ensure safety, while operating Iceberg, the 20th Air Force would continue to use incendiary bombs to bomb Kyushu.

Try to reduce the possibility of a sneak attack by the Japanese navy and army!

The rumble of cannons continued all day long and gradually stopped in the evening.

On July 16, the first day of the battle, the Allied forces occupied the Kerama Islands west of Okinawa.

A temporary ship docking base and material supply base were obtained.

Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, commander of Japan's 32nd Army, looked at the Allied fleet on the sea with the help of a telescope in the mountain fortifications.

Kerama has a narrow area and the island's rugged terrain is not conducive to building an airport.

Ushijima Mitsuru abandoned the Kerama Islands from the beginning and concentrated his forces on Okinawa.

In his telescope, he saw the huge Allied fleet ending its day's bombardment mission and slowly turning towards the Kerama Islands.

The corners of his mouth twitched and he snorted disdainfully.

Ushijima Mitsuru's plan was to open up roads and let tigers into the mountains. Therefore, the coastal fortifications detected by the Allies were false and were deliberately used by Ushijima Mitsuru to consume ammunition for naval guns and carrier-based aircraft.

During this whole day of bombing, the 32nd Army suffered almost no losses.

If the Allies did not adjust their bombing tactics in time, I am afraid that the 32nd Army would still be unscathed after the entire artillery preparation phase was over.

After an uneventful day, the Japanese soldiers of the 32nd Army and the forcibly recruited Ryukyu people breathed a sigh of relief, sighing in their hearts that the powerful Americans are nothing more than that.

As for the Allied forces, they captured the Kerama Islands with only bombing. The morale of the troops has improved somewhat, and at the same time, a feeling of underestimating the enemy is also spreading.

The daily showdown between the two sides has just begun. Neither side has given its all, and the real climax is yet to come.

…………

On the evening of July 16, in the countryside outside Tokyo.

Commander of the Third Fleet of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Seiichi Ito put on the vice admiral's uniform with the help of his wife.

The war on Okinawa has officially begun. As the commander of the maritime commando force, Ito Zhengichi will live on the Musashi from today on, waiting for the best opportunity for a sneak attack.

Ito Zhengyi has three daughters and one son.

My son is serving in the Navy and is already a lieutenant.

Among the three daughters, the eldest daughter and the second daughter have reached the age of marriage. However, due to the war, there were too few suitable Zhaohe men. The two daughters have never been able to get married and often stay with their mother.

Ito Zhengyi came from the countryside, and he also likes to live in the countryside.

Therefore, his family all escaped the Tokyo bombing by luck and are still in good health.

With tears in their eyes, the three daughters and their mother sent Ito out of the house.

Ito Zhengyi’s wife was a little dissatisfied with the performance of her daughters and scolded her in a low voice:

"Hold back your tears, your father works for the emperor!"

"It is extremely honorable and honorable to send a man off to war. You must not cry. You must smile and wish him victory!"

The three daughters pouted at the same time, tears welling up in their eyes as they forced themselves back.

Seiichi Ito is also a die-hard, but he is not as die-hard as Ushijima Mitsuru. He loves his family and hopes to always be with his wife and daughter.

As soon as he stepped out of the house, his wife heard instructions from behind:

"My dear, you are not allowed to enter this house if you lose the battle!"

The three daughters were shocked and looked at their mother in disbelief.

Ito turned around and smiled bitterly.

[Author's digression]: Third update, please vote.
Chapter completed!