This episode doesn't think much of Dwight D. Eisenhower. A good administrator, maybe, but a political dolt. In 1945, the Russians are closing in on Berlin from the east, only 50 miles away. The Western Allies are pushing in from the west. So who has the honor of taking the city? Without consulting anybody else, Eisenhower sends his armies south to Berchtesgaden, where it's rumored the Nazis might hole up. In Ike's thinking the enemy is the German army. Berlin is of no strategic importance. Churchill and Montgomery are infuriated. It's a symbolic and political decision. If the Soviets take Berlin, what's to prevent them from holding it against all comers? And in truth, Ike was a bit of an optimist and Stalin was running rings around him.
The invasion of Okinawa takes place in the Pacific, a strategic necessity. The Americans and Brits assemble the largest fleet ever. Hundreds of thousands of American servicemen -- Army, Navy, and Marines -- face a slightly lesser force of resolute Japanese who know they're doomed. The Japanese general is far from stupid. The landings take place without opposition. There are enemy forces dispersed to the north, along with conscripted Okinawan and Korean laborers, but most of the Japanese have had time to prepare a bafflingly intricate defense system among the rocky hills of the south. The Japanese have practically perfected the art of defensive warfare.
At sea, the Japanese launch the first massive waves of kamikaze attacks, airplanes loaded with fuel and bombs piloted by young men trained to do nothing but crash into American ships, and to do it effectively. In 3 days, 30 ships are sunk and more than 300 damaged. If anyone is interested in more detail about these assaults, I've reviewed Rielly's book, "Kamikazes, Corsairs, and Picket Ships: Okinawa, 1945," on Amazon.com.
The most powerful warship in the world, the Yamato, sails for Okinawa with enough fuel for only a one-way trip. It's the last roll of the dice. The Yamato and her small escort are attacked by more than 300 American aircraft and most of the ships are sunk. More than 3,000 lives are lost, including the Yamato's captain, who chooses to go down with his ship.
The episode ends with the desperate end of the Japanese Navy. On shore, so easy so far, the soldiers and Marines are about to be stopped by sudden, hellish resistance.