Operation Kikusui

Operation Kikusui
Part of the Battle of Okinawa, Pacific theater, World War II

US Navy aircraft carrier Enterprise struck by kamikaze aircraft
Date6 April 1945 to 22 June 1945
Location
seas around Okinawa
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States
 United Kingdom
Japan
Commanders and leaders
Marc Mitscher Matome Ugaki
Units involved

United States Pacific Fleet

British Pacific Fleet

Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Army

Strength
1,827 kamikaze aircraft (often accompanied by other aircraft)
Casualties and losses

Allied casualties attributed to Kikusui attacks and other sorties per Zaloga:[1]

  • 7,000+ sailors killed
  • 11 destroyers sunk
  • 6 other vessels sunk
  • 279 other vessels damaged

American casualties from kamikzae attacks (1944-1945) per Wolk and Hallion:[2]

  • 4,907 sailors killed
  • 4,824 sailors wounded
  • 218 ships damaged
  • 36 ships sunk
  • 763 carrier aircraft

Casualties from Kikusui attacks and additional sorties:[1]

  • 3,860 aircrew killed
  • ~2,500 aircraft destroyed

Operation Kikusui (菊水作戦, Kikusui sakusen) was a series of mass suicidal air attacks (kamikaze) by Imperial Japanese naval and army air forces during the Battle of Okinawa against Allied fleets in the waters around Okinawa.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Zaloga was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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