Largest amphibious assault in the Pacific theater and costliest campaign featuring heavy Kamikaze attacks?

• A. Okinawa
• B. Iwo Jima
• C. Saipan
• D. Leyte Gulf

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is recognizing the scale of land-sea operations in the Pacific and the intensity of kamikaze warfare late in the war. Okinawa, fought April through June 1945 as Operation Iceberg, was the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific theater and also saw a massive, sustained kamikaze campaign against the Allied fleet. The invasion required broad, heavy Marine and Army landings supported by a huge naval and air force, and the Japanese unleashed hundreds of suicide attacks to try to repel or slow the invasion, causing significant ship damage and high casualties. While Iwo Jima and Saipan were important battles and Leyte Gulf was a major naval engagement, none matched Okinawa for the combination of the largest landing operation and the heavy kamikaze threat that defined the campaign.