General pictures Okinawa as potent advance base
Much work needed to use its advantages – plans made by men who never saw island
By William McGaffin
Saturday, April 7, 1945
WITH THE U.S. TENTH ARMY ON OKINAWA – The general, who will command this island after its capture has been completed, is looking ahead to the time when it will be the Pearl Harbor of the Western Pacific – a more potent advance base even than Guam.
Among its assets, according to his view, are:
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It has a good fleet anchorage – one of those considered among the finest in the Far East.
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It has plenty of room in its 485-square-mile area for use as a staging base for troops and planes.
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It is close to Japan. From Naha, its capital city, to Kageshima, capital of Kyushu, southernmost of the Japanese mainland chain, is only as far as the distance from Chicago to Kansas City. Medium bombers can operate an effortless shuttle run to the mainland, a couple of hours’ flight.
Extra bombing arm
Thus, an extra bombing arm can be brought to bear, in addition to Superfortresses, flying out of the Marianas and Liberators, capable of attacking Japan from recently-captured Iwo Jima.
We have come a long way since December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was our nearest bombing base to Japan.
Much labor and material must be poured in, of course, before the island commander’s vision of a remodeled Okinawa becomes a powerful reality.
Some of the tasks
Here are some of the tasks on his list:
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Dredging of and pier construction on Nakagusuku Bay, the superior anchorage on the east coast, and on Chimu Bay, her sister anchorage on the north side of the west coast.
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Development of Okinawa’s six airfields into longer, sturdier airdromes.
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Transformation of the present “excellent network of poor roads” into several hundred miles of two-lane, modern, coral highways so that approaches can be made from two directions to any point on the island, at present a physical impossibility.
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Hospitals for Navy and Army personnel and Okinawa civilians.
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A health program for civilians, who are fortunately proving to be friendly, and a general effort to improve island sanitation.
Twice size of Guam
Okinawa, 60 miles in length and three to 10 miles wife, is more than twice the size of Guam, and it has a better climate. At present what construction is being done is exclusively for tactical purposes. but the island commander is ready with complete plans when his Marines and doughboys finish occupying the ground.
Incidentally, the commander is pretty proud of these plans, which bright young men on his staff drew up while thousands of miles away, with the aid only of photographs and maps. None of these “architects” had ever laid eyes on the place. Now they are able to start walking over the ground and checking their plans.
And the plans are proving to be so well drawn, according to the commander, that no changes are necessary.
“Even the sites we chose for dump locations are right on the beam,” says he, proudly.