Angus Konstam, Okinawa 1945 (Osprey, 2026)
Having been all but swept from the seas in the Far East, and with their attention elsewhere, it took until Spring 1944 for the Royal Navy to establish a high seas fleet in that theatre. This was the British Pacific Fleet, which was rebranded Task Force 57 to work alongside US forces as their invasion of Okinawa approached. The Royal Navy’s mission was to bomb Japanese airfields, but that drew the attention of the infamous kamikaze suicide attacks. Angus Konstam narrates that story.
Konstam sets up his story by analysing the forces involved. Task Force 57 laboured under logistical problems, relying on a fleet train of supply ships sailing back and forward to Australia from the Task Force’s operational area. TF57 used radar to track enemy aircraft, deployed ships in concentric circles for in-depth defensive fire, and positioned Combat Air Patrols (CAP) overhead. The Task Force used mainly US aircraft, including Corsair and Hellcat fighters and Avengers for dive-bombing. Some Seafires were also used, but they were not as good as the US planes. Konstam notes an important aspect of the RN carriers having steel decks, which were more resistant to damage but reduced the number of aircraft that could be carried. It was a trade-off that worked well for the Task Force when the kamikazes arrived.
The target for Task Force 57 was the Ryushu Islands, and ultimately Okinawa, which was well-defended by the Japanese. That included over 77,000 men on Okinawa and more on adjacent islands. The Japanese aircraft included Oscars and Zekes, and some Tojos, as fighters. For bombing, they used Bettys and Judys. But it was the kamikazes that posed the greatest threat. In this campaign, 2,000 kamikaze pilots would die. They sank quite a few ships, all American, but they only dented the Allied navies’ capacity to tighten the noose on Japan.
As he moves into his narrative, Konstam outlines the Royal Navy’s role within the broader strategic objectives laid down by US command as Operation Iceberg. That was to protect the US fleet’s flank by suppressing Japanese air activity in the Sakishima Islands. What followed was a grinding battle of Fleet Air Arm air raids on Japanese airfields, which the defenders would repair overnight, forcing renewed attacks the next day. Rince and repeat. Konstam narrates the relentless actions of the FAA bombing missions in March 1945. The Japanese struck back with kamikazes for the first time on 1 April, hitting HMS Indefatigable. The Task Force continued operations through April and May under the constant threat of attack, including attacks on Formosa. Very few of the Japanese planes made it through, but some did. On 4 May, a kamikaze hit HMS Formidable. She was hit again five days later, along with HMS Victorious. The bombing of airfields continued, however, until after two months, the RN Task Force left the theatre, job done. Konstam concludes that the Royal Navy’s Task Force 57 had performed a small but important mission against Japan.
Okinawa 1945 is a solid addition to Osprey’s Air Campaign series. Konstam lays out all the background material readers need to know before he embarks on an attention-grabbing, blow-by-blow account of Task Force 57’s operations. That is somewhat repetitive, as I am sure the FAA pilots would have agreed, but Konstam handles it well, interspersing the routine FAA attacks on airfields with the drama of kamikaze attacks on the Task Force ships. Konstam is aided by Osprey’s outstanding graphic artwork and some excellent combat photographs. Readers of the Pacific War will enjoy Konstam’s book as will students of military history looking for an introductory work on this important naval operation.
