What was the Allied codename for the planned November 1945 invasion of Japan’s island of Kyushu?

Operation Olympic was the Allied codename for the planned November 1945 invasion of Japan’s island of Kyushu.

Olympic was the first phase of Operation Downfall, the overall plan for invading the Japanese home islands. The proposed landings were scheduled for November 1, 1945, and would have involved large American forces attacking southern Kyushu.

The second phase, Operation Coronet, was planned for March 1, 1946, against Honshu near Tokyo. Allied planners expected the campaign to be exceptionally costly because Japan was preparing both military units and civilians for a homeland defense.

Japan surrendered before either operation began. The atomic bombings, the Soviet declaration of war, Japan’s military situation, and internal political decisions all formed part of the final wartime context. A common confusion is calling the entire invasion plan Olympic; Downfall was the umbrella operation, while Olympic referred specifically to Kyushu.