What was the code name for the planned Allied invasion of Japan’s island of Kyushu?

Operation Olympic was the code name for the planned Allied invasion of Kyushu, Japan. It was scheduled to begin on November 1, 1945, if Japan did not surrender.

Olympic was the first phase of Operation Downfall, the larger plan for invading the Japanese home islands. The second phase, Operation Coronet, was intended to land on Honshu near Tokyo in March 1946.

The proposed invasion was expected to be extremely costly because Japan was preparing large numbers of troops, aircraft, and civilian defense units. Allied planners also anticipated fierce resistance based on battles such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Japan’s surrender in August 1945 made Olympic unnecessary. The operation should not be confused with Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.