What was the first of the two planned operations in Operation Downfall?

Operation Olympic was the first of the two planned operations in Operation Downfall. It was designed as an Allied invasion of southern Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island.

Planners scheduled Olympic to begin in November 1945, using Okinawa as a staging area. The objective was to seize the southern part of Kyushu and establish airfields that could support the later invasion of Honshu.

The second stage, Operation Coronet, was planned for the Kantō Plain near Tokyo in spring 1946. Both operations were canceled after Japan surrendered. Olympic should not be confused with Operation Pastel, a proposed deception plan intended to mislead Japanese commanders about the Allies’ intended invasion direction.