What was the first planned invasion phase of Operation Downfall, aimed at Japan’s Kyushu island?

Operation Olympic was the first planned invasion phase of Operation Downfall, aimed at Japan’s Kyushu island. U.S. planners expected Olympic to begin on 1 November 1945, landing Allied forces on southern Kyushu and establishing bases for later operations.

The second planned phase, Operation Coronet, was intended for Honshu near Tokyo in March 1946. Together, Olympic and Coronet formed the proposed invasion of the Japanese home islands. Their planning reflected Allied expectations that Japan might continue fighting despite the destruction of much of its military capacity.

Japan’s surrender made both invasion phases unnecessary. The atomic bombings, the Soviet entry into the war against Japan, Japan’s internal political crisis, and the emperor’s decision to accept the Allied terms changed the outcome before Olympic could begin. Operation Downfall therefore remained a contingency plan rather than a campaign carried out in battle.