What was the last major battle of the Pacific War before Japan’s 1945 surrender?

The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of the Pacific War before Japan’s surrender in 1945.

The battle began on April 1, 1945, when Allied forces landed on Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands. The island’s airfields and location made it a crucial base for any possible Allied invasion of Japan’s home islands.

Fighting continued for nearly three months and ended on June 22, 1945, after extremely heavy losses among military personnel and civilians. Okinawa became the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific theater and demonstrated how costly an invasion of Japan might be.

The battle is sometimes confused with Iwo Jima, which was also a major 1945 Pacific battle but ended earlier, on March 26. Okinawa’s conclusion preceded the atomic bombings, the Soviet declaration of war, Hirohito’s surrender announcement, and the formal signing aboard USS Missouri.