What was the planned Allied invasion of Kyushu called in 1945?

The story behind the answer

The planned Allied invasion of Kyushu was called Operation Olympic.

Operation Olympic was scheduled to begin on November 1, 1945, after Japan’s surrender had already made the invasion unnecessary. Its objective was to seize the southern part of Kyushu, Japan’s southwestern main island, and establish bases for the next phase of the planned campaign. Okinawa was intended to serve as a major staging area.

The operation formed the first part of Operation Downfall, the overall plan for invading the Japanese home islands. Allied planners expected a very large naval and ground force, including fourteen U.S. divisions and a division-equivalent in the initial landings. The projected armada included hundreds of warships and support vessels.

Operation Olympic is often confused with Operation Coronet. Olympic targeted Kyushu; Coronet was the later planned assault on Honshu near the Tokyo region. Operation Downfall was the umbrella name for both. The surrender announced in August and signed in September 1945 ended the war before either operation began.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: