What was the planned Allied invasion of southern Kyushu called before Japan surrendered?
Answer
Operation Olympic
Answer
Operation Olympic
The planned Allied invasion of southern Kyushu was called Operation Olympic.
Olympic was the first part of Operation Downfall, the proposed invasion of Japan's home islands. It was scheduled to begin on November 1, 1945, with Allied forces landing in southern Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island. The captured area would have provided airfields and staging positions for later operations.
The plan called for a huge naval and military force, supported by bases already established after the Allied victory at Okinawa. Kyushu was selected because its southern beaches were among the few areas considered suitable for a large amphibious assault.
Operation Olympic was never carried out. Japan accepted the Allied surrender terms after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet declaration of war, and the Soviet invasion of Japanese-held territory. The second phase of Downfall, Operation Coronet, was also canceled.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026