Which operation was the planned first phase of the Allied invasion of Japan in November 1945?

Operation Olympic was the planned first phase of the Allied invasion of Japan in November 1945.

Olympic was designed to capture southern Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island. The Allies planned to use bases on Kyushu to support a later attack against the Tokyo region. The operation was scheduled to begin on November 1, 1945, but Japan surrendered before it could take place.

The operation was part of the larger plan called Operation Downfall. The second phase, Operation Coronet, was intended for Honshu in spring 1946. Olympic’s proposed force included a huge naval armada, dozens of aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, and numerous American divisions.

The planned landings were expected to face strong Japanese resistance. Japan had concentrated forces and prepared defensive measures on Kyushu. When surrender came in August 1945, Allied planners abandoned Olympic, preventing what would have been one of the largest amphibious operations in history.