The battle for the islands lasted nearly three months, and is known today as a “ typhoon of steel” because of the fierce fighting.
The battle for the islands lasted nearly three months, and is known today as a “ typhoon of steel” because of the fierce fighting. On April 7, U.S. carrier-based bombers sunk the Japanese battleship Yamato, considered to be one of the most powerful ships in the world. The bombers killed more than 2,000 of Yamato’s crew—eventually, Japan lost some 110,000 men in the battle. The Allied victory put Japan in striking distance of enemy artillery, but instead of risking a land assault, President Harry S. Truman dropped two atomic bombs and ended the war for good.