Heavy rain and the rugged terrain made it difficult to get around and gave the Japanese easy defense positions.
The battle of Okinawa was to be a precursor to the anticipated invasion for the mainland of Japan. On April 1, 1945, more than 60,000 soldiers and U.S. Marines of the 10th Army stormed ashore at Okinawa. Initially they were met with little resistance from the Japanese. But then heavy fighting broke out on the island's southern end, and a battle ensued for three months on land, sea and in air. Heavy rain and the rugged terrain made it difficult to get around and gave the Japanese easy defense positions.