World War II Era 49th Field Artillery Battalion Signed Japanese Flag.

$10,000.00

Item Number: 109748

Rare World War II era Japanese flag signed by 29 soldiers of the United States 49th Field Artillery Battalion. In near fine condition. The flag measures 27 inches by 32.75 inches with ‘Okinawa’ inscribed in ink to the central red disc and “49th Full Artillery” inscribed at the top of the page in addition to the 29 signatures. Framed. The entire piece measures 39 inches by 33 inches.

The Battle of Okinawa was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Marine and Army forces against the Imperial Japanese Army. The initial invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II, lasting 82 days. The United States created the Tenth Army, a cross-branch force consisting of the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th infantry divisions of the US Army with the 1st, 2nd, and 6th divisions of the Marine Corps, to fight on the island. The Tenth was unique in that it had its own tactical air force (joint Army-Marine command), and was also supported by combined naval and amphibious forces. The battle has been referred to as the “typhoon of steel” in English, in reference to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of Japanese kamikaze attacks, and the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, with approximately 160,000 casualties on both sides: at least 75,000 Allied and 84,166–117,000 Japanese.