Why not just hold at the Shuri line?

I've always wondered why the Americans just didn't hold at the Shuri line, instead of pressing on to take the entire island. They didn't need that part of the island; the Japanese couldn't run any air fields out of it, so why take the casalties? The Japanese could have infiltrated from it, or launched a counter attack, but that would be minor compared to the task of siezing it.

I just stumbled across this forum; hoping someone can explain it to me.

 

Because that was where the sizable proportion of Japanese troops were. Estimates of Japanese troops killed in the fighting along the Shuri Line range from 50,000-70,000 killed, and that is not including those that survived the combat in that area.

That will require a sizeable American force to keep those Japanese troops "contained", let alone defend against a massive Banzai charge should it occur.

You have to remember that Okinawa was to have been the main staging base for Operation Olympic, and that the invasion of Japan was going to require a lot of troops that could not be left idly "guarding" trapped Japanese forces. Nor, could a sizable Japanese force be left untouched, when a counterattack that penetrated into Okinawa's rear areas could severely upset the timetable for Olympic.

 

Interesting that you phrase it that way.

Had Operation Olympic gone as planned US forces would do essentially what Toller proposed. Take only enough ground to support the follow up ​Operation Coronet and contain Japanese forces north of American air fields and supply dumps.