On1April1945,UStroopslanded,almostunopposed,onOkinawa.Butastheypushedintotheinterior,theyranupagainstbitterresistance.TheJapanesehaddugthemselvesintoawarren-likecomplex*ofpassageways,tunnels,andcommandposts.For12longweeks,everypositionwasfiercelycontestedbeforeUSforcesfinallybrokeJapaneseresistance.RoughlyathirdoftheinfantrymenandmarinesdeployedbytheUSarmedforceswerekilled.
WhenthedefenderssawthatOkinawawaslost,theircommander,GeneralMitsaruUshijima,andhisofficerscommittedsuicide.TheJapanesemilitaryalsopersuadedOkinawanciviliansthattheyhadnofutureunderUSoccupation.Influencedbysuchpropaganda,wholeclassesofschoolchildrenandtheirteachersleapedtotheirdeathsofftheisland'shighcliffs.
一九四五年四月一日，美軍登陸沖繩島，幾乎沒有遇到抵抗，但一向內陸進兵，就遇上頑強抗擊。日軍挖了兔窟般縱橫交錯的通路、隧道、指揮站等，處處死守，過了整整十二個星期，才被打垮。美軍出動的步兵和海軍陸戰隊員，約有三分之一戰死。
日本守軍眼看沖繩不保，指揮官牛島滿將軍和手下軍官自殺殉職。日本軍方還向沖繩百姓力言，在美軍佔領之下，他們不會有前途。一班班的學生和他們的教師，受了這類宣傳熏陶，紛紛走到沖繩島峭拔的懸崖上，躍下身亡。
＊Warren也作rabbitwarren，指野兔群居、洞穴錯綜複雜的地區，常用於比喻。