Which is the only battle in the Pacific in which the senior commanders on both sides died during the battle?

Okinawa

Who became fleet commander after Yamamto was killed?

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Originally posted by rangerdoug:
Which is the only battle in the Pacific in which the senior commanders on both sides died during the battle?

Okinawa, and the commander who died on the US side was Marine General Simon Bolivar Buckner. He died from a Japanese shellburst.

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Originally posted by rollo2:
Okinawa, and the commander who died on the US side was Marine General Simon Bolivar Buckner. He died from a Japanese shellburst.

Although the Marine Corps undoubtedly would be honored to claim General Buckner, he was not a Marine. General Buckner (USMA 1908) spent his entire military service in the U.S. Army.

DITTO

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Originally posted by YankeeeSgt:
Who became fleet commander after Yamamto was killed?

Some Japanese guy?

Adm. Onishi, the father of the Kamikase who commited Hara-Kiri at the closing days of the war..

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Originally posted by gumbydammit:
Okinawa

You are correct sir.

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Originally posted by Wailuna:

quote:

Originally posted by rollo2:
Okinawa, and the commander who died on the US side was Marine General Simon Bolivar Buckner. He died from a Japanese shellburst.

Although the Marine Corps undoubtedly would be honored to claim General Buckner, he was not a Marine. General Buckner (USMA 1908) spent his entire military service in the U.S. Army.

True, General Buckner was an army officer. However, upon his death overall command was assumed by Marine General Roy Geiger. To my knowledge, this was the only time that a USMC general commanded a field army. (Geiger was quickly replaced by "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell, if memory serves, but he did command for a while.)

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Originally posted by raypatzer:

quote:

Originally posted by Wailuna:

quote:

Originally posted by rollo2:
Okinawa, and the commander who died on the US side was Marine General Simon Bolivar Buckner. He died from a Japanese shellburst.

Although the Marine Corps undoubtedly would be honored to claim General Buckner, he was not a Marine. General Buckner (USMA 1908) spent his entire military service in the U.S. Army.

True, General Buckner was an army officer. However, upon his death overall command was assumed by Marine General Roy Geiger. To my knowledge, this was the only time that a USMC general commanded a field army. (Geiger was quickly replaced by "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell, if memory serves, but he did command for a while.)

You are correct, raypatzer. Thanks for contributing this little known fact.

More of the story: Lt. Gen. Simon B. Buckner, Jr., who was C.G. of U.S. Tenth Army on Okinawa, was killed in action at about 1320, June 18, 1945. As the next senior U.S. officer present on Okinawa when Gen. Buckner was killed, Maj. General Roy S. Geiger, C.G. of III Amphibious Corps, immediately assumed command of Tenth Army. On June 23, 1945, Maj. Gen. Geiger was succeeded by Army General Joseph W. Stilwell, who had been commanding Army Ground Forces in Washington, D.C. The Battle of Okinawa was basically over by then (the Ryukyus Campaign officially ended on July 2, 1945, although some stragglers remained to be dealt with), however, Gen. Stilwell continued in command of Tenth Army, which was inactivated in October, 1945.

Who was LTG Simon B. Buckner named after?

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Originally posted by 20802653:...Who was LTG Simon B. Buckner named after?

His father, Simon Bolivar Buckner, Sr., also a West Point alumnus, who served in the U.S. Army during the war with Mexico and later as a general in the Confederated States Army (see Wikipedia for an extended bio of the senior Buckner).

Simon Bolivar, the "George Washington of South America"?