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[EX500rider]

28. Yes they showed how much they wanted to surrender in the previous battle of Okinawa...

250,000 US troops with 20,195 KIA, 55,162 WIA and 26,000 psychiatric cases, or 101,357 US casualties out of 250,000.

77,000 Japanese troops and 20,000 Okinawan conscripts with KIA est over 77,00, with civilian casualties KIA at 40,000 to 150,000 out of 300,000 civilians.

None of that boded well for the upcoming invasion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

On top of that:


Tekketsu Kinnotai
Tekketsu Kinnotai
The Japanese Imperial Army mobilized 1,780 middle school boys aged 14–17 years into front-line-service. They were named "Tekketsu Kinnotai" (ja:鉄血勤皇隊, Iron and Blood Imperial Corps). This mobilization was conducted by the ordinance of the Ministry of Army, not by law. The ordinances mobilized the student for a volunteer soldier for form's sake. However, in reality, the military authorities ordered schools to force almost all students to "volunteer" for soldiers. Sometimes they counterfeited the necessary documents of students. And about half of "Tekketsu Kinnotai" were killed such as in suicide attacks against a tank with bombs and in guerrilla operations.
After losing in the Battle of Okinawa in June 1945, the Japanese government enacted new laws in preparation for the decisive battles in the main lands. They were the laws that made it possible boys aged 15 or older and girls aged 17 or older to be drafted into front-line-service.