From 'Last Battle' to the Next War: Using Operation Iceberg to Inform Multi-Domain Battle in the Indo-Asia Pacific   [open pdf - 3MB]

From the thesis abstract: "This monograph examines Operation ICEBERG, the 1945 campaign to invade the Japanese-held Ryukyu Islands, most notably Okinawa, to inform how the US Army could employ its land combat forces in Multi-Domain Battle in the Indo-Asia Pacific region. The monograph reviews the Multi-Domain Battle Concept, then employs historical case study to describe the campaign, focusing on elements reflected in both. The investigation reveals examples of cross-domain maneuver in support of operations in the maritime domain, land forces enabling long-range fires, and strategic, operational, and tactical convergence creating a 'window of advantage' for ground maneuver. It also identifies a situation where the failure to employ cross-domain maneuver likely prolonged the campaign. It then offers informed recommendations for the development of Multi-Domain Battle in the Indo-Asian Pacific and posits questions for further study."