The battlefield, located on top of a sheer 400-foot cliff, was fortified with a deadly network of Japanese machine gun nests and booby traps. The escarpment, nicknamed Hacksaw Ridge for the treacherously steep cliff, was key to winning the battle of Okinawa.

What did the Japanese call Hacksaw Ridge?

By Nathan N. Prefer. It was called the Maeda Escarpment, after the nearest native village. An escarpment, according to the dictionary, is “a steep slope in front of a fortification” or “a long cliff.” The Maeda Escarpment was both.

How historically accurate was Hacksaw Ridge?

Real-life hero Desmond Doss saved 75 soldiers in WWII without firing a shot, as depicted in the 2016 biographical war film Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson. Despite some minor changes to the story, Hacksaw Ridge was praised by Doss's son for its historical accuracy.

How many soldiers died at Hacksaw Ridge?

About 2,500 Americans lost their lives and nearly twice as many Japanese troops. In the movie Hacksaw Ridge, they show Japanese soldiers killing wounded American soldiers.

What is the ridge in Hacksaw Ridge?

During the Battle of Okinawa, the Maeda escarpment became known as "Hacksaw Ridge" due to its sudden steep elevation. It was a difficult battlefield. Doss' unit was deployed, from April 29 to May 21, 1944, on the continuing mission to gain and keep this ground.

The True Story of The Soldier Who Never Carried A Gun (Real Story of Hacksaw Ridge) | Our History

Why didn't they cut the rope at Hacksaw Ridge?

This question has been answered in a documentary starring the actual Desmond Doss. The japanese didn't cut the rope because that was the only entrance to the battlefield.

Did any Japanese survive Hacksaw Ridge?

On May 4, 1945, Doss spent 12 hours single-handedly retrieving and lowering wounded soldiers from the battlefield to safety, down the edge of the cliff at Hacksaw Ridge. He tried to rescue both American and Japanese soldiers, though no Japanese soldiers survived.

How tall was Hacksaw Ridge in real life?

Using cargo nets, Doss' battalion was tasked with climbing a treacherous, 400-foot-high jagged cliff, nicknamed Hacksaw Ridge, to get to a plateau. Waiting for them were thousands of heavily armed Japanese soldiers entrenched in hidden caves and holes.

What is the bloodiest battle in history?

The Most Deadly Battle In History: Stalingrad

The figures for the Battle of Stalingrad battle are shocking even by the standards of the other campaigns on this list. Running from August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943, Stalingrad led to 633,000 battle deaths.

Who was the soldier who refused to carry a gun?

Desmond Thomas Doss (February 7, 1919 – March 23, 2006) was an American United States Army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in World War II. Due to his religious beliefs, he refused to carry a weapon.

What happened to Dorothy Doss?

Dorothy was accidentally killed in an automobile accident in 1991.

What was left out of Hacksaw Ridge?

Undoubtedly one of the bigger omissions from Hacksaw Ridge is that Desmond Doss served in two other battles before Japan. In reality, Doss was at the Battles of Guam and Leyte, both in 1944. The Battle of Okinawa was not until 1945, meaning the film omits Doss' role in the prior two conflicts.

Did the US lose Hacksaw Ridge?

Eventually, the Americans took Hacksaw Ridge. Okinawa was captured inch by bloody inch. Several days later, during an unsuccessful night raid, Desmond was severely wounded.

How many people did Desmond Doss actually save?

Doss spent a grueling 12 hours on Hacksaw Ridge, saving the lives of 75 people, including his captain, with his acts of bravery as a combat medic. Doss deflected enemy grenades and sustained injuries but remained at the top of the cliff, refusing to leave until all injured soldiers were brought to safety.

What was the hardest battle in WWII?

1. The Battle of Stalingrad: This battle was fought between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Russia. It lasted from August 1942 to February 1943 and resulted in an estimated 2 million casualties.

Did the Japanese target medics?

The Japanese liked to target corpsmen and Army medics, as well as doctors. They knew if they hurt or killed someone with medical training, they wouldn't be able to help other wounded Marines or soldiers.

What was the deadliest war in the US?

The American Civil War is the conflict with the largest number of American military fatalities in history. In fact, the Civil War's death toll is comparable to all other major wars combined, the deadliest of which were the World Wars, which have a combined death toll of more than 520,000 American fatalities.

What was the largest loss of life in one day?

The deadliest day in human history was January 23, 1556, when the Shaanxi earthquake hit central China. This earthquake was the deadliest in history and caused the deaths of 830,000 people in China.

What is the bloodiest day in American history?

The Bloodiest Day in American History--Hope for Freedom

The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

What rank was Desmond Doss?

Corporal Desmond T. Doss (7 February 1919 - 23 March 2006) was the first conscientious objector (he detested that phrase, preferring "conscientious cooperator") to receive the Medal of Honor and one of only three so honored.

Did Desmond Doss have PTSD?

Doss, who was injured at Hacksaw Ridge (known as Maeda Kochi in Japan) in Urasoe during the fighting, was admitted to a U.S. army hospital five and a half years after the war for symptoms including persistent dreams of the battle, suffering from what we now know as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

What happened to Desmond Doss after the war?

He spent about six years in military and Veterans Administration hospitals recovering from his wounds and was never physically able to work at a full-time job after that. While Doss was in the veterans hospital in Richmond, doctors discovered that he had contracted tuberculosis.

Where was the worst place to fight in WWII?

The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.

Did the US lose any battles in WWII?

In the Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, the Philippines, the Battle of the Java Sea, the Battle of Savo Island, the Battle of Santa Cruz, there was one other naval battle off Guadalcanal the US lost. in Notth Africa, Kasserine Pass.

Where was Hacksaw Ridge filmed?

Filming took place mostly in the state of New South Wales. The cliff was filmed at a disused "Long Street Quarry" adjacent to the Main Southern railway line north of Goulburn. The grounds of Newington Armory at Sydney Olympic Park were used as Fort Jackson.