Some Operation Downfall projections expected British carriers to remain the dependable source of air support around D plus five or six after kamikaze attrition reduced American carrier availability. Land-based aviation might not take over until around D plus ten because engineers would be contending with guerrilla attacks, suicide tactics, and insecure ground. Capturing a small offshore island did not solve the problem by itself. A usable airfield required fuel, munitions, maintenance stores, and a port capable of moving those supplies ashore. An airfield completion date therefore represented a whole logistical system, not an isolated engineering target.
Notable Point · 32:39-34:21
Operation Downfall's airfields, ports, and carrier support
Invasion planners could not replace carrier air power merely by naming an early airfield date because the base also needed security, supplies, and a functioning port.