Okinawa was smaller than Formosa, and thus more manageable. The island was of ideal size for Allied purposes, said Spruance—small enough to conquer in a matter of weeks, but large enough to serve as a base of operations against the Japanese home islands. It was strategically located along sea routes linking Japan to its southern resource territories. Okinawa offered many potential landing sites, so the defenders would not be able to concentrate their firepower against any one beach. The island could serve either as a stepping stone to the China coast or a launchpad for an invasion of Kyushu.
