I've watched a lot of 1 hour TV specials on the Pacific War and the Yanks suffered terrible losses, the last being capturing Okinawa.
Here's an indication of the effort they had to put into it:
I can't find the pic I remember of the fleet assembled for the invasion of the Home Islands but it was far bigger than this. The "budgeted" death toll was horrendous.
Who can blame Americans for the choice they made. Not I.
BTW The conventional fire-bombing raid on Tokyo caused more casualties than either A bomb and it too was a warning to the Emperor that all was lost. Japan had the choice to surrender then, they chose otherwise. Be it on their own head.
