The Battle of Iwo Jima
Reasons for the Battle
The battle of Iwo Jima was started because the Americans were close enough to attack the mainland but the base on Iwo Jima could give a 2 hour warning to Japan and launch a counter attack. Iwo Jima was also strategically placed for future attacks on Japanese territory. This eventually led to the decision to take Iwo Jima.
The Island Itself
Iwo Jima is an island located 750 miles South of Tokyo. The island is volcanic and has the distinct smell of rotten eggs due to the sulfurous vents. It's only 4.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide and is dominated by Mt. Suribachi which is located on the Southwestern side of the island and is 169 meters tall.
This is an aerial shot of Iwo Jima
Images
This is a historic map of the island
The Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, VA
A Description of the Battle
The battle of Iwo Jima was fought from February 19, 1945 – March 26, 1945 on the island of Iwo Jima. The Japanese army consisted of about 21,000 soldiers while the American force consisted of roughly 110,000 soldiers. The Americans took an intelligence report to see what they were dealing with. Much to their horror and surprise the island was covered with sentries, anti-tank guns, coastal defense guns, and other defenses. One crucial detail is that the Americans only detected 12,000 men greatly underestimating the Japanese force. On December 8th, 1944 the American force dropped 5,800 tons of bombs over the course of 70 days to tenderize the Japanese army. This did little to nothing since all of the Japanese men were in the island instead of on the surface since Japan expected the U.S. to do so. On the first day of the Americans landing 30,000 were unloaded onto the island. Expecting little to no Japanese survivors the U.S. was sorely mistaken as the soldiers of Japan greeted them with gunshots one hour later. Since the ashy sand was too soft to build a fox hole meaning that they were completely exposed, 2,420 soldiers died that day. The blood bath continued as the Japanese force still had the upper hand one day after. The mortar bombardments hashed on. The heavy fire continued as the American soldiers advanced yards at a time. The only weapons that made a difference were flamethrowers and grenades since they both could deal with large numbers. The bodies found were described as mangled and torn apart, legs and arms yards away from the torso. The next day hope arrived in the form of tanks. The Americans could finally advance under the heavy armor and cover fire of the deadly vehicles. Finally, on February 23 , the summit of Mt. Suri was within reach. The flag was finally raised which spawned the famous photo "The Flag Raising on Iwo Jima". The United States officially declared the island secure on March 26th, 1945. 4,900 Americans were killed on the island, and 1,900 missing or deceased later from wounds, and 19,200 wounded survivors. Nearly all 21,000 Japanese soldiers died in battle.
Tadamichi Kuribayashi and His Strategy
Tadamichi Kuribayashi was a Japanese general who led Japans forces on Iwo Jima. He was born on July 7th, 1891 in the Nagano Prefecture of Japan. As differing from his colleagues, he was not a believer in provoking the American forces into battle yet he was chosen to defend the island. Before the Battle of Iwo Jima even started the Japanese were aware of the impending attack. General Kuribayashi devised the genius plan to battle within the island rather than on the surface of it. He placed 21,000 men in the 13,000 yards of tunnel under the islands surface. There were about 1000 entrances on Mt. Suribachi alone with many others across the island. This was not a strategy that was meant to win but General Kuribayashi hoped to inflict enough casualties to make the Americans retreat. He wanted none of his men to be taken prisoner and for each of them to kill 10 men before they could be allowed to die. Near the end of the battle it is believed that he committed ritual suicide but a body was never found.
Tadamichi Kuribayashi was a Japanese general who led Japans forces on Iwo Jima. He was born on July 7th, 1891 in the Nagano Prefecture of Japan. As differing from his colleagues, he was not a believer in provoking the American forces into battle yet he was chosen to defend the island. Before the Battle of Iwo Jima even started the Japanese were aware of the impending attack. General Kuribayashi devised the genius plan to battle within the island rather than on the surface of it. He placed 21,000 men in the 13,000 yards of tunnel under the islands surface. There were about 1000 entrances on Mt. Suribachi alone with many others across the island. This was not a strategy that was meant to win but General Kuribayashi hoped to inflict enough casualties to make the Americans retreat. He wanted none of his men to be taken prisoner and for each of them to kill 10 men before they could be allowed to die. Near the end of the battle it is believed that he committed ritual suicide but a body was never found.
Holland Smith and the American Strategy
General Holland Smith was the leader of the V Amphibious Corps which played a crucial role in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was born on April 20th, 1882 in Seale, Alabama. General Smith graduated from Auburn University in 1901 and then received a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1903. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps on March 25th, 1905. The American strategy was to send waves of troops from the edges of the island until the island was completely covered with American soldiers. The American force mainly used amphibious vehicles since the island was dominated by Japanese forces.
General Holland Smith was the leader of the V Amphibious Corps which played a crucial role in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was born on April 20th, 1882 in Seale, Alabama. General Smith graduated from Auburn University in 1901 and then received a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1903. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps on March 25th, 1905. The American strategy was to send waves of troops from the edges of the island until the island was completely covered with American soldiers. The American force mainly used amphibious vehicles since the island was dominated by Japanese forces.