Discuss the battle for Iwo Jima here. Share your knowledge about:

* the leading officers of the allied an axis forces
* military strategy, wich strong decisions were made and why were these decisions the right ones
* proportion of allied and axis forces
* how long did the battle take
* casualty numbers on both sides
* striking facts in general
* etc.

In short terms, please educate your fellow boardmembers.

This is from the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial phamplet given to me by my aunt...



"IWO JIMA—16 FEBRUARY-16 MARCH 1945

"BEFORE THE CAPTURE OF THE MARIANA ISLANDS HAD BEEN COMPLETED IN AUGUST 1944 AIRFIELDS WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON SAIPAN AND GUAM. FROM THESE, IN NOVEMBER THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES BEGAN INTENSIVE AIR ASSAULTS AGAINST THE JAPANESE HOMELAND. THE PROMPT SEIZURE OF THE ISLAND OF IWO JIMA BECAME OF VITAL IMPORTANCE BECAUSE IT COULD PROVIDE THE ONLY EMERGENCY LANDING FIELD FOR RETURNING AIRCRAFT IN DISTRESS AS WELL AS A BASE FOR FIGHTING ESCORTS.

"SENSING THE PERIL TO THEIR EMPIRE THE JAPANESE CONCENTRATED ON MAKING IWO JIMA IMPREGNABLE, GARRISONING THIS FORTIFIED ISLAND OF ABOUT SEVEN SQUARE MILES WITH MORE THAN 20,000 TROOPS IN CAREFULLY PREPARED POSITIONS. AGAINST THESE FOR SEVEN MONTHS PRIOR TO THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT, THE U.S. SEVENTH AIR FORCE AS WELL AS FAST CARRIER AIRCRAFT SQUADRONS AND NAVAL SURFACE SHIPS DIRECTED BOMBARDMENTS OF INCREASING FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY.

"ON 16 FEBRUARY 1945 UNITS OF THE FIFTH FLEET BEGAN A CONCENTRATED GUNFIRE AND AERIAL BOMBARDMENT OF IWO JIMA WHILE FAST CARRIERS, IN A COVERING ACTION, STRUCK AT TARGETS IN JAPAN, THEN RETURNED THREE DAYS LATER TO JOIN IN THE ATTACK. ON THE MORNING OF 19 FEBRUARY, UNDER COVER OF A HEAVY BOMBARDMENT, THE FIFTH FLEET LANDED THE 4TH AND 5TH MARINE DIVISIONS ON THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF THE ISLAND. THE ENEMY REACTED VIOLENTLY, POURING CONCENTRATED FIRE FROM PREVIOUSLY
UNDETECTED POSITIONS. AS THE MARINES ADVANCED ACROSS OPEN GROUND THEY WERE RAKED BY HEAVY FIRE FROM THE HIGH GROUND ON THE FLANKS. THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION ON THE RIGHT SUFFERED SEVERE CASUALTIES AND THE ESCORT CARRIER BISMARCK SEA WAS SUNK OFF-SHORE BY ENEMY AIR ATTACK.

"BY THE END OF THE DAY THE MARINES HAD FOUGHT THEIR WAY ACROSS THE ISLAND AND HAD ISOLATED THE JAPANESE ON MOUNT SURIBACHI FROM THE MAIN FORCES IN THE NORTH. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY OUR TROOPS CAPTURED AIRFIELD NO. 1 . THE 3D MARINE DIVISION LANDED ON THE THIRD DAY.

"AIRFIELD NO.2 WAS REACHED BY ON 23 FEBRUARY. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE 5TH DIVISION STORMED THE STEEP SLOPES OF MOUNT SURIBACHI, CAPTURING THE SUMMIT. AN ASSAULT UP TO THE MOTOYAMA PLATEAU BROUGHT THE MARINES DIRECTLY INTO THE FACE OF THE HEAVIEST ENEMY DEFENSES. THEN AS THE 4TH DIVISION ATTACKED ON THE RIGHT AND THE 5TH ON THE LEFT, THE 3D DIVISION IN THE CENTER CRACKED THE MAIN LINE ON JAPANESE RESISTANCE.

"FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS MORE, WITH CONTINUOUS SUPPORT BY SEVENTH AIR FORCE AND CARRIER AIRCRAFT AND NAVAL GUNFIRE, THE MARINES PRESSED FORWARD AGAINST THE A DETERMINED RESISTANCE CONDUCTED BY A WELL-TRAINED , WELL-EQUIPPED ENEMY, FIGHTING FROM THOUSANDS OF DEFENSIVE INSTALLATIONS AND DEEP CAVES. DESPITE HEAVY LOSSES THE MARINES MAINTAINED THEIR DRIVE UNTIL FINALLY, AFTER 26 DAYS OF BITTER ASSAULT, THE ISLAND WAS SECURED."


Medics during the Battle of Iwo( or any Pacific campaign) didn't wear cross brassards because they were the targets of Japanese soldiers who thought that if they maimed ( or killed ) the corpsmen, losses on the American side would be great.

jd

Interesting topic,

As luck would have it I am actually reading James Bradley's FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, fantastic book so far. I am on chapter 8 "D-Day plus One". I am of the opinion that this story should be made into a series similar to Band of Brothers. To give the book and those that fought on Iwo their due; it would be poor judgement for someone meerly make a 2 or 3 hour movie. I think this deserves at least 4 or 5 hours to fully tell the story and make an impact like BOB. Imagine SPR being a series like BOB.

The main thing that stands out for me about this book is the fatalistic premonition that Harlon Block and Mike Strank have of there own deaths. I wonder if others felt that way too. The book is also very descriptive of the carnage that was witnessed on the opening day. Makes you realise that those that survived this battle must harbor some awful, awful memories. I can't wait to get into chapter 8.

Bradleys writing style is fantastic too, he seems to be more literary than Stephen Ambrose. He paints great portraits with his prose. He seems to have a fondness for Norman Rockwell (my favorite american artist) when he describes the Americana of pre world war two America, especially the town that the great depression forgot; Appleton Wisconsin. The way he weaves the 6 flagraisers lifespans into a few chapters and brings them together at Camp Tarawa is interesting. I am very anxious to discover the fates of the 6 flagraisers, I know 3 stay on the Island forever and 3 survive. I know all about Ira Hayes, as I am a big Johnny Cash fan and he has a song about Ira called "The Ballad of Ira Hayes".

My only other comment so far would be on how the Navy refused to bomb the Island for the 10 days that General "Howlin' Mad" Smith requested. I wonder if that would have made an impact on the defenders if they were bombed contuously for 10 days?

Taken from veterans stories. A letter from my Grandfather, Robert Jiles.

From 1st class Petty Officer Bob Jiles

Hello Darling,

Well, after so long a time, they are finally letting us tell that we were in on the invasion of Iwo Jima which commenced on Feb. 19. Our part in the operation was as anti-submarine screen and we had prepared for this for about 6 weeks which svheduled a rehearsal in the Hawaii islands area and loading and stowing all of the provisions and stores that we could carry. The trip to Iwo Jima was a long slow trip and we were one of the escorts for a group of amphibious craft. We stopped at two islands on the way, both were formerly held by Japan. We were at the first one overnight and the second one we conducted screening operations most of the time, so there was no liberty. In fact, during the whole month of February, there was not a single day when we were not underway. On the way to Iwo Jima from our jumping off point, we had a possible submarine contact and stayed on it for quite a few hourswhile the rest of our formation moved on. When we left the scene to overtake the group, we had alot of ocean to cover by ourselves. It seemed really strange to be so close to the heart of Japan and not meet any opposition.

The Landing was scheduled for 0900, so on "D" Day, reveille was held at 0330, chow at 0400, and General Quarters at 0500. By this time we were approaching the island and we could hear and see the bombardment from the battleships and cruisers and at daylight there was heavy aireal bombardment. There was a large number of transports and other ships present and we took up our station on the outside of the rim to guard them against the possible approach of subs. You probably remember the planes that raided Tokyo and the other Jap cities, well, just before we got to Iwo Jima they came down to help us out. Enemy aircraft were in the vicinity most of the time, but our planes took care of them. We had chow that morning at our battle stations, right about the time the Marines were landing. And at 1300 hours we went back to "Normal Conditions", but everyone was ready for General Quarters at anytime, so we all kept our life belts on. I know you have read what a bitter struggle the Marines had taking Iwo Jima, and our only mishap was bumping into a small Amphibious craft during the night, which really scared us guys bellow deck! Our only loss was our starboard anchor. It was stated that this was the toughest engagement the MArines have had, including Tarawa and Saipan. There were air raids every day as long as we were in that area and one plane was shot down about 50 feet from us. there are other things I might be able to tell you later on, Darling, but this is all we are alowd to say right now. As I told you, our trip started from the Hawaiian Islands, so you can get a pretty good idea of how far we went. Iwo Jima is an island on a vlocano group only 650 miles from Japan, up toward Japan from Saipan in the Marianas Islands. Well Darling, I have written alot and haven't even mentioned home, so I'll stop this letter and start another one. Bye for now.

An interesting fact from this war would be the flag raising at Mt. Suribachi.
The picture taken by Rosenthal of this event stirred the 1945 American public, I suppose-- from buying war bonds, to the hope that the Americans will win, even to mythical proportions of heroisms.

I agree with you, Carmar67. I have read Bradleys "Flag of Our Fathers" and I can say that transforming it into a movie (minus the romanticisms, of course) would be a great tribute to the men who sacrificed their lives there. A mini-series based on the book would be greatly appreciated.

jd

Yes, the story of the six flag-raisers would be an interesting movie or mini-series. A movie was done with Tony Curtis about the Indian fellow, Harlon Block, who spent time in jail, unable to adjust.

The three surviving members of that group had a hard time coping with their fame. Rene Gagnon felt he deserved something. Harlon Block struggled with his identity. Doc Bradley simply retreated from the fame.

It's hard to cope with unsought celebrity status.

Kiwi,

Ira Hayes was the Pima Indian of the flagraisers on Iwo Jima, a USMC paratrooper and the only one not to be wounded.

Stay Safe,
Mike

For a map of iwo jima ( and other related maps), click this link

iwo jima maps

jd

That's, right, the Pima was Ira Hayes. Rene Gagnon was the guy from Maine.

Thanks for the catch.

This says it all.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/a_peo...umb_marines.jpg

Guys, did you know that one of the marines who raised flag on Mount Suribachi was czech Michael Strank. He was born in a Czechoslovakian village Jarabina and was killed during the battle.

This appeared as an e-mail some time ago and worth repeating here…
The originator of the email says he was on a trip to Washington DC. At the Iwo Jima memorial, he ran into the son of one of the men who is in the famous picture of six men raising the American flag on Iwo Jima.

Six Brave Soldiers

Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC, with the eighth grade class
from Clinton, Wisconsin, where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I
greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some
special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.

On the last night of our trip we stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial. This
memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the
most famous photographs in history - that of the six brave soldiers raising
the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima,
Japan, during WW II. Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off
the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at
the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, "Where are you guys
from?" I told him that we were from Wisconsin. "Hey, I'm a cheesehead, too!
Come gather around Cheeseheads, and I will tell you a story."

(James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the
memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to
his dad, who has since passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw
the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his
permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour
the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, D.C., but it is
quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night. When all
had gathered around he reverently began to speak. Here are his words that
night.)

"My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that
statue, and I just wrote a book called "Flags of Our Fathers", which is # 5
on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the
six boys you see behind me. Six boys raised the flag.

The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an
all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the
senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of
game. A game called "War." But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon,
at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that
to gross you out, I say that because there are generals who stand in front
of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that
most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old.

(He pointed to the statue) You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from
New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was
taken, and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph
--- a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection,
because he was scared. He was 18 years old. Boys won the battle of Iwo
Jima. Boys. Not old men.

The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank.
Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the
"old man" because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would
motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, "Let's go kill some
Japanese," or "Let's die for our country." He knew he was
talking to little boys. Instead he would say, "You do what I say, and I'll
get you home to your mothers."

The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from
Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, "You're a hero." He told reporters, "How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me, and only 27 of us walked off alive?" So you take your class at school. 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive.
That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes died
dead drunk, face down at the age of 32.

The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, "Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night." Yes he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy... Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. The neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue is my dad, John Bradley
from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers, or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say, "No, I'm sorry sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone here, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back."

My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there
right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we had to tell the press
that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press. You see, my
dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes,
'cause they are in a photo and a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed in pain.

When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a
hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, "I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back."

So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and
three came back as national heroes. Overall 7000 boys died on Iwo Jima in
the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving
out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time."

Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag
sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt
words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a
hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero none-the-less.

We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice. Let us never forget from the
Revolutionary War to the Gulf War and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom. Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also pray for those still in murderous unrest around the world...

I got that book for my birthday last year, and it was riveting reading.

So was that post.

For the same reasons.

I couldn't read your thoughts and information on battle of Iwo Jima without tears. Lots of facts I didn't know about. All those lives which were lost--- including a father of a Japanese gentleman I came across about 15 years ago. I hope you don't mind me talking about him. I don't think I have ever mentioned to anyone I know about this before.
Baron Nishi who was an army Captain died on Iwo Jima island in 1945. I said "died" but he was believed to have killed himself rather than being captured by US soldiers. What I found so sad about his death was, I believe US Army tried to save Baron Nishi's life by asking him to surrender and that they didn't wish to harm him- by talking through a megaphone "Baron Nishi please come out. We do not want to loose you" in Japanese. US amy knew he was there on the island because he had won a Gold Medal in 1932 Los Angels Olympic for, ah.. is it called show jumping, with a horse? Him winning a Gold Medal apparentely suprised people in United States and Baron Nishi gained number of very good American friends through that connection.
But... no, he did not come out from wherever he was on the island. I believe he shot himself. His son told me in his letter that one thing he cannot forget about his father was how Baron Nishi told him just before he left for Iwo Jima, that how he wished he did not have to fight good American people like this- but as a Captain in the Army he had to fulfill his duty. (he was an officer at the time of the Olympic I believe) His beloved horse follwed Baron Nishi a few days after his death and died in Japan.
This story always made me cry. I cried at the humanity US side had shown to save Mr. Nishi because of the event in LA Olympic. I cried because he chose to die rather than to surrender and "shame his homeland". What a waste. This is one of the saddest story I was ever told regarding the battle of Iwo Jima. And again I am so sorry for the loss of lives on US side.

Misako, thank you for your sensitivity in discussing this emotional topic. Good on you, Doug

From http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2004/11...f5a0001887a.txt


World War II vet remembers Iwo Jima 60 years later
By PAT KINNEY, Assistant City Editor

WATERLOO --- Nineteen-year-old David Greene jumped the ramp when the ramp dropped open after the boat hit the beach.

Jump off the side, he was told.

" The first thing they tell you is do not go off the front of the thing because when a wave kicks into the butt end of the boat. It's gonna push the boat up, and that ramp could just cut your legs off," he said.


He jumped into water and black sand "like mush" up to his knees. He was lugging more gear then he weighed --- about 135 pounds --- including a bulky two-way radio, a pack and a rifle. He churned his way through the sand and surf.

Greene was a long way from Waterloo. He graduated from West High School, served as an assistant Scoutmaster and worked at Cutler Hardware. None of that --- not his three older brothers in service, maybe not even two years of training in the U.S. Marine Corps --- prepared him completely for that day, Feb. 19, 1945.

It was the first of a 36-day battle for a small northwest Pacific volcanic island called Iwo Jima.

He was coming in with the sixth wave of Marines. It was supposed to be safer than the first or second waves. It wasn't.

The Japanese came out of their caves and fired on the Americans with everything they had. The enemy directed fire from a vantage point atop a 550-foot volcanic mountain to Greene's left called Suribachi.

The air was filled with the hiss of bullets, the rush of artillery shells, the smell of explosions and of death.

A major in his company ran back, wounded. Greene continued. Many of his fellow Marines were prone on the beach.

Greene took his radio up to an assigned position beyond the beach.

"The wire chief told me, 'Why don't you run back to the beach and help those guys bring up some telephone wire.'"

As he dashed back to the sand, he saw the same Marines still crouched on the sand. He thought they were taking cover. He realized they weren't. They were dead. They were all around him, all over the black beach.

Sixty years ago, Greene and 110,000 Marines from three divisions fought 23,000 well-fortified Japanese defenders dug into caves of volcanic rock. In that one battle, more than 6,000 Americans died in five weeks --- six times the number killed so far in 20 months of war in Iraq. All but a few hundred of the Japanese defenders also died.

It was indeed possible, Greene said, to walk from one end of the beach to the other on the backs of dead Marines.

Greene saw Marines raise an American flag atop Mount Suribachi twice. There were two flag-raisings. The second, larger flag was immortalized in a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Joe Rosenthal of The Associated Press. While the sight of the flag heartened the Marines, Greene said, it was only the fourth day of battle. Three of the six men in the second flag-raising would be killed in battle.

Greene was a radioman. His job was to train others, and he had to train a lot. On Iwo Jima, life expectancy was a matter of days. On a beach where there was no cover, no safe position, radiomen with their bulky gear and long communications antenna were prime targets.

Despite the high casualty rate, Greene made it through the battle unhurt. He wrote his parents he "did plenty of ducking," according to a May 3, 1945, Courier article, "but the only scratches he received were from opening K-ration cans."

However, there were plenty of close calls.

"I was doing stupid things every once in a while, where literally, the guys all in front of me had been killed. I was fortunate someone had gotten the sniper and got him out of the way before I had gotten there," Greene said.

On one occasion, he finished filling in as radio operator with another battalion and was allowed to rejoin his unit as it moved up the line. He found his way back by following a coded telephone line to his unit.

"So I pick up the line, and I start running the line. The first thing they tell you is never to run the line. You're not paying attention to what is going on around you and (the enemy) are going to follow you, because they know that line goes to some command post. I was running the line, and I came up to a little hump in the roadway. In front of me was a crossroads, and it dipped eight or nine feet.

"There was some shambles of trees there," he said. "I looked down, and this thing was just filled with dead Marines, probably eight, 10, 12. Right straight ahead, there'd been a guy just popping off people as they came up that trail. The bodies were out of sight, so as you came up the road, you didn't see them. Fortunately somebody had killed off the Japanese."

There were other incidents.

"I got buried one day by a shell that hit near our hole," Greene said. "The guy that was in the hole with me dug me out. We found this neat place to dig a foxhole on the side of a hill, and a shell hit at a higher point and just caused an avalanche of sand and dirt, trees and the whole bit.

"The guy sitting facing me on the other side of this foxhole was only half buried, so he was able to find me. The way my helmet was on my head, the way the helmet sticks out, there was a little air pocket. So he could hear me talking in there and finally dug me back out. But I couldn't move."

His arms and legs were buried and immobilized.

"Stuff like that was going on all the time," Greene said.

There were no fortified positions. At great cost, Marines kept slowly moving up the island as the days passed.

Greene's unit advanced and took a hill, unopposed, only to have the Japanese blow the underlying caves and tunnels, killing many of his comrades around him.

Greene finished the war as part of an occupation force that entered Japan in the city of Sasebo on the home island of Kyushu. After the war, he returned home and went to work for Jens Olesen and Sons Construction for 36 years, where he served as vice president. He and his wife, Marian, had three children and hosted Japanese students as part of an international exchange. They also visited the country on more than one occasion.

While some on the front lines may retain bitter feelings toward the Japanese, Greene said he and the majority of those from that era have not.

"We were not fighting the Japanese as a people. We were fighting a certain kind of tyranny," he said.

On one trip, Greene encountered a veteran of the Japanese imperial army who served in China.

"He said, 'Once we were enemies. Now we are friends,'" Greene said, his eyes tearing.

Right, Ira Hayes. I don't know why I got it wrong. Johnny Cash wrote a song about Hayes after he died. "Flags of Our Fathers" really shows how difficult it was for the three survivors to cope with the celebrity. I think the only member of the original flag-raisers left is Chuck Lindberg.

if im not mistaken, the 6 flag raisers were ira hayes, john bradley, harlon block, rene gagnon, franklin sousley and mike strank... i dunno if chuck lindberg was 1 of them. i myt be mistaken though.

There were two flags raised on Iwo that day, Chuck Lindberg helped raise the first one. This flag raising is totally forgotten and it was overshadowed by the second flag raising. This is the one that made the photographer Joe Rosenthal a house hold name.
The first flag raisers: Hank Hansen, Boots Thomas, Harold Schrier, Louis Charlo, Jim Michels and Chuck Lindberg.
The second flag raisers: Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, John Bradley, Harlon Block, Mike Strank and Rene Gagnon.

oh he was talking about the 1st one... my bad
anyways, i hope they make a miniseries/movie about iwojima comparable to SPR/BOB.. im getting tired of of the ETO. hehe.. IMO i think the pacific theater is WAY harder than the ETO

1945 Pacific theater
The information provided comes from Iwo Jima, by Richard Newcomb 1982. Naval action information is from The Fast Carriers:The Forging of an Air Navy, Clark Reynolds.

Operation Detachment
Reasons for the invasion of Iwo Jima
strategically the island of Iwo Jima was crucial to continue B-29 raid on mainland Japan.
The island contained 3 airstrips that the Japanese had been using for their Kamikaze attacks.
With this island captured the Kamikazes would have to operate from Okinawa or Kyushu.
The airfields would provide a base for escort planes on their raids with the B29s.
Iwo Jima would provide an emergency landing strip half way from Marianas island to mainland Japan
2/19 U.S Marines land on Iwo Jima at 8:59A.M.. This comes after 10 weeks of bombing from carrier based planes and medium bombers. The preliminary bombardment had been the heaviest up to that point in the war. A total of 70,000 U.S. Marines available for the invasion. Against 27,000 Japanese

The operation is under the overall command of Adm. R. A. Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet. Vice Adm. R. K. Turner is the Joint Expeditionary Force Commander and Lt. Gen. H. M. Smith, UsmC, commands the Expeditionary Troops.


What the Marines had to go through on D-Day see attachment

see attachment
The status of the invasion beaches on Iwo Jima after D-Day

Marine Artillery Firing Support to the Ground Troops See attachment

The Japanese tactics would be more of a defense in-depth. No suicide counter attacks.
The Japanese would have built 800 pillboxes and over 3 miles of tunnels on an island that was only 8 square miles in size.
Marines landings all but easy.
The volcanic ash impossible to climb through with 100 pound packs carried by the Marines.
The high angle of the slope made return fire very difficult during the initial landings.
The Japanese started a mortar barrage that began at 9:15A.M.
Beaches and slopes leading from the beaches all zeroed in by the Japanese gunners.
Anti-tank mines on the slopes effective against the LVT(landing Vechicle Tracked) that are being used to deliver the Marines ashore.
The first objective was Mt. Suribachi located on the southern end of the island.
Until Mt. Suribachi was taken the Japanese could fire on any position the Marines had established.
It would be the Seabees and other support units that would have high casualties in the early stages of the invasion.
By the end of the first day the Marines had not captured half of their original objective but they had over 30,000 troops ashore to begin moving in land with force.
Mt. Suribachi had been isolated and cut off and part of Airfield #1 had been captured.
2/20 Marines start their advance south to Mt. Suribachi and north to the airfields.
The fighting up the mountain some of the most intense during the war.
Japanese soldiers entrenched in the mountain and would have to be taken out by flame throwers and satchel charges.
Close air support by Naval and Marine pilots sometimes only a few hundred yards from advancing Marines.
Use of Cruisers and Destroyers for close bombardment on Japanese defenses.
No Banzai attacks by the Japanese. This would insure it to be a long drawn out battle.
Marines even have to resort to setting fire to the ravines with gasoline to force out Japanese.
2/21 Marines continuing their advance North and South on the island.
Intense Kamikaze attacks strike U.S. naval invasion ships.
The carrier Bismark Sea is sunk and carrier Saratoga is also damaged.
fighting on the island now a bitter frontal attack reminiscent of the trench warfare of WW I.
Daily gains are measured in yards with long bitter fighting for each objective.
2/22 Marines finally have Mt. Suribachi surrounded and begin to move up the face of the mountain.

2/23 First units of Marines now at the top of Mt. Suribachi after bitter fighting.

Advancements to north now have advanced to the second airfield which is located in the center of the island.

2/24 4th and 5th Marines attack after a 76 minute naval bombardment. Followed by an airstrike and supporting artillery. It would be the tanks that led the way for both divisions.

The Japanese able to soon stop the tanks with ant-tank guns and mines.
By the end of the day the 5th had only gained 500 yards
3rd Marine division called in to lead the attack on the center of the Japanese line.
2/25 3rd Marine division begins attack on the center of the Japanese line at 9:30 A.M.

This area was the strongest point of the Japanese defenses.
Flame throwing tanks brought in to burn out the Japanese defenders in their pillboxes.
At high casualties the movement forward by the Marines was very slow.
2/28 Marines finally occupy the high ground over looking airfield #3.

The objectives had been achieved but a number of hills around airfield #3 were still occupied by Japanese.
2/31 Marines begin to attack hills 382 and 362A.

Both hills were much smaller than Mt. Suribachi. the size was very misleading
The hills had both been hollowed out and turned into huge blockhouses.
They contained pillboxes, antitank guns and concealed artillery.
The smaller hills besides the two in this area were given nicknames like the Turkey Knob, Meat Grinder and the Amphitheater
Some of the most intense fighting was fought to capture hill 382
3/1 Marines finally take hill 382 now move on to capture 362A

3/2For the attack on hill 362A the Marines decide on a night attack.


The tactics did suprise the Japanese but fierce fighting and difficult terrain delayed the hills capture until March 8th.
Even with the Marines occupying the strategic points on the island the Japanese still continued to fight in smaller pockets.
3/4 First damaged B29 lands in Iwo Jima while fighting continues all around the island.

3/6 First P-51 begin arriving on the capture airfields to provide air support for the Marines. This also relieves Task Force 58 to begin preparations for Okinawa on 4/1.

3/8 The Japanese attempt to launch a counter attack between two Marine regiments (23rd and 24th)


The attack was stopped because the Japanese were without artillery support and were cught in the open by the U.S. Marine artillery.
The Japanese lost 650 men in that attack alone.
3/15 resistance continues in many small pockets located on the island.
Many Japanese are infiltrating behind the U.S. lines to disrupt communication and attack headquarters.
3/25 Last pocket of Japanese resistace was secured at Kitano Point.

That night over 200 Japanese infiltrate behind U.S. lines
Legend says that the Japanese commander of the island led the attack.(Gen.Kurbayashi)
The next morning over 250 Japanese lay dead around the Marines lines.
That was the end of the resistance and the island was declared secure on 3/26.
4/7 100 P51's now stationed on the island and are escorting B29's on raids to Japan.


Total Losses
U.S. personnel 6,821 Killed 19,217 Wounded 2,648 Combat Fatigue Total 28,686
Marine Casualties 23,573

Japanese Troops 1,083 POW and 20,000 est. Killed


Final Analysis of the Battle
The Naval bombardment of only 3 days leading up to the invasion was far short than what was required. The Marines had requested 13 days of prelanding bombardment but were denied this request because of commitments to MaCarthur's campaign in Luzon.
The U.S. had underestimated the Japanese strenght on the island by as much as 70 percent.
The change in Japanese tactics was not ever contemplated because of earlier invasions on Saipan, Tarawa and Peleliu. These all had early Banzai attacks that were easily defeated and turned the tide of each invasion. This would not be the case with Iwo Jima.
The nature and the difficulty of the soil on the island was never examined before the invasion.
The estimates made on the U.S. casualties was underestimated by 80 percent. 23,000 Casualties out of 70,000 Marines. Over third of the total Marines who participated in the invasion were either Killed, Wounded or suffered from Battle Fatigue.
This would be a strong warning of what was to come with the invasion of Okinawa.
http://history.acusd.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/LUTZ/iwo.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrol led by Lt. Harold Schreir raises a small flag on top of Mt. Suribachi. at 10:20 A.M.

Later a larger flag is brought from an LST(Landing Ship Tank) and raised.

This was the famous photograph by Joe Rosenthal that the rest of the world saw.

I just noticed that the radioman Greene was among the Leathernecks who took over Sasebo in 1945. That's where I was stationed in Japan. There was a marker there to honor MGSGT Gust Spart of the 5th Marine Division's tank battalion, who was killed on Iwo Jima, next to the Marine Barracks. It was placed in 1945. The Marines keep it clean, like they do with all their markers and monuments.

I just started reading Flags of Our Fathers, and it has some pretty amazing sentiments so far , and I havent gotten too far yet, I am also learning things I didnt know about this battle. I really cant believe I havent read this before now.
Cindy

Beautifull picture. Do you have some more pictures about that?? I really want to see them.

Frank

great book!

Yes, a very good book - and very insightful for me. I have a much better understanding of why my grandfather, a Navy Corpsman in the PTO - like the author's father, Jack Bradley, never spoke of his experiences. His own children never knew what he did in the war until he passed away. We also never knew that he fibbed about his age to get into the Navy in March of 1942 - 2 months after his 17th birthday. I'm in the process of trying to piece together his story - but it's extremely slow-going. I sent away for his military records (which took about a year to get to me!) - but, of course, they had little detail. I know where he trained, what ship he was on, etc, but that's about it. (Interestingly, it appears that my grandpa trained at some of the same places as Jack Bradley). However! I am determined!

I hope to one day be able to share with you all my hero's story.

Cheers!

Deanna

Deanna do you have specifics like the unit he was in ? It should say on his discharge papers where he was & how long etc. What records did you get? Maybe I can help you find a few more links to his military timeMy Dad never spoke of his time in the military until my children were in high school. For some there is too much pain to bear in their memories so they chose not to recall or share. My Dad wont watch Band of Brothers , he says he was there and doenst need to see it on again... We did watch Saving Private Ryan together and he didnt watch it again for some time. He said it was too close to home. Too many dying young men crying for their Momma . He said it was by far the most realistic as far as the landings were. He started having nightmares shortly after watching it so I dont push for him to watch any more of that kind of film. He talks a lot about the war now but just doesnt watch it. They all deal with it in their own way and for some its never to share. Bless your Grandpa for his service. I sent you a flag for him didnt I? I hope he wasnt bothered by it I hope he saw it as a Thank you and not an awful reminder of times he doesnt like to be reminded of . I can tell he is a hero by your words. Sometimes we just dont have all the details but it doesnt make him less of a hero in my eyes.I am so glad to see you back. You have been missed Hugs at ya Cindy

That's the first time I've heard of anyone besides my own Dad that did that! He was still 16 at the time he enlisted. This is just one of many reasons I was so proud of him, as I'm sure you are of your father. I only wish I would have ask him more questions. There is never enough time. Good luck in your search, and best regards to you!

Jim

Hi Jim,

So young! Doesn't it just blow you away?? My oldest son is 16, my stepson 17 - and there is NO WAY I can imagine them going off to war like my grandpa and your dad did....

I digress, though! Wanted to post a bit about the battle for Iwo Jima. This is taken from the book " Flags of our Fathers" by James Bradley (son of one of the flagraisers discussed earlier in this thread), pg 10:

It was America's most heroic battle. More medals for valor were awarded for action on Iwo Jima than in any battle in the history of the United States. To put that into perspective: The Marines were awarded eighty four Medals of Honor in World War II. Over four years, that was twenty two a year, about two a month. But in just one month of fighting on this island, they were awarded twenty seven Medals of Honor: one third of their accumulated total.


Like I've said before, this book was hard for me to read ('cause I'm a big sappy woman!!!!) but it is superb....Can't wait to see the film that I hear Clint Eastwood is doing on it.


Deanna

This is a worthwhile read, about the celebrity of an Iwo vet who didn't come back. And about the reunion of Iwo vets this weekend.


washingtonpost.com
The Shadow of Iwo Jima
60 Years After the Battle, and the Photo, a Reunion Stirs Powerful Memories

By Timothy Dwyer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 18, 2005; Page B01

Mary Pero was 12 years old when her brother died. Word of his death came printed on the page of a Western Union telegram from the War Department delivered to their home in Franklin, a steel town of just a couple of thousand people in western Pennsylvania.

Her brother, U.S. Marine Sgt. Mike Strank, 25, died March 1, 1945, during the battle of Iwo Jima. He was killed by a mortar round while scratching out an attack plan in the black sand. The following Sunday, friends and family gathered in Holy Trinity Greek Catholic Church for a memorial service. Afterward, they got a call from the local newspaper -- Mike's picture was going to be on the front page the next day, one of five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising an American flag atop Mount Suribachi.

"He was dead," Pero said, "but we were very honored that he was in the picture. It was a great honor. But it was hard for my parents because they were still grieving."

The photograph, shot by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press, captured one of the most famous moments of World War II, a single frame, grabbed in a fraction of a second, that memorialized one of the bloodiest and fiercest battles of the war.

Sixty years later, Mary Strank Pero is in Washington to help commemorate the battle of Iwo Jima, where 6,800 U.S. troops, mostly Marines, were killed and nearly 20,000 wounded during a 36-day assault that began Feb. 19, 1945.

Hundreds of Iwo Jima veterans, most in their late seventies or early eighties, are expected to attend the Reunion of Honor this weekend. The reunion will begin today with a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico that will include a reenactment of the flag raising. Tomorrow, a ceremony is scheduled at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, with its famed statue of the flag raising.

The years have taken a toll on the veterans. It is estimated that about 1,000 U.S. veterans of World War II die each day, and as their numbers shrink, the reunions and commemorations mean a little bit more.

Retired Marine Col. Richard Rothwell, who lives in the Baltimore suburbs, is 92 and a little hard of hearing, and he described himself as "not much of a reunion-goer." But he is going to this one. Rothwell, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1936 and then joined the Marines, is one of only two living battalion commanders from the battle of Iwo Jima.

He went ashore late in the afternoon on the first day of the fighting, and by the time the fighting ended, he said, he had lost 80 percent of his men. "I have a lot of friends that I lost," he said, "and some very close."

Rothwell retired from the Marines in 1961. This year's reunion is different, he said, largely because of the passage of time. "I look forward to the good times, good food and drink," he said by phone from his home. "I just don't know if I will know too many of them because just about all the ones I knew are gone."

Rothwell did not witness the famous flag raising, though he was close by. He said he didn't realize the impact of the photo until he got back to the States after the war.

In some ways, the memorial and the photo have immortalized Mike Strank. His sister has few memories of him because he left home for the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937, straight out of high school, when she was still a toddler. He joined the Marines in 1939. She remembers her big brother came home once on leave.

"I remember he was very tired, and I understand he was sick, and mostly he just rested," she said in a telephone interview from her home in Davidsville, Pa. "Neighbors would come over, and all they wanted to talk about was the war, but he didn't want to talk about that. He played cards with me and talked to me like a big brother talking to a little sister. And that is about my best recollection."

Strank was born in Jarabenia, Czechoslovakia. His father moved to Franklin, Pa., found work in steel mill and brought his family over when he had enough money to pay for the trip; Strank was about 2. Strank had two brothers, and one of them, Peter, was serving aboard the aircraft carrier Franklin in the South Pacific when Strank was killed.

The Strank family became local celebrities after the war. "I grew up with that heritage, so my name was recognized in the community, and I knew there was something special about it," said Kathleen Strank Kasper, daughter of Peter Strank. "My dad was a policeman after the war. Anytime any political figures came to town, they'd stop to see my father. I met Hubert Humphrey when he was vice president and, again, when he was running for president."

Kasper said her father did not talk much about the war. He and his parents attended the dedication of the Marine Corps War Memorial in 1954, she said, but her father, who died in 1996, and other family members did not attend the 30th, 40th or 50th Iwo Jima reunions "because it was just too sad for them."

This weekend about 30 relatives of Michael Strank's are expected to attend. "It's really good that we all remember," Kasper said, "because most of these soldiers will most likely not be here for the 70th anniversary."

Mary Pero said she thinks her brother would not have liked all the attention to his actions that one day on a speck of an island in the South Pacific that one Marine called "a hell I will never forget."

The Internet has many sites containing recollections of those who served and survived and went on to have families and rarely talked about their service until they reached the twilight of their lives. And the common denominator of most of those recollections is humility, something that Mike Strank was said to have in abundance.

"We were always very proud of him," Pero said, "but one thing that he never knew was that he was famous. He was famous, but my mother and brothers told me, they said, 'He would have just said, "I just did my job." ' "

© 2005 The Washington Post Company

Joe Rosenthal is 93 and I would gues may be the last survivor in the immediate area of the flag raising.


The roll of film Rosenthal shot which included the famous picture was ruined in transit but for a few frames of film. It's as if it was ment to be I think.

I remember seeing a documentery on Iwo Jima about a year ago on the History channel. I can't really remember the details, but I remember one of the sons of the six men who raised the flag say that four of the men had been killed on the island and the other two were wounded and carried off. I don't really know to much about the battle but I am glad there is now a place I can go on this site to learn more.

Vets Gather to Mark Iwo Jima Anniversary

Saturday, March 12, 2005

IWO JIMA, Japan — Aging American combat veterans and a handful of former Japanese soldiers gathered on a hillside over the landing beaches of the Battle of Iwo Jima (search) on Saturday to mark the 60th anniversary of one of the bloodiest and most symbolic battles of World War II (search).

About 50 U.S. vets, many dressed in their uniforms and helmets, gathered with hundreds of family members at a Japanese military base on the island.

A handful of Japanese survivors — only about a dozen are still alive — joined in the "honor reunion," during which they offered prayers and wreaths for the dead. After the ceremony, they split off to visit battlesites or to pose for photos in a landscape that 60 years ago became a symbol of the savage fighting of the Pacific War (search).

"The battle of Iwo Jima stands out as an exceptionally hard-fought battle in world war history," said Kiyoshi Endo, who commanded Japanese troops on the northern part of the island.

During about a month of fighting that began Feb. 19, 1945, some 100,000 Americans battled more than 22,000 Japanese desperate to protect the first Japanese home island to be invaded.

Nearly 7,000 Americans died. Fewer than 1,000 of the Japanese survived. Japan surrendered the following August, after one more bloody battle, on Okinawa, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Iwo Jima produced one of the iconic images of American combat, when after the battle for Mount Suribachi six troops raised an American flag, a moment that for many Americans symbolizes the Pacific theater of World War II. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photo was later used as the inspiration for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington D.C.

For today's soldiers, the battle of Iwo Jima is the stuff of legend.

"Iwo Jima was the defining moment of the Marine Corps (search)," said Marine 2nd Lt. Earl Speechley, who has been working out logistics for the anniversary. "Every Marine recognizes the significance of the battle."

"It was the first time I'd seen combat," recalled Raymond Beadle, 79, from Morgan City, La., who first arrived on Iwo Jima as a 19-year-old private. "It was scary because we could hear the Japanese, but we couldn't see them. They were all dug in underground."

Beadle lasted on Iwo for 16 days, until an explosion at an ammo dump blew him 30 feet into the air, riddling his body with shrapnel and burying him up to his chest in rubble. He was evacuated to Guam and returned to Iwo Jima for the first time on Saturday.

"It's awesome to be back," said Beadle, who like many of the veterans carried a bottle to bring some of the island's sand back home. "It's so different now. After fighting here, I kind of hoped the Americans would keep it, but I guess we had to give it back."

The island, about 700 miles southeast of Tokyo, has been used only by the military since the war. About 400 Japanese soldiers are Iwo's only permanent residents, but the U.S. Navy regularly uses an airstrip set up like the flight deck of an aircraft carrier to train pilots.

Most of the American dead have been accounted for, but less than half of the Japanese remains have been recovered since Japan's government first began searches in 1952. Every year the island yields more.

The Iwo Jima of today — considered something of an open grave — looks like an island forgotten by time. It's tiny, covered with rough jungle and pocked with caves. There are no hotels, no beachside cafes.

Its famous black sand beaches are pristine, save for flotsam washed up from the sea and the remnants of the battle. At the southern tip, a one-lane, dusty road winds its way up Mount Suribachi.

Weeds cover the windows of concrete bunkers, where scorpions nest and rusted cannons sit unattended. Rifles, hand grenades and spent shells of every size are not uncommon inside the countless caves that were formed by lava flows or dug out by the Japanese defenders long ago.

The passage of six decades, however, has not dimmed the island's status as hallowed ground for the Marines.

"The symbolism of Iwo Jima is well understood by even the youngest Marines," said Capt. Joseph Plenzer, a spokesman for the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force on Okinawa. "It's something we teach in boot camp."

...and they should.

[quote=appell8,Mar 12 2005, 10:42 PM]
Vets Gather to Mark Iwo Jima Anniversary

Saturday, March 12, 2005



The Iwo Jima of today — considered something of an open grave — looks like an island forgotten by time. It's tiny, covered with rough jungle and pocked with caves. There are no hotels, no beachside cafes.




Those couple lines kind of jumped out at me. It seems only appropriate. Too many of the Pacific islands which were scenes of the most greusome fights of WWII, such as Saipan, have turned into popular tourists locations.

To paraphrase Jack Lemons stated disgust in a scene from "The Fortune Cookie" speaking of Normandy "On some beach where our countrymen were blown to bits, some broad sits her bikini bottom"

I am fascinated by the battle with its scope and also because of family having fought there.

I am currently reading "Iwo Jima" by Bill Ross and amazed by how little I knew about it. The little I knew that was Marines landed on Iwo as another stepping stone to the eventual defeat of Japan. Their was fierce fighting andthe Japenese set a defense almost impregnable.

I did not know of tension between Nimitz and Smith.The extent of the carnage and the units on the Island. Who the heck General Kuribayashi was. etc. A very intersting subject hopefull somebody will start something here.

Jake

*bump*

Mike Strank got his citizenship papers today.

http://us.cnn.com/2008/US/07/29/iwo.jima.c...ship/index.html