Battle of Iwo Jima

By:Moneer Saghafi

Location of Iwo Jima

• Iwo Jima is a tiny volcanic island that lays some 750 miles south of Tokyo, Japan's Capital

• It is 1/3 the size of Manhattan

Japan's Iwo Jima Strategy

1. The Japanese didn't fight above ground. They fought the battle entirely from beneath the ground. They dug 1,500 rooms into the rock. These were connected with 16 miles of tunnels. 2. Japanese strategy called for "no Japanese survivors." They planned not to survive. 3. Japanese strategy was for each soldier to kill 10 Americans before they themselves are killed.

Facts about Iwo Jima• General Kuribayashi was the Japanese commander of Iwo Jima.• Iwo Jima was Japanese home soil• No foreign army in Japan's 5,ooo year history successfully

trod on Japanese  soil•  In order to provide a better base from which to launch

these raids, American forces set out in Febuary 1945 for Iwo Jima.

• The island's rugged terrain was heavily guarded by Japanese soldiers. o American troops greatly outnumbered the defenders

• For the first time in the war, the Japanese troops were fighting for land that was actually a part of Japan.

• Japanese soldiers fought ferociously hidden in caves, tunnels, and were protected by concrete bunkers.

• Early in the battle, marines managed to capture the island's tallest point, Mount Suribachi.

• Twenty-one thousand defenders of Japanese soil, burrowed in the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima, anxiously awaited the American invaders. 

• The US sent more Marines to Iwo than to any other battle, 110,000 Marines in 880 Ships. The convoy of 880 US Ships sailed from Hawaii to Iwo in 40 days.

Facts about Iwo Jima cont.• At 8:30am, the order, "Land the Landing Force," sent the first wave of

Marines towards the deadly shores. Once ashore, the Marines were bedeviled by the loose volcanic ash. Unable to dig foxholes, they were sitting ducks for the hidden Japanese gunners. 

• Heavy fire made it impossible to land men in an orderly manner. Confusion reigned on the beaches. 

• Heavy fire made it impossible to land men in an orderly manner. Confusion reigned on the beaches. 

• On Mt. Suribachi, Japanese gunners zeroed in on every inch of the landing beach.

• The invading US Marines fought above ground. The defending Japanese fought from below ground. The US Marines on Iwo rarely saw a Japanese soldier.

• Every Marine, everywhere on the island was always in range of Japanese guns.

• Historians described U.S. forces' attack against the Japanese defense as "throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete."

• Easy Company started with 310 men (the Flag Raising Company)• Only 50 men boarded the ship after the battle. Seven officers went into the

battle and only 1 survived• Nearly 7,000 Americans were dead and many more were wounded. • More than 20,000 Japanese defenders had been on Iwo Jima when the Americans

Landed.  All but 1,000 fought to the death.

The Flag Raising 

The Flag Raisers

Mike Strank

The Flag Raisers

Harlon Block Click to see a large view.

 

Franklin Sousley

The Flag RaisersIra Hayes 

Rene Gagnon

 

Iwo Jima Battle Photos 

Photos

 

Photos cont.

 

Photos cont.

 

Strategy Maps

 

Maps cont.

 

Maps cont.

 

The importance of the Battle of Iwo Jima to the U.S• Americans found the island a wanted treasure. Saipan, Tinian,

and Guam(Marianas Islands) were the closest American occupied islands from Tokyo. They were about 1300 miles from Tokyo, which meant a B-29 bomber took a 16 hour round trip mission only to find itself minutes from running out of fuel. The island was a must-have for Americans. The island would provide fuel for bombers, and would be a resort for damaged planes. 

• Previously, all B-29s had to fly out of Saipan, which left pilots with very long flights and no room for error or mischance, a state of affairs that led to very high operational losses.

Impact of Battle of Iwo Jima on World War II• Most people remember the battle as a victory but don't understand the importance of the triumph. The victory at

the Iwo Jima Island was a huge stepping stone in the fight with Japan during World War II. The island was used as an air force base that was much closer for the planes to land when they could not make it back to the states for emergency repairs. These planes were used to carry bombs on long range missions which later played a vital role in the defeat of Japan. The victory was an important one that helped increase the hope of the American people.

Bibliography

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Iwo_Jima_Suribachi_DN-SD-03-11845.JPEG

• http://www.iwojima.com/•  http://www.iwojima.com/battle/battlea.htm• http://www.iwojima.com/battle/battleb.htm • http://www.iwojima.com/battle/battlec.htm