Battle of Iwo Jima

The Battle of Iwo Jima was a WW2 military engagement between the US Marines, led by Harry Schmidt, and the Imperial Japanese Army's defense garrison, under Tadamichi Kuribayashi. It took place on the island of Iwo Jima of the Volcano Islands, which are part of the Nanto Shoto Group, from February 19 to March 26, 1945, during the Pacific island-hopping campaign. Although the Japanese were defeated, the Americans would suffer a large number of casualties due to the intricate defensive tunnel and bunker system the Japanese had dug deep in Mount Suribachi.

Summary

At 09:00 hours, on the morning of February 19, the men of the 3rd Marine Division landed on Green Beach, which stretched out at the foot of Mt. Suribachi. On a second wave, the US men of the 4th and 5th Marine Division would set foot on Red, Yellow, and Blue Beach several hours later. The island had been pounded hard for the last couple of days by heavy-caliber guns of US Navy's TF-56 battleships and cruisers to soften up the terrain. During the landing, Iwo Jima was also stricken hard by US Navy's dive bombers.

The Japanese of the 145th and 109th Infantry Division waited until the landing sectors were swarming with US Marines to open fire with their guns and machine guns set up in caves in the cliffs of Mt Suribachi and in the bunkers below. The marines took a lot fire as the Japanese raked the beaches with machine guns and pounded the shore with mortar fire. To advance deeper into the island was very hard for the Americans, because of the slippery soft sand and the black volcanic ash, which made it hard for the marines to switch position. The situation worsened on the second day, when the weather got bad, with chilly winds and rain.

It took wild exploits from courageous daredevil men to be able to take out the first Japanese bunkers and pillboxes, using hand grenades and explosives. The arrival of M4 Sherman tanks helped the marines push even deeper into the island and take and secure the three airfields. However, they were still hit hard by Japanese gunfire from Mt Suribachi, which was attacked by US Navy's F4U Corsair aircraft, using the newly developed napalm bombs. The Japanese put up ferocious and suicidal resistance, with banzai charges during the night. Finally, by March 26, 1945, the last pockets of Japanese opposition had been snuffed out and the whole island secured.

Opposing Forces

US Forces- US Navy's Task Force 56, under Lt Gen Holland M. Smith; US Marine's V Amphibian Corps, led by Maj Gen Harry Schmidt. The V Amphibian Corps was in turn composed of the 3rd Marine, commanded by Graves B Erskine; the 4th Marine, under Cliffton B Cates; and the 5th Marine Division, led by Keller E Rockey. Each one of these Marine divisions consisted of three regiments.

Imperial Japanese Army-  The 109th and 145th Division, plus the 17th Mixed Infantry Regiment, the 26th Tank Battalion, and an Artillery Brigade, under the overall command of Tadamichi Kuribayashi.

Aerial photograph of Mount Suribachi

Below, map of Iwo Jima, showing the beach sectors on which the US marines landed on February 19.

Men of 4th Marine Division at the foot of Mt Suribachi right as it took a direct hit on one of its bunkers.

Below, a machine gun team of the 3rd Marine Division rakes the battlefield with lethal machine gun fire.