Iwo Jima
Name: Date:
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a major battle where the United States armed forces fought for the island of Iwo Jima for the Japanese Empire. This month long battle lasted from February 19 till March 26, 1945 and included some of the bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific and World War II. The Imperial Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified. However the Americans on the ground had the U.S. Navy as well as the Marine Corps. They also possessed complete air supremacy over the island of Iwo Jima. American sea power and airpower were capable of delivering massive amounts of fire onto the Japanese troops.
Japanese Preparations
* General Tadamichi Kuribayashi was assigned to command the defense of Iwo Jima
* Kuribayashi designed a defense that broke military doctrine
* Static and heavy weapons were used such as heavy machine guns
* Hundreds of artillery, camouflaged machine gun positions, and snipers were set up all over the island
* Kuribayashi specially engineered the defenses so that every part of Iwo Jima was subject to Japanese defensive fire
D-Day
More than 450 ships formed off Iwo Jima. Rough volcanic sand disadvantaged the movement of men and machines as they struggled to move up the beach. As the protective naval gunfire dwindled to allow for the Marine advance, the Japanese emerged from their fortified underground positions to begin a heavy bombardment of fire against the invading force.
The 4th Marine Division pushed forward against heavy disagreement to take the Quarry, a Japanese strong point. The 5th Marine Division's 28th Marines had the mission of isolating Mount Suribachi. Both tasks were accomplished that day.
Raising the Flag
* By the morning of 23 February, Mount Suribachi was successfully cut off above ground from the rest of the island.
* The Marines knew that the Japanese defenders had an widespread network of
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a major battle where the United States armed forces fought for the island of Iwo Jima for the Japanese Empire. This month long battle lasted from February 19 till March 26, 1945 and included some of the bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific and World War II. The Imperial Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified. However the Americans on the ground had the U.S. Navy as well as the Marine Corps. They also possessed complete air supremacy over the island of Iwo Jima. American sea power and airpower were capable of delivering massive amounts of fire onto the Japanese troops.
Japanese Preparations
* General Tadamichi Kuribayashi was assigned to command the defense of Iwo Jima
* Kuribayashi designed a defense that broke military doctrine
* Static and heavy weapons were used such as heavy machine guns
* Hundreds of artillery, camouflaged machine gun positions, and snipers were set up all over the island
* Kuribayashi specially engineered the defenses so that every part of Iwo Jima was subject to Japanese defensive fire
D-Day
More than 450 ships formed off Iwo Jima. Rough volcanic sand disadvantaged the movement of men and machines as they struggled to move up the beach. As the protective naval gunfire dwindled to allow for the Marine advance, the Japanese emerged from their fortified underground positions to begin a heavy bombardment of fire against the invading force.
The 4th Marine Division pushed forward against heavy disagreement to take the Quarry, a Japanese strong point. The 5th Marine Division's 28th Marines had the mission of isolating Mount Suribachi. Both tasks were accomplished that day.
Raising the Flag
* By the morning of 23 February, Mount Suribachi was successfully cut off above ground from the rest of the island.
* The Marines knew that the Japanese defenders had an widespread network of