Iwo Jima
*Iwo Jima is an eight square-mile island of sulfuric sand and volcanic ash. It is 700 miles south of Tokyo. The Japanese put radar stations on Iwo to warn of approaching B-29's which regularly flew right over it on bombing runs to Japan. The Japs also had fighter planes on the two airstrips.
Alot of young Marines enroute to the beaches of Iwo were amazed at the firepower and damage inflicted on the island by the Navy's battleships and planes. They thought that there wouldn't be any Japanese left for the Marines to fight. Little did they know that the bombs and shells weren't even getting close to the enemy.
Tokyo knew the Allies were interested in Iwo Jima so they put a garrison of 22,000 troops, under General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. These troops built up the island to one of the strongest defenses in the Pacific. They added 1500 pillboxes and block houses, trenches, and hundreds of connecting tunnels. 1500 underground rooms including communications centers, hospitals able to treat 400 injured with beds carved into rock walls. They also constructed storage rooms for ammo, food, and water. There were tunnels large enough for soldiers to run through standing up. Block houses were built of concrete and reinforced by steel rods. Walls were 3 feet thick, ceiling were six feet thick. Block houses were camoflaged with sand so it made it difficult for US Navy flyers to spot them from the air. General Kuribayashi even had an underground command center 75 feet below the surface. Mt Suribachi was even honeycombed. For the Japanese on Iwo this was the end of the line. There was no hope of rescue from the Imperial Fleet. The Japanese soldiers had plenty of food and ammunition underground to support them for up to five months
On the Marines side, General Holland 'Howlin Mad' Smith commanded the 4th & 5th divisions. General Smith requested ten days of naval bombardment, however the Navy could only provide three days with Navy battleships, cruisers, and carrier aircraft. Even then overcast weather conditions shortened that time. On 19 Feb 1945 the Marines came ashore on a long black sandy beach on the southern side of the island. The 4th & 5th Marines fought their way from shore to shore cutting Iwo in half and separating Mt. Suribachi from the rest of the island. By night fall, the Marines were firmly ashore but suffered heavy losses of 2400 casualties, including 600 dead.
Mt Suribachi was secured in four days as the Marines fought yard by yard. The Japs had to be rooted out of holes and caves, by grenades, satchel charges, mortars, artillery, and flame throwers. Then with the Japanese soldiers popping up or feigning death, the same ground retaken yard by yard again. The press blew the attack on Mt Suribachi all out of proportion saying that the ascend from the base of the volcano to the summit was an inch by inch struggle as Japanese were rolling grenades down on the Marines and attacking in force to turn back the attacking grunts. When actually the Marines were able to climb the volcano almost unopposed. Many Marines couldn't figure out why the Japanese didn't attack as they outnumbered the Marines almost 4-1 on the mountain. But as the Stars & Stripes were being raised on Suribachi Marines could hear grenades exploding deep inside the mountain as the Japanese committed mass suicide. On 23 Feb the Marines finally reached the summit.
On the flat surface, the 4th, 5th, and later the 3rd divisions concentrated on the Motoyama Plateau, aided by Marine and Naval aircraft who flew close support missions of strafing, bombing, and dropping napalm, within yards of the forward troops. Both airfields were slowly overrun and the Japanese were pushed toward the northern tip of the island. But as the Allies had perfected their technigues of air, ground, and naval coordination, so had the Japanese on their defensive tactics. Japanese soldiers abandoned the Banzai charges that were so evident during earlier Pacific Battles which littered the battlefield with dead gooks and accomplished very little. They allowed the Marines to land on the beaches and when the beaches were crowded with humanity, then the Japanese rained mortars, heavy artillery, coastal defense guns, fired from deep underground and deadly crisscrossing fire from snipers hiding in caves and hidded crevices. The fireballs that ensued not only killed Marines but they were vaporized. One Marine was cut in two, Another was decapitated by a mortar. This time the Japanese wanted to take the Marines with them. As confident Marine and naval planners estimated Iwo Jima could be secured in five days, in actuality it took almost six weeks. On March 16 Admiral Nimitz declared Iwo officially secured. Unfortunately nobody told the Japanese that as they were still killing Marines.
But through all the death and destruction the Marines kept advancing forward. One reason was the year of advanced infantry training in California and Hawaii. They were able to conquer fear. Somehow discipline held. Valor overcame terror. Marines, despite being shot at, seeing their buddies being blown to bits by deadly crossfire and fighting an unseen enemy did what they were trained to do advance even though casualties mounted that would cause panic in any other fighting force. Marines knew each other, trained with each other. There was a bond and they knew they could trust and rely on each other to get the job done. These were Marines. United States Marines.
Navy Corpsmen who trained with the Marines and landed on Iwo at the same time as the Marines played a vital role in the invasion. They disregarded their own safety to tend to the wounded Marines applying tourniguets, bandages, administering morphine, blood transfusions, and dragging wounded Marines to safety. Many corpsmen, caught in the open tending to the wounded, were killed by the deadly Japanese cross fire. At least four corpsmen were awarded the Medal of Honor on Iwo. Petty Officer John Willis, Petty Officer Jack Williams, both posthumously, Petty Officer George Wahlen, and Petty Officer Francis Pierce who also received the Navy Cross and Silver Star from other battles.
In the end Iwo Jima was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war as the Marines and Sailors suffered 6,800 killed and more than 18,000 wounded. Of 21,000 Japanese soldiers on the island, 200 were taken prisoner, more than 20,000 were killed.
Twenty-six Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines like Corporal Tony Stein, Corporal Hershel Williams, Capt Robert Dunlap, Sgt Ross Gray, PFC Douglas Jacobson. Also PFC Don Ruhl who fell on top of a grenade to save the life of another Marine. Ruhl was one of the twelve awarded posthumously along with GySgt William Walsh, Cpl Charles Berry, PFC William Caddy, PFC James La Belle. Even before the island was secured, crippled B-29's and other Navy and Marine fighter planes were landing on the airstrips and by war's end more than 2200 would be making emergency landings.
Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.
He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold. A squadron of Japanese bombers were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor, could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal
safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another.
Butch weaved in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until finally all his ammunition was spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to at least clip off a wing or tail, in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. He was desperate to do anything he could to keep them from reaching the American ships. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the camera mounted on his plane told the tale.It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had destroyed
five enemy bombers. That was on February 20, 1942, and for that action he became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later he was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of that heroic action die. And today,O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So the next time you're in O'Hare visit his memorial with his statue and Medal of Honor. It is located between Terminal 1 and 2.
Navy bombs Iwo Marines pinned on the beach Firing Mortars Deadly Marine Flamethrowers Pre-Invasion Bombing 4000 Marines who didn't make it American Bombers Landing on Iwo Death on the Beach Ensign Bill Kelly Marines at Bouganville Bring guns to Bear Keep your head down
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