Preview

Iwo Jima Research Paper

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
569 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Iwo Jima Research Paper
Battle of Iwo Jima
On February 19, 1945 about 30,000 United States Marines of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions, under V Amphibious Corps, landed on Iwo Jima and a battle for the island commenced. The landing was called Operation Detachment.

Following the American victory, a group of US Marines reached the top of Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945 and raised the American flag. They were persuaded to re-enact the event shortly afterwards by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal. The photo later won a Pulitzer Prize and is the subject of the USMC War Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

The battle ended on March 16, 1945 but small pockets of Japanese resistance persisted.

"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue" -- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

Background of the Battle
…show more content…
Daily bomber raids from the Marianas hit the mainland in an operation called Scavenger. Fighters and Kamikazi at Iwo Jima provided a measure of defense. Eventually the Allies would have to take Iwo Jima, part of the Japanese homeland for over 600 years. The Japanese were ready. The island was garrisoned by 22,000 soldiers and fortified in a network of underground bunkers.

The defense of Iwo Jima was to exact such a price on Allied Forces as to discourage invasion of the mainland. Each defender was expected to die in defense of the homeland, taking 10 enemy soldiers in the process.

The Allies, led by the United States of America, wanted Iwo Jima not only to neutralize threats to its bombers and shipping, but to use its airfields for fighter escort and emergency bomber landings. On February 16, 1945, they commenced a three-day air and gun assault on the island with unprecedented ferocity, but little effect on the sheltered garrison of Japanese troops.

Invasion of Iwo

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The United States forces were the first ones that landed on beach on August 7th, 1942. On October the 24th and 25th he was in command of two heavy machine gun sections and defending a pass to Henderson Airfield. On October 25th, a regiment of 3000 Japanese Soldiers, "Courageous" Sendai Division, attacked Basilone and his Marines. Basilone led the defense with two machine gun sections with about fifteen men, who fought nonstop for the next two days. John's comrades were cut down around him until he was left with only two other Marines fighting off everyone. He did his best until back up could arrive. When supply lines were cut off, Basilone battled through hostile ground to acquire more ammunition. After all of this, he concluded the battle by killing Japanese soldiers with a pistol and a machete. Following the confrontation, the Japanese regiment was almost entirely destroyed by Basilone.The assignment was accomplished by John. Just 26 years old, Manila John Basilone had entered the ranks of the Marine Corps pantheon of heroes. Thanks to his courage in combat, he was awarded with the Medal of Honor. After asking multiple times to go back to battle, he was…

    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Battle of Okinawa (also known as “Operation Iceberg”) was initiated because the Allied forces needed to try to neutralize the Japanese forces. At this point in World War II, the…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    On December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was the target of an unannounced military attack by the Japanese Navy. This resulted in the United States entry into World War II. After almost 4 years of war, 400,000 US casualties, 6 months of air strikes on Japanese cities and an impending defeat of Japan, an ultimatum was delivered to Japan by the United States: surrender or be destroyed.…

    • 1970 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Turning Points In Ww2

    • 1599 Words
    • 7 Pages

    and it happened in 1942. During this time the perceptions of the Japanese military was demolished by the Doolittle raid. They thought that their homeland was immune from air attack and in order to protect Japan they had to extend their defensive perimeter eastward to a tiny island called Midway. Midway was thousands of miles from Hawaii and it was where the U.S. aircraft stationed was located. The Japanese really wanted to get control of this island to protect Japan from air attack so they threw most of the imperial fleet into this battle but the Americans had intercepted the Japanese code and knew something was about to happen.…

    • 1599 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Battle Of Midway Analysis

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages

    At the same time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they also launched coordinated attacks on the Philippines, Wake Island, and Guam, among others. Their goal was to quickly and decisively expand across the Pacific and establish a front along the many island chains spread throughout. The Japanese thought it paramount to establish this defensive perimeter to act as a barrier to American advances and to ensure the safety of the Japanese homeland. They were keenly aware that they lacked resources and manpower necessary to win a protracted war of attrition against the US, and sought to overcome this disadvantage through these decisive actions. Between Pearl Harbor and May 1942, the Japanese were largely successful. Their empire now encompassed lands from the Dutch East Indies to the Soloman Islands, and from the Gilbert Islands up to Wake Island. This included Korea, Manchuria, Hong Kong, and much of South East Asia as well. While many hard fought battles were waged over these places, the US and their allies were more often than not defeated. Manila, Hong Kong, and Bataan being among those defeats Spurred on by these gains and an American strike against the Japanese Homeland in the Doolitle Raid, the Japanese Empire sought to solidify their position and erect their “barrier” strategy. The island of Midway was a integral part of completing this…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The ultimate aim of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941 was to delay U.S. entry into the war for two years by destroying their naval force in the pacific. During this attack on Pearl harbour Japan aimed to destroy their oil reserves, destroy their aircraft carriers, their submarines and destroyer ships. Japans estimate that they only had enough war resources for a war of two years if the supply blockade was not dropped meant that they hoped to conquer islands in the pacific, including the Dutch East Indies, which had vast oil supplies which the Japanese needed to support their war time efforts. This could only be achieved however by destroying the American naval base in this area and forcing the Americans back to the west coast. By keeping the Americans out of the war for two years the Japanese planned of having control of a vast area of the pacific and once the Americans were able to enter the war being able to maintain control and keep the Americans at bay.…

    • 615 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    japan air raid

    • 510 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In 1940, the United States Army Air Force began to plan an air campaign against japan. Due to the Japanese being successful in the first few months of the Pacific War the United States plans for attacks against Japan's homeland had been nullified. Along with those plans no longer happening the United States plans to start a small scale campaign from bases in China were also unsuccessful. The Allied bombing campaign was one of the main reasons Japanese government had decided to surrender in mid-April 1945.…

    • 510 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    President Truman sent a message to Japan, asking them “surrender immediately or face prompt and utter destruction”(Campbell). Japan had been warned about their destruction, but refused to surrender. Their The U.S. military had already taken control of Okinawa. Okinawa had proven to be devastating. The invasion inflicting around 50,000 casualties on the invaders. Okinawa showing us what invading the Japanese islands will be like. Japan and Japanese militants were not going to give up easily. Japan was desperate to win. Desperate enough to deploy a battleship, named Yamato, on a suicide mission to Okinawa. Where is was supposed to attack American ships and then go ashore to become a doomed steal fortress. This did not happen because Yamato was sunk after leaving its port.…

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The second part of the plan was Operation Detachment, the largest marine operation to date, was to send in land forces including thirty thousand marines and naval support to take over the bases ( #2). The Navy’s plan for the island was to prove a strategic bombing to create an independent post war air service. The Marines ended up paying the most in both money and soldiers, but had no say in the operations. The combat that resulted from Operation Scavenger and Detachment was the most brutal, tragic, and costly battle of the war. The Marines also used “Superfortresses” to firebomb surrounding cities, gut large part of Japanese cities, kill thousands of civilians on the mainland, and prove irrelevance of the Battle of Iwo Jima, aka Sulfur Island. After the seizure of the island only seven Japanese attacks were successfully launched and none of them required use of the island (#3). Following this battle plan on March 3rd the US owned three airfields, by the 26th the Japanese were wiped out completely. At the end of the war about six thousand Americans died and seventeen thousand wounded compared to the roughly two thousand Japanese KIA (#1). Even through all this the military goal was never…

    • 1829 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Battle of Iwo

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Despite its size, Iwo Jima was considered to have great tactical importance. There were two airfields on the island – under Japan’s control; they could be used by Japanese fighter planes to attack American bombers on their flights to Japan. Under American control, the airfields could be used as emergency landing bases for damaged airplanes in the bombing raids. They could also be used for American fighter planes to escort the bombers, as they needed smaller runways for take-off.…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, and taking advantage of a temporarily crippled US battleship fleet, Japanese forces moved quickly to capture areas rich in natural resources and establish strategic military bases throughout South East Asia and the Pacific. Attempts by Japan to maintain the strategic initiative and offensively expand their outer defensive stronghold in the South and Central Pacific to the point where they could threaten Australia or the US West Coast were thwarted in the naval battles in the Coral Sea and Midway respectively. The Battle of Midway, six months after the attacks in Pearl Harbour, was especially significant. It marked the first major victory against the Japanese, significantly reducing the offensive capability of Japan’s carrier forces. Prior to these major battles, the Allies had been on a defensive footing in the Pacific, but these strategic victories allowed the opportunity to seize the initiative from Japan.2 The Allies, with a new found confidence, chose the Solomon Islands as its first target in the South Pacific. Occupied by the Imperial Japanese Navy from May 1942, Allied concern grew after intelligence reported in July that the Japanese had commenced construction of a large airfield at Lunga Point in Guadalcanal. The…

    • 2747 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    (Trueman, "Battle Of Iwo Jima" 1) There were many reasons that Iwo Jima was mandatory for the U.S. to capture. On the other hand, Japan had very different fighting tactics than all the countries America had fought. Japan had fought with different mottos, tactics, and styles that greatly confused America. Let alone, America had attacked Iwo Jima amphibiously. (Trueman, "Weapons Of Iwo Jima" 4) America decided to attack Iwo Jima by aircraft and by boat which threw off Japan greatly.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a pivotal conflict during World War II characterized by some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign. For Japan, Iwo Jima served as their last line of defense protecting their homeland from the Allied advancements. Japan knew the strategic significance of the island for both Allied and Axis powers and was equally certain that the U. S. would seek to secure it. Resolved that America would pay a huge price for every inch of ground gained, The Battle of Iwo Jima become the bloodiest battle of World War II and remains the most costly of battles in Marine Corps history. Three Marine Divisions conducted an amphibious landing and assault to destroy one heavily defended Japanese Division on the 7.5 square mile island of Iwo Jima. The 36-day assault claimed 6,766 U.S. lives and nearly 20,000 wounded. For the Japanese, the loss was even more staggering with only 1,083 survivors of the original 21,060 defenders. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the commander for Japanese forces, “proved to be Japan’s greatest wartime general and…the most redoubtable adversary” for the United States. Kuribayashi displayed brilliant leadership and tactical application of strategic objectives, as he skillfully employed the art and science of mission command in his epic defense of Iwo Jima.…

    • 2411 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pacific Theater

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages

    11 General Douglas MacArthur, commander of Allied land forces, devised the plan of ‘island- hopping” This involved passing Japanese strong points and seizing weakly defended islands.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    December 8, 1941. Japanese bombers attacked Clark Air Base and other American camps in Baguio City, Manila and Davao. This signaled the beginning of the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines.…

    • 1066 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays