Battle of Iwo Jima
Image taken from wikimedia.org
Many people only know about this battle because of the famous picture that was taken in February of 1945. The photo of four marines and one navy corpsman raising the flag on a mountain top over Iwo Jima has been become a symbol of hope and strength for a nation that had grown tired of the war against Japan and Germany. But what really was that picture about, and who were those men? What were the circumstances in which the flag was raised?
By the winter of 1944, Japan had lost many of its occupied islands in the pacific to the Allied forces. It seemed Japan was on the brink of destruction. Their naval power had been all but decimated and their battle strategies had proven woefully ineffective. The Americans used this time as a chance to truly put to the odds even more in their favor. The main strategy had been to put Japan into a submission which would force them into surrender. This included bombing strikes on vital areas on the Japanese homeland.
This strategy had been very effective up to a certain point. The allied bombers had to fly many miles to reach their targets and there were no islands for them to land on to refuel on their way to Japan. The Americans had to find an island with a functioning airfield which could be used for their aircraft. The island they chose was the infamous Iwo Jima, meaning “Island of Black Sand.” The plan was to have three American marine divisions invade the island and take control of the airfield. This was better said than done.
The island was formed out of sulfur sand which made it extremely hot and hard to move vehicles and troops. Marines reported that whenever they tried to run, their foot would go at least a foot in the sand before they could bring their other leg up. This proved a deathtrap to some young marines. With the plan in motion, the Americans moved into place around the island. Originally promised ten days of bombardment on the island, only three were granted which proved to be a factor in the amount of casualties for the Americans.
After this intense bombing period, young marines with the average age of 20, were loaded onto landing craft and headed towards the beach. Within minuted of the landings, machine gunfire, artillery, and mortars fell on the Americans from every angle. Most of the first wave was gunned down forcing dozens of casualties. Already the invasion was in jeopardy. Yet through sheer sense of determination and valor, the Marines gained a foothold and split the Japanese forces in two.
The American 5th Division turned left to overtake Mount Suribachi which held all the heavy guns the Japanese were firing down onto the troops. By the third day, the mountain was secure. A platoon of Marines from the 28th Regiment headed up the mountain to mop up any resistance. They declared the mountain taken and raised a flag to show their victory. When people see this picture, they assume that the battle had been won already. But this was only the beginning, the rest of the island now had to be taken.
The three marine divisions met up in the center of the island getting ready for their push north to force the Japanese into defeat. This proved to be the most costliest stage of the battle. The area was filled with hidden tunnels, bunkers, and trenches which proved very difficult obstacles for the American tanks and other vehicles. Many times a machine gun bunker would be taken out only to have another gun to take out only a few yards away.
This was because the Japanese troops had built mile-long tunnels under the island so as to maneuver around the invaders easier and surprise them from any angle. This strategy proved effective, yet the American marines, would just keep going. Exhausted, hungry, thirsty, having friends dieing around them, the marines still somehow took the island. After another month of intense fighting, the island was declared secure and the airfield was operational. The lives that had been lost to take this piece of land had not been in vain.
