bigpigeon.us webpage WW II - Japan > Iwo Jima, updated by RAC 7 Oct '19.
The War in the Pacific - Early 1945
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The accompanying map, despite the date on the caption, shows the situation in the Pacific Theater in mid-January, 1945. Leyte and Mindoro have been recaptured. Luzon, the main Philippines island, has just been invaded by the U.S. Army.
As a large portion of the US Army in the Southwest Pacific continued the Philippines campaign, preparations were underway for the last two major Pacific Theater battles, namely Iwo Jima and Okinawa, shown south of the Japanese Home Islands. Ulithi was the forward base for the huge naval fleet that supported the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns. Ulithi had been abandoned by the Japanese and then occupied by US forces in September 1944. In provided a magnificant anchorage for a large fleet, but very little dry ground. |
The Pacific Theater - mid-January 1945
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The Iwo Jima Landing
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After the capture of the Mariana Islands in the summer of 1944, massive air bases capable of accommodating the new B-29 Superfortress long range bomber were constructed. The strategic bombing of the Japanese Home Islands began in November 1944.
Iwo Jima was captured to support the this bombing campaign, both to provide a base both for escort fighters and on which crippled B-29 bombers could land. Elements of two Marine divisions landed on the southeast coast of Iwo Jima on February 15, 1945. This photo shows the first wave approaching the shore. Mt. Suribachi is on the left. |
The First Wave at Iwo Jima
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The Battle of Iwo Jima
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fSix thousand, eight hundred Americans from three USMC divisions died fighting over the tiny volcanic island of Iwo Jima in Febrary and March 1945.
23 February 1945 witnessed one of the most iconic events in World War II history, the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. You can view both flag raisings in one of the slide shows at World Wars > WW II > The high casualties on Iwo Jima and in the subsequent Okinawa campaignm strengthened the view of military planners that an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands might cause loss of life unprecedented in American military history. |
Iwo Jima
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The Naval War at Iwo Jima
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The last American aircraft carrier lost in World War II, the Casablanca class escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea, was sunk by Kamikaze off Iwo Jima on 21 Feb 1945, taking 318 men to their deaths.
The same day, a larger carrier, the USS Saratoga, was almost lost due to multiple Kamikaze hits. |
USS Bismarck Sea
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Sources for the WW II - Iwo Jima webpage
- The First Wave at Iwo Jima photo is courtesy of WWII Today.
- The header photo Crashed B-29 on Iwo Jima is courtesy of the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Base, Dayton, OH.
- The Pacific Theater - mid-January 1945 map is courtesy of bookmice.net.
- The Iwo Jima map - https://www.quartoknows.com/blog/quartoexplores/this-day-in-history-iwo-jima
- The USS Bismarck Sea photo is courtesy of taraross.com
- 08 - Iwo Jima (four dead, updated 6 Oct ’19)
† Deputy, Charles Dean - SN 940539, USMC
Co. I, 21st Marine Regt., 3rd Marine Div.; KIA 24 Feb ’45 Iwo Jima, Japan; Battle of Iwo Jima.
† Schuelzky, Robert Eugene - SN O-32072, USMC
Co. E., 28th Marine Regt., 5th Marine Div.; Machine Gun Platoon Leader; KIA 17 Mar ’45 Iwo Jima, Japan; other men from his company raised both flags over Mt. Suribachi on 23 Feb; Battle of Iwo Jima.
† Soar, Ernest Martin - SN 970147, USMC
Co. F, 23rd Marine Regt., 4th Marine Div.; KIA 28 Feb ’45 Iwo Jima, Japan; Battle of Iwo Jima.
† Wold, Leslie Wayne - SN 560533, USMC
26th Marine Regt., 5th Marine Div.; KIA 3 Mar ’45 Iwo Jima, Japan; Battle of Iwo Jima.