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Battle of Iwo Jima

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Battle of Iwo Jima

The Battle of Iwo Jima (硫黄島の戦い, Iōtō no Tatakai, Iōjima no Tatakai; 19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the goal of capturing the island with its two airfields: South Field and Central Field. The Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified, with a dense network of bunkers, hidden artillery positions, and 18 km (11 mi) of tunnels. American ground forces were supported by extensive naval artillery, and enjoyed complete air supremacy provided by USN and Marine Corps aviators throughout. The five-week battle saw some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the Pacific War. Unique among Pacific War battles involving amphibious island landings, total American casualties exceeded those of the Japanese, with a ratio of three American casualties for every two Japanese. Of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima at the beginning of the battle, only 216 were taken prisoner, some only captured because they had been knocked unconscious or otherwise disabled. Most Japanese were killed in action, but it has been estimated that as many as 3,000 continued to resist within various cave systems on the island after most major fighting ended, until they eventually succumbed to their injuries or surrendered weeks later. The invasion of Iwo Jima was controversial, with retired Chief of Naval Operations William V. Pratt stating that the island was useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base. The Japanese continued to maintain early-warning radar capabilities on the island of Rota, which was never invaded by American forces. Experiences with previous Pacific island battles suggested that the island would be well-defended and that seizing it would result in significant casualties. Lessons learned on Iwo Jima served as guidelines for American forces in the Battle of Okinawa two months later and the planned invasion of the Japanese homeland. Joe Rosenthal's Associated Press photograph of the raising of the U.S. flag at the summit of the 169 m (554 ft) Mount Suribachi by six Marines became a famous image of the battle and the American war in the Pacific.

Infobox

Date
19 February – 26 March 1945(5 weeks)
Location
Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan 24°47′N 141°19′E / 24.78°N 141.32°E / 24.78; 141.32
Result
American victory

Tables

Naval vessels badly damaged and sunk by Japanese forces at Iwo Jima, primarily kamikazes, 17–28 February 1945[h][68] · Naval vessels badly damaged
LCI(G)-438
LCI(G)-438
Ship
LCI(G)-438
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
Landing craft infantry / gunboat
Cause
Coastal battery
Killed
0
Wounded
4
LCI(G)-441
LCI(G)-441
Ship
LCI(G)-441
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
7
Cause
21
LCI(G)-449
LCI(G)-449
Ship
LCI(G)-449
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
21
Cause
18
LCI(G)-450
LCI(G)-450
Ship
LCI(G)-450
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
0
Cause
6
LCI(G)-457
LCI(G)-457
Ship
LCI(G)-457
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
1
Cause
20
LCI(G)-466
LCI(G)-466
Ship
LCI(G)-466
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
5
Cause
19
LCI(G)-469
LCI(G)-469
Ship
LCI(G)-469
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
0
Cause
7
LCI(G)-473
LCI(G)-473
Ship
LCI(G)-473
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
3
Cause
18
LCI(G)-474 *
LCI(G)-474 *
Ship
LCI(G)-474 *
Day
17 Feb 1945
Type
3
Cause
18
Blessman
Blessman
Ship
Blessman
Day
18 Feb 1945
Type
Destroyer
Cause
Aerial bomb over engine room
Killed
42
Wounded
29
Gamble
Gamble
Ship
Gamble
Day
18 Feb 1945
Type
Destroyer / minesweeper
Cause
2 aerial bombs
Killed
5
Wounded
9
LSM-216
LSM-216
Ship
LSM-216
Day
20 Feb 1945
Type
Landing ship, medium built
Cause
Coastal battery/air attack
Killed
0
Wounded
0
Bismarck Sea *
Bismarck Sea *
Ship
Bismarck Sea *
Day
21 Feb 1945
Type
Escort carrier
Cause
5 bomb hits and kamikaze hits, one on low angle dive, hit after elevator, thru to hangar deck, sunk
Killed
318
Wounded
99
Lunga Point
Lunga Point
Ship
Lunga Point
Day
21 Feb 1945
Type
kamikaze Nakajima B6N skidded into her, light damage
Cause
0
Killed
6
Saratoga
Saratoga
Ship
Saratoga
Day
21 Feb 1945
Type
Carrier
Cause
kamikaze dove w/bomb penetration
Killed
123
Wounded
192
Keokuk
Keokuk
Ship
Keokuk
Day
21 Feb 1945
Type
Net cargo ship
Cause
kamikaze dove w/bomb penetration
Killed
17
Wounded
44
LCI(G)-760
LCI(G)-760
Ship
LCI(G)-760
Day
25 Feb 1945
Type
Landing craft infantry, mortar
Cause
Coastal battery
Killed
0
Wounded
2
Terry
Terry
Ship
Terry
Day
28 Feb 1945
Type
Destroyer
Cause
11
Killed
19
Whitley
Whitley
Ship
Whitley
Day
28 Feb 1945
Type
Large cargo ship
Cause
Air attack
Killed
0
Wounded
5
Total
Total
Ship
Total
Type
556
Cause
536
Legend: .mw- .mw- .mw- * Ship sunk or scuttled
Legend: .mw- .mw- .mw- * Ship sunk or scuttled
Ship
Legend: .mw- .mw- .mw- * Ship sunk or scuttled
Ship
Day
Type
Cause
Killed
Wounded
LCI(G)-438
17 Feb 1945
Landing craft infantry / gunboat
Coastal battery
0
4
LCI(G)-441
17 Feb 1945
7
21
LCI(G)-449
17 Feb 1945
21
18
LCI(G)-450
17 Feb 1945
0
6
LCI(G)-457
17 Feb 1945
1
20
LCI(G)-466
17 Feb 1945
5
19
LCI(G)-469
17 Feb 1945
0
7
LCI(G)-473
17 Feb 1945
3
18
LCI(G)-474 *
17 Feb 1945
3
18
Blessman
18 Feb 1945
Destroyer
Aerial bomb over engine room
42
29
Gamble
18 Feb 1945
Destroyer / minesweeper
2 aerial bombs
5
9
LSM-216
20 Feb 1945
Landing ship, medium built
Coastal battery/air attack
0
0
Bismarck Sea *
21 Feb 1945
Escort carrier
5 bomb hits and kamikaze hits, one on low angle dive, hit after elevator, thru to hangar deck, sunk
318
99
Lunga Point
21 Feb 1945
kamikaze Nakajima B6N skidded into her, light damage
0
6
Saratoga
21 Feb 1945
Carrier
kamikaze dove w/bomb penetration
123
192
Keokuk
21 Feb 1945
Net cargo ship
kamikaze dove w/bomb penetration
17
44
LCI(G)-760
25 Feb 1945
Landing craft infantry, mortar
Coastal battery
0
2
Terry
28 Feb 1945
Destroyer
11
19
Whitley
28 Feb 1945
Large cargo ship
Air attack
0
5
Total
556
536
Legend: .mw- * Ship sunk or scuttled

References

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  2. Many of which would succumb to their wounds, die of disease, or surrender at a later date. The last group of Japanese so
  3. "... the defenders of Iwo literally developed [the improvement of natural caves] into a science. Because of the importan
  4. Burrell writes about how many historians have overestimated the number of Japanese casualties, with 20,000 and even 25,0
  5. Served as Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1948 to 1951.
  6. Did not land on Iwo Jima
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