Battle of Iwo Jima | World War II

During World War II, the United States and Japan fought one another in the Battle of Iwo Jima. It was the first significant engagement to occur on Japanese soil during World War II. Because the US required a spot for fighter and bomber planes to land and take off when invading Japan, Iwo Jima was strategically important.

Where is Iwo Jima?

A little island called Iwo Jima is situated 750 miles south of Tokyo, Japan. Only 8 square miles make up the island. With the exception of Mount Suribachi, a mountain at the southern tip of the island, it is essentially flat.

When did the battle occur?

Near the conclusion of World War II, the Battle of Iwo Jima took place. On February 19, 1945, the island was first reached by US Marines. The attack’s planners, the generals, estimated that it would take about a week to capture the island. They were mistaken. It took more than a month (36 days) of ferocious battle for the US to finally take the island from the Japanese because they had several surprises in store for the US men.

The Battle

30,000 US marines arrived on Iwo Jima’s shores on the first day of the fight. The Japanese didn’t attack the first soldiers to land. They believed that the Japanese may have been killed in the airstrikes carried out by US planes and battleships. They were mistaken.

All around the island, the Japanese had dug a variety of tunnels and hiding spots. They kept to themselves while they awaited the arrival of more marines. Once a number of marines arrived on land, they launched an attack. Numerous US soldiers died.

Days were spent in the conflict. The Japanese would travel between locations in their covert tunnels. On occasion, US forces would massacre Japanese people in a bunker. They would proceed, believing it to be secure. However, other Japanese would enter the bunker covertly via a tunnel and launch a rear-attack.

Raising the Flag of the United States

The US had finally taken control of the island of Iwo Jima after 36 days of bloody combat. A flag was raised atop Mount Suribachi. Photographer Joe Rosenthal captured the moment they raised the flag in a picture. In the US, this image gained notoriety. Later, the image was turned into a statue. It was turned into the US Marine Corps Memorial, which is situated nearby Washington, DC.

Interesting Statistics

The US flag wasn’t hoisted for the first time on Iwo Jima, as seen in the well-known photograph. There was already another little flagpole there.

On Iwo Jima, the US had more soldiers injured than the Japanese had, although the latter had a much higher death toll. This occurred as a result of the Japanese’s decision to fight to the death. Only 216 of the 18,000 Japanese soldiers were captured. The rest were killed in the conflict.

In the conflict, over 6,800 American soldiers perished.

27 troops were given the Medal of Honour by the US government for their valour in the conflict.

In the well-known photograph of the US flag being raised, there were six men. Later in the conflict, three people perished. The other three went on to become well-known US celebrities.

On the island of Iwo Jima, the Japanese excavated tunnels that were 11 miles long.