World War 2: The Battle Of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima World War II was an inevitable war brought on by the unprovoked attack from Germany on Poland and anger fueled over World War I. Of all the battles in World War II, only one has not been justified. The battle of Iwo Jima, a Japanese island, occurred because of a rivalry between the Navy and the Army over who could get there first; this led to one of the bloodiest battles in Naval history and the eventual US victory of World War II. Battle of Leyte was intended to be the last battle for the tired and battle tested military soldiers; but, in an abrupt change of plans the Marines decided to enact Operation Scavenger, the US Bomber raid, on Iwo Jima that paved the way for Operation Detachment, the land raid. The military goal:
…show more content…
gain control of Iwo Jima and use it for a fighter aircraft and an emergency landing site for bombers (#1). The US Navy and Army were tied up in other operations so the Marines took their chances and sent troops to Iwo Jima. They didn’t consider the victory of the Japanese island difficult, underestimated the Japanese defence strategies and overrated their own power. The Navy originally planned for three divisions to fight in the Okinawa invasion thirty days after the battle of Leyte. The Navy planned to combining Air Force and Army strategy. Although the plan was good, it had one major weakness: the military was unable to unite in time and thus, the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy were all in separate and competing campaigns to gain dominance over the other branches of the military (#3). This was the first attack on Japanese islands.
The battle of Iwo Jima, literally translated Sulfur Island, as told by Dr.Vedder, is a heart-tugging and image conjuring one as Vedder tells the story of his first days on the island.
James Vedder was a combat surgeon in the 27th regiment, 5th division of the Marines with only twenty months of experience; unlike the others he was not battle tested (#3). On February 19, 1945 as he was prepping for battle, his commanding officer told him the military expecting two days of offensive fighting; the 3rd day reserved for last clean sweep of remaining enemy soldiers. Eighty thousand combat marines went to battle that day, Dr. Vedder included. Vedder went through “33 days of horror,” trying his best to set shattered jaws, sew up mangled faces and close split skulls; he tried to fix missing limbs, close wounds that would never heal, watch soldiers die violent deaths and try to sanitize as best he could on hostile battle grounds. “Attempted to exercise compassion in hell,” would later be quoted from Dr. Vedder as he reflected on his first battle in the Marines (#3). Even through all this horror Vedder was able to come home and write a book, Combat Surgeon : On Iwo Jima With The 27th Marines By James S. Vedder, about his experiences in the …show more content…
Marines.
Despite this trepidation, Marines marched forward inch by inch and suffered many suicidal charges from the Japanese soldiers; many of them never spotted until they attacked US Marines and/or were blown apart during the charges (#1). Fourteen days later, the Marines still could not rationalize the deaths of six thousand eight hundred twenty-one US soldiers (#4). By this time, the engineers had repaired Airfield One and had constructed a search tower twenty feet in the air, all while under the threat of friendly fire. Although, this island was supposed to be for emergency landing of US Air Force only, one B-29 had landed in a catastrophe. Upon seeing the B-29, soldiers were quoted poetically saying, “ Like a giant bird, it set down on [Airfield One]... The B-29 landed on hallowed ground” (#3). On February 23rd, Mount Suribachi was taken and the famous flag-raised; the next day the slopes were secured (#1). The flag-raising quickly became the most recognized picture in the entire war.
The flag-raising took place five days after battle began, February 23, 1945. In this picture, Corporal Harlon Block*, Corporal Rene Gagon, Corporal Ira Hayer, Private First Class Harold Schultz, Private First Class Franklin Sousley*, Sergeant Michael Strank* were pictured lifting the American flag into the air on top of Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island signifying patriotism and valor. By the end of the war three of these men had died, indicated above with an asterisk (#5). By the end of the battle three photos had been taken: one on Mount Suribachi, the second proved the authenticity of photo one, and the last of eighteen soldiers smiling at the camera (#1).
The Japanese battle plan while not as complex as the United States Marines plan still caused quite a bit of damage. Under the command of Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese drew ideas from defense plans used in the battle of Peleliu ( #4). This was a good plan, it joined strong mutual support positions, both static (meaning hand-held and easily moved) and heavy (suggesting machine guns and immobile) weapons. They also used the early warning wisely; they began digging intricate and connected tunnels (#4). This was the strongest part of their battle plan. Kuribayashi also banned banzai, fierce and random, attacks until it became unambiguously necessary (#4). He also ordered twenty-two thousand men be heavily entrenched and armed. The way the tunnels, all 11 miles, were built made it hard for Marines to clear any caves; when the caves were declared clear the Japanese soldiers would crawl out of the tunnels and back into the caves and wait until they had a clear kill, then take US soldiers out one by one (#1). Kuribayashi was on the right track in another aspect of his battle plan; he increased bomb loads at night, while this was a good idea in theory, the attacks ended up feeble and ineffective leaving the US military more worried about friendly fire than Japanese attacks (#3). This caused the US to figure out their plans and were able to quickly use the knowledge to win.
The US battle plans were almost polar opposite.Their first plan was Operation Scavenger, the idea was to send in a bomber raid of one hundred planes that would clear most of the soldiers from the island; this proved ineffective.
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
fulfilled.
After the end of World War II the military tried many times to prove the need to acquire Iwo Jima. So far the military has said the island would be used to supply: a base for air-sea rescue,stop Japan fighters from intercepting American Air Force pilots, emergency landing, provide air defense, and finally remove the early warning system (#3). All these arguments are easily dissuaded. On Iwo Jima there was no pre-existing airstrip, poor engineering, no port, not secure, and taking the island didn’t effect the result of the war and may have even drug it out longer. During the battle, the island was only used for about two thousand two hundred landings with only a handful of them real emergencies. In the long run, the island provided thousands of deaths, a questionably air base, about seven thousand dead for an emergency landing theory. Iwo Jima was constantly under surveillance throughout the battle and it is only recorded a max of thirteen planes on the island, Japanese soldiers destroyed 11 B-29’s while the US destroyed thirty-seven without the help of Iwo Jima (#3). A final count showed that casualties were greater than on D-day.
To date, the public has tried to understand why the Marines did not just move on to Okinawa from the Philippine Sea battle. Okinawa had better airfields, several ports, a shorter distance both ways, twelve already build airfields, and worked in the favor of the Marines, Army and Navy (#3). Following this, the island of Okinawa satisfied the Navy and Iwo Jima appeased the Air Force. By having the Marines step in and combine both islands the Marines won the rivalry between all the branches of the military.
Every year since the battle the Marines host a reunion between the US and the Japanese; the most recent was their 71st reunion. The Medal of Honor is the most prestigious award in the US military, in honor of those who served in Iwo Jima 3,464 awards were given out: twenty-seven to US military, fourteen posthumously; twenty-three marines, four Navy, the remaining three thousand plus went to the remaining branches of the military. Of all the Medal of Honor presented 30% were given to Marines (#4); to this day that is the most awards ever given in one US battle. Clint Eastwood also did his part to pay homage to the brave Marines by producing “Flags of Our Fathers,” and “Letters From Iwo Jima.” The Japanese also added their two cents by renaming the island Iwo To.
William V. Pratt, a military officer was quoted after the battle saying, “ expenditure of manpower to acquire a small, God-forsaken island, useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base… [one] wonders if the same sort of airbase could not have been reached by acquiring another strategic localities at a lower cost” (#4). Pratt was one of the major commanding officers that approved to deployment of thousands of Military soldiers to Iwo Jima.
The inevitable second World War following World War I, was brought on by left over anger and an attack from Germany.The island was only attacked because of an “argument” between the different branches of the military and was then “justified” with various false reasons. However this event is viewed, one thing is clear, Iwo Jima was never and never will be justified.
gain control of Iwo Jima and use it for a fighter aircraft and an emergency landing site for bombers (#1). The US Navy and Army were tied up in other operations so the Marines took their chances and sent troops to Iwo Jima. They didn’t consider the victory of the Japanese island difficult, underestimated the Japanese defence strategies and overrated their own power. The Navy originally planned for three divisions to fight in the Okinawa invasion thirty days after the battle of Leyte. The Navy planned to combining Air Force and Army strategy. Although the plan was good, it had one major weakness: the military was unable to unite in time and thus, the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy were all in separate and competing campaigns to gain dominance over the other branches of the military (#3). This was the first attack on Japanese islands.
The battle of Iwo Jima, literally translated Sulfur Island, as told by Dr.Vedder, is a heart-tugging and image conjuring one as Vedder tells the story of his first days on the island.
James Vedder was a combat surgeon in the 27th regiment, 5th division of the Marines with only twenty months of experience; unlike the others he was not battle tested (#3). On February 19, 1945 as he was prepping for battle, his commanding officer told him the military expecting two days of offensive fighting; the 3rd day reserved for last clean sweep of remaining enemy soldiers. Eighty thousand combat marines went to battle that day, Dr. Vedder included. Vedder went through “33 days of horror,” trying his best to set shattered jaws, sew up mangled faces and close split skulls; he tried to fix missing limbs, close wounds that would never heal, watch soldiers die violent deaths and try to sanitize as best he could on hostile battle grounds. “Attempted to exercise compassion in hell,” would later be quoted from Dr. Vedder as he reflected on his first battle in the Marines (#3). Even through all this horror Vedder was able to come home and write a book, Combat Surgeon : On Iwo Jima With The 27th Marines By James S. Vedder, about his experiences in the …show more content…
Marines.
Despite this trepidation, Marines marched forward inch by inch and suffered many suicidal charges from the Japanese soldiers; many of them never spotted until they attacked US Marines and/or were blown apart during the charges (#1). Fourteen days later, the Marines still could not rationalize the deaths of six thousand eight hundred twenty-one US soldiers (#4). By this time, the engineers had repaired Airfield One and had constructed a search tower twenty feet in the air, all while under the threat of friendly fire. Although, this island was supposed to be for emergency landing of US Air Force only, one B-29 had landed in a catastrophe. Upon seeing the B-29, soldiers were quoted poetically saying, “ Like a giant bird, it set down on [Airfield One]... The B-29 landed on hallowed ground” (#3). On February 23rd, Mount Suribachi was taken and the famous flag-raised; the next day the slopes were secured (#1). The flag-raising quickly became the most recognized picture in the entire war.
The flag-raising took place five days after battle began, February 23, 1945. In this picture, Corporal Harlon Block*, Corporal Rene Gagon, Corporal Ira Hayer, Private First Class Harold Schultz, Private First Class Franklin Sousley*, Sergeant Michael Strank* were pictured lifting the American flag into the air on top of Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island signifying patriotism and valor. By the end of the war three of these men had died, indicated above with an asterisk (#5). By the end of the battle three photos had been taken: one on Mount Suribachi, the second proved the authenticity of photo one, and the last of eighteen soldiers smiling at the camera (#1).
The Japanese battle plan while not as complex as the United States Marines plan still caused quite a bit of damage. Under the command of Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese drew ideas from defense plans used in the battle of Peleliu ( #4). This was a good plan, it joined strong mutual support positions, both static (meaning hand-held and easily moved) and heavy (suggesting machine guns and immobile) weapons. They also used the early warning wisely; they began digging intricate and connected tunnels (#4). This was the strongest part of their battle plan. Kuribayashi also banned banzai, fierce and random, attacks until it became unambiguously necessary (#4). He also ordered twenty-two thousand men be heavily entrenched and armed. The way the tunnels, all 11 miles, were built made it hard for Marines to clear any caves; when the caves were declared clear the Japanese soldiers would crawl out of the tunnels and back into the caves and wait until they had a clear kill, then take US soldiers out one by one (#1). Kuribayashi was on the right track in another aspect of his battle plan; he increased bomb loads at night, while this was a good idea in theory, the attacks ended up feeble and ineffective leaving the US military more worried about friendly fire than Japanese attacks (#3). This caused the US to figure out their plans and were able to quickly use the knowledge to win.
The US battle plans were almost polar opposite.Their first plan was Operation Scavenger, the idea was to send in a bomber raid of one hundred planes that would clear most of the soldiers from the island; this proved ineffective.
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
fulfilled.
After the end of World War II the military tried many times to prove the need to acquire Iwo Jima. So far the military has said the island would be used to supply: a base for air-sea rescue,stop Japan fighters from intercepting American Air Force pilots, emergency landing, provide air defense, and finally remove the early warning system (#3). All these arguments are easily dissuaded. On Iwo Jima there was no pre-existing airstrip, poor engineering, no port, not secure, and taking the island didn’t effect the result of the war and may have even drug it out longer. During the battle, the island was only used for about two thousand two hundred landings with only a handful of them real emergencies. In the long run, the island provided thousands of deaths, a questionably air base, about seven thousand dead for an emergency landing theory. Iwo Jima was constantly under surveillance throughout the battle and it is only recorded a max of thirteen planes on the island, Japanese soldiers destroyed 11 B-29’s while the US destroyed thirty-seven without the help of Iwo Jima (#3). A final count showed that casualties were greater than on D-day.
To date, the public has tried to understand why the Marines did not just move on to Okinawa from the Philippine Sea battle. Okinawa had better airfields, several ports, a shorter distance both ways, twelve already build airfields, and worked in the favor of the Marines, Army and Navy (#3). Following this, the island of Okinawa satisfied the Navy and Iwo Jima appeased the Air Force. By having the Marines step in and combine both islands the Marines won the rivalry between all the branches of the military.
Every year since the battle the Marines host a reunion between the US and the Japanese; the most recent was their 71st reunion. The Medal of Honor is the most prestigious award in the US military, in honor of those who served in Iwo Jima 3,464 awards were given out: twenty-seven to US military, fourteen posthumously; twenty-three marines, four Navy, the remaining three thousand plus went to the remaining branches of the military. Of all the Medal of Honor presented 30% were given to Marines (#4); to this day that is the most awards ever given in one US battle. Clint Eastwood also did his part to pay homage to the brave Marines by producing “Flags of Our Fathers,” and “Letters From Iwo Jima.” The Japanese also added their two cents by renaming the island Iwo To.
William V. Pratt, a military officer was quoted after the battle saying, “ expenditure of manpower to acquire a small, God-forsaken island, useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base… [one] wonders if the same sort of airbase could not have been reached by acquiring another strategic localities at a lower cost” (#4). Pratt was one of the major commanding officers that approved to deployment of thousands of Military soldiers to Iwo Jima.
The inevitable second World War following World War I, was brought on by left over anger and an attack from Germany.The island was only attacked because of an “argument” between the different branches of the military and was then “justified” with various false reasons. However this event is viewed, one thing is clear, Iwo Jima was never and never will be justified.