Iwo Jima: 1945
The Battle of Iwo Jima started on February 19 and ended on March 26, 1945. This was an important battle for which the United States fought and captured the island of Iwo Jima from Japan. The capture of Iwo Jima was a part of the three-point plan for the Americans to win the war in the Far East. Iwo Jima is a small Pacific Island, it lies at the foot of the Bonin cahin of islands, it is a little over 4.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, it lies south of the main Japanese island of Honshu. On the island there were two airfields controled by the Japanese. They could attack American bombers on their flights to Japan. Because the island was so important, the Japanese wanted to remain control of it. The 22,000 soliders that were under the control of Lieutenant-General Kuribayashi they had time to build strong defensive positions throughout the island. For three days before the attack, six American battleships launched a barrage on the island. The Americans on the region were led by Admiral Raymond Spruance. Lieutenant-General Holland 'Howling Mad' Smith was in control of the landing forces. On February 19, 1945 Marines took heavy casualties because the American bombings were not effective. Because the bombings were not effective it created more opportunities for the Japanese to find more holes for snipers to hide. However, by the end of the first day, Americans had cut the island into two, even though they took over 2,400 casualties. On the second day the marines attacked Mount Suribachi. On February 23rd Suribachi was taken after three days of fighting. Iwo Jima was difficult to take over, Americans only advanced at several hundred meters per day. On March 11th the Japanese were trapped around Kitano Point. By March 16th the island was declared secure and resistance had ceased by March 26th. It took America over one month to take over Iwo Jima. The Marines lost 6,891 men killed and 18,070 wounded. Out of the 22,000 Japanese soldiers on the island only 212 were taken prisioners.