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Essay on Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima is one of the most costly battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought in February and March 1945 on the island of Iwo Jima. About 6800 United States personnel (including about 6000 Marines) lost their lives in capturing the island from the Japanese; Japanese losses were estimated at more than 21,000. The conquest of the island provided American air units with the first base inside the Japanese inner-defense system from which to attack the heart of industrial Japan with medium bombers escorted by fighters.
Before the actual invasion on February 19, the island was subjected to air and sea bombardment for three months. In spite of the preinvasion assault, some Japanese were still firmly entrenched in underground fortifications in the soft volcanic soil. The marines secured the island after a month of the most severe fighting in their history. Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island and an important defense position, was captured on February 23. The campaign was officially declared ended on March 16
In the opening days of 1945, Japan faced the prospect of invasion by the Allied forces. Daily bomber raids from the Marianas hit the mainland in an operation called Scavenger. Iwo Jima served as an early warning station, which would radio reports of incoming bombers back to mainland Japan. When Allied bombers arrived over Japanese cities, the Japanese air defenses would be ready and waiting for them.
Months earlier, the Allies had landed on Leyte in the Philippines, only to find it empty of Japanese resistance. The timetable for the operation was sped up by 8 weeks as a result. At the end of the campaign, this left the Allies with a 2-month lull in their operations planning prior to the invasion of Okinawa, which was considered unacceptable. Thus, the decision was made to invade Iwo Jima. The landing was designated Operation Detachment......
