The Battle of Iwo Jima

The Battle of Iwo Jima:

From February 1945 to March 1945, the Japanese and U.S. armies fought a fierce battle for the island of Iwo Jima, the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the most intense battles in the Pacific Theater of World War II. On the island, which is only 8 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide, U.S. troops fought hard for more than a month, achieving a final victory but paying a huge price.

I***The casualties were 28,686, including 6,821 deaths, which was the deadliest battle of the Pacific War for the U.S. Army. The reason why the U.S. troops suffered heavy casualties in this battle, in addition to the Japanese army with strong fortifications and fanatical die-hard militarism.

The U.S. intelligence agency's incorrect assessment of the Japanese combat capability on Iwo Jima was also an important reason. Due to the U.S. military intelligence underestimated the number of Japanese troops, weapons and equipment, as well as the ability to defend, resulting in the U.S. army in the absolute superiority of the force situation paid an extremely heavy price. At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese had a military base of nearly 3,800 men and a naval base of 1,400 men on Guam.

There were seaplanes, radio stations, weather stations, submarine hunters, minelayers and other ships. There was an airfield with 20 fighter planes and 1,500 naval personnel stationed on Iwo Jima.

When U.S. forces captured the Marshall Islands in February 1944, the Japanese reinforced their military presence on Iwo Jima to 5,000 men.

Thirteen artillery pieces, 200 light and heavy machine guns, 4,552 rifles, 12 anti-aircraft guns, and 30 25-mm. 2-unit anti-aircraft machine guns, in addition to 120-mm. caliber guns. Iwo Jima and the Ogasawara Islands became the last line of defense against American air attacks on the Japanese mainland. Because Japan had lost control of the sea and the air by then.

In April 1944, there were still 80 fighter planes stationed on Iwo Jima, but by July 1944 only four remained, and the U.S. Navy came within visual range of Iwo Jima, and a full-scale bombardment destroyed all the buildings on Iwo Jima and the four remaining planes. But the U.S. forces had not yet launched an attack on Iwo Jima, which had lost its air and sea support, while Japan was left with only ground forces to use.