Bloody Battle on Iwo Jima

When it comes to the most crucial battle on the Pacific theater of World War II, you may first think of the Battle of Midway.

This war dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese navy, bringing its strategic offensive to a sudden halt.

In addition, the elite of the Japanese Navy's aviation force suffered significant losses in this war, leading the Japanese Navy towards failure.

The victory of the Battle of Midway reversed the situation of the Allies on the Pacific battlefield.

So, it seems understandable that the Battle of Midway was the most crucial battle on the Pacific battlefield.

But in reality, besides this battle, there is another battle that is equally important and even slightly more significant.

It is the most crucial and brutal - the Battle of Iwo Jima.

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Iwo Jima is a volcanic island that has not completely cooled down yet. Most of the island is covered by thick brown black volcanic embers.

Its total area is only 20 square kilometers, almost equivalent to the land area of Sansha City in Hainan, China.

Although Iwo Jima is just a small island, it is strategically located.

The island is located between Tokyo, Japan and the newly occupied Saipan Island by the US military, about 600 nautical miles apart from each other.

After occupying Saipan Island, the US military has been using Saipan Island as a base for airstrikes on Tokyo. However, due to the alarm function of Iwo Jima, the effectiveness of US airstrikes is not significant.

The Japanese troops stationed on Iwo Jima not only provided timely warnings to Tokyo, but also activated fighter jets to intercept American bombers, and even continuously sent planes to attack American airports on Saipan Island.

Iwo Jima is like a sore throat for the US military. If we cannot occupy it, we cannot invade Japan.

But for the safety of Tokyo, the Japanese troops stationed on Iwo Jima are bound to fight to the death!

This uninhabited island was destined to become a battlefield for the Japanese and American armies in the later stages of the Pacific War.

However, the intensity of this battle far exceeded the imagination of the US military!

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In early January 1945, the US military officially deployed and captured Iwo Jima.

The ground troops participating in this battle are the 5th Amphibious Army, which includes the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions, totaling approximately 61000 personnel.

At the same time, about 500 landing ships, about 400 warships, and about 2000 aircraft were also involved in the battle, under the unified command of Admiral Spruance, commander of the Fifth Fleet.

On January 9th of the same year, after the Battle of Luzon, all participating US troops began to rest and recuperate.

Therefore, Nimitz decided to land on Iwo Jima in mid February 1945 for combat.

At 9:00 on February 19th, after three consecutive days of artillery preparation, the US military began landing.

At the beginning, the landing was very smooth, and the American troops did not encounter much resistance, only sporadic attacks with mortars and light weapons.

For the US military, their biggest enemy now is not the Japanese army, but the volcanic embers as light as fine sand.

Most of the US tanks used to guide and cover the advance of landing forces are trapped in volcanic ash and cannot move.

Of course, before the Japanese counterattack, the US military felt that none of this seemed important. After all, they will soon occupy the entire island.

However, this idea disappeared in just an hour!

At exactly 10 o'clock, the Japanese suddenly launched a fierce counterattack, advancing the American landing forces, which were only over 200 meters long and were all suppressed at the sentry post, resulting in heavy casualties.

In addition, American tanks trapped in volcanic ash were also heavily bombarded by Japanese anti tank guns, resulting in equally devastating losses.

According to statistics, the casualties of the 24th and 25th regiments of the 4th Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps exceeded 25%, and the 56 tanks that landed in the first wave were basically lost.

American soldiers could only advance step by step with explosives and flamethrowers, only to be suppressed by Japanese artillery and snipers.

Every step taken by the US military comes at an extremely heavy cost.

At sunset that day, the US military had 6 infantry regiments, 6 artillery battalions, and 2 tank battalions, with a total of about 30000 people landing and occupying a landing battlefield about 3.6 kilometers wide and 1 kilometer deep.

However, on that day alone, the US military suffered over 2400 casualties, with 566 killed and 1858 injured, accounting for 8% of the total number of landings.

Of course, based on the situation on this day, the losses suffered by the US military are not too severe, but the upcoming battles will be even more difficult.

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On the 22nd of the war, due to heavy rain, the US landing forces were forced to stop attacking and enter the battlefield for rest.

After three consecutive days of fighting, the number of American soldiers killed or missing on Iwo Jima has reached over 1200, with over 4100 injured.

The soaring number of casualties has made the American people restless, and the domestic news media in the United States even strongly demands: "Let the Marine Corps catch their breath - poison the Japanese

Of course, when dealing with Japanese soldiers hiding in tunnels or caves, poison gas is not only more practical, but also more "merciful" compared to flamethrowers.

Although the United States and Japan did not sign the Geneva Convention prohibiting the use of poison gas at that time, President Roosevelt and the Allied Commander in Chief of the Pacific Theater, Nimitz, were unwilling to violate this convention.

After the war, Nimitz admitted that the reason for not using poison gas was purely out of humanitarian considerations, but the result was the loss of a large number of excellent Marines.

On the 23rd, the 4th Marine Division launched a total attack targeting Airport 2. However, due to the overly strong defense line constructed by the Japanese army, the American attack was hindered and the progress was extremely slow.

Throughout the day, only the right-wing forces advanced by about 300 meters, while the left-wing and center forces made almost no progress.

However, the US military's offensive is not without merit, and has achieved good results in Zhebo Mountain!

At around 10:20 that day, a 40 man team led by Captain Harold Shearer of the 28th Regiment of the 5th Marine Division, after four days of bloody fighting, finally captured the highest peak of Iwo Jima - Mount Buzhe.

This is a volcano that has not yet completely extinguished. The Japanese army almost emptied the entire mountain and built thousands of bunkers to defend it.

Especially the observation post on the mountaintop, commanding the entire East Coast, can accurately guide and correct the depth of artillery fire.

Its existence undoubtedly poses a great threat to the US military.

Afterwards, several American soldiers raised a national flag on Mount Zhe Bo, and the hardworking American soldiers cheered when they saw it.

Lian just arrived at Iwo Jima to inspect the US Navy Secretary James Forester. Seeing behind the scenes, he couldn't help but exclaim:

The flag raised on Mount Sishui signifies the honor of the Marine Corps for the next 500 years

This scene happened to be captured by Associated Press reporter Joe Rosenthal and went viral, becoming a symbol of victory.

The American photography magazine even commented, "At that moment, the camera captured the soul of a country

To be honest, this victory is really important for the American soldiers who have been fighting hard for many days!

Although nearly a thousand Japanese soldiers were still fighting to the death with tunnels and cave fortifications on Mount Buzhe at that time, the flying star flag on Mount Buzhe dealt a devastating blow to the morale of the Japanese army.

In the following time, the battle remained fierce and brutal.

On the 24th alone, the total number of casualties among the US military reached over 6000, with more than 1600 killed in action.

Faced with such heavy casualties, the US military had to send the headquarters of the Third Marine Division, Ninth Army Corps, and Twelfth Field Artillery Regiment as reserve forces to the island for combat.

However, the pace of the US military's advance is still as slow as a snail, and every further advance will come at a heavy cost.

Sometimes they can only advance 4 meters in a whole day, and the heavy casualties even make the commander lose the courage to engage soldiers in battle.

Especially in the competition for the second highest point, Hill 382, on Iwo Jima, the 4th Marine Division was repeatedly trapped in the crossfire network set up by the Japanese army, resulting in casualties of over 50% among the combat troops. Therefore, this highland is also known as the "meat grinder".

Until March 2nd, the US military did not attack the highlands, but suffered huge casualties, with several companies almost completely wiped out.

However, by this time, the US Navy and Air Force had already blockaded the entire Iwo Jima, cutting off the Japanese supply lines and on the brink of running out of ammunition and food.

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The Japanese army almost ate all the bark and wild animals on the island in order to continue fighting against the American army, but many soldiers starved to death and most of those who survived were physically weak.

In order to reduce casualties, Clifton Katz, the commander of the 4th Marine Division, issued a surrender letter to Li, the commander of the 109th Division of the Japanese army, and Ikeda, the commander of the 145th Regiment, the strongest Japanese army on Iwo Jima, guaranteeing that surrendered Japanese troops would receive humane treatment in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

But this surrender letter is like a stone sinking into the sea, never to receive a response again!

The vast majority of Japanese soldiers chose to fight to the death between surrendering and burying the emperor.

It has been proven that the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army in desperate situations was extremely astonishing. After the bullets were fired, they pulled out grenades and charged towards the American soldiers, both of whom perished together.

In order to clear the Japanese army from the tunnels, the US military extensively used flamethrowers. Although this is very effective, Japanese soldiers are not afraid at all. They were still shooting back before being burned to ashes.

War correspondent Robert Schroeder once recorded this scene:

A US soldier holding a flamethrower threw a bundle of TNT explosives into a cave, and with a loud bang, a Japanese soldier rushed out. As soon as his flamethrower covered him in flames, he was immediately killed, but just before he was almost burned out, the bullets in his belt rang for 60 seconds

So, you see, the Japanese army, which was in a desperate situation, not only did not sink into despair, but also possessed strong combat power in the generation, causing heavy damage to the American army.

The madness of the Japanese soldiers also completely destroyed the patience of the US military. Many American soldiers would rather shoot wounded than capture them.

In order to completely eliminate these stubborn Japanese soldiers, the US military used all available means.

By March 7th, more than half of the Japanese elite had been lost, and the US military decided to launch a total attack.

The 3rd Army Division responsible for the central breakthrough was unstoppable and quickly broke through the Japanese defense line. Two days later, they attacked the west coast and occupied a coastline of about 800 meters, dividing the Japanese army in half.

Despite the passing of the tide, Tadao Kuribayashi still refuses to admit defeat. He decided to take a gamble and launch a infiltration counterattack against the US military.

But the result was a heavy blow from the US military, with over 1000 casualties.

Afterwards, the Japanese military suffered heavy casualties among their active forces.

On March 16th, the US military announced the occupation of Iwo Jima, but at this time, the fighting was still ongoing and the remaining forces of the Gulin Island Command were still resisting.

On the 17th, the Emperor of Japan was promoted to the rank of General in commemoration of his heroic battle on Iwo Jima.

At the age of only 53, Tadao Kuribayashi was the youngest army general in Japan at that time.

On the 24th, the US military compressed the remaining Japanese troops in a small area of about 2100 square meters north of Iwo Jima.

Li Zhongdao burned the flag, sent the final farewell telegram, and then destroyed the password, preparing for a final counterattack against the US military.

On the early morning of the 26th, 350 Japanese soldiers led by Tadao Kuribayashi personally launched a final counterattack against the US military. Due to the sudden incident, the US military did not take preventive measures in advance, so many US soldiers died in their sleep.

After dawn the next day, the US military began to gather and sweep, chasing after the remnants of the Japanese army everywhere.

After nearly three hours of fierce fighting, this Japanese army was finally completely annihilated. Gu Lin Zhongnan was seriously injured and committed seppuku.

In this war, the US military also suffered over 170 casualties.

At around 9 o'clock that day, the US military officially announced the end of the Battle of Iwo Jima.

In fact, there were still remnants of the Japanese army resisting Iwo Jima until the end of April.

In the Battle of Iwo Jima, the US military deployed over 220000 troops, including more than 61000 landing troops, over 1000 ships, and more than 2000 aircraft.

But the Japanese army on Iwo Jima had only over 23000 soldiers, more than 10 ships, and over 30 aircraft, with almost no sea or air support.

Both in terms of strength and firepower, the US military holds an absolute advantage. However, this battle lasted for 36 days.

Although the US military achieved the final victory, it also paid a huge price of over 26000 casualties, 33 ships (including 1 aircraft carrier), and 168 aircraft.

So, what caused the US military to pay such a huge price?

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The reason why the US military paid such a heavy price in the Battle of Iwo Jima is mainly because the US military's combat evaluation system is not perfect enough.

Firstly, the US military did not accurately understand the complex terrain of Iwo Jima and the strong fortifications built by the Japanese army on the island.

As we mentioned above, Iwo Jima is a volcanic island that has not been completely cooled. Most of the island is covered with volcanic embers as light as fine sand, making it difficult for people to walk on and requiring vehicles to be cushioned when passing through.

But as long as these volcanic embers mix with water, they can form strong defensive fortifications. The Japanese army took advantage of this natural condition and built a large number of strong defensive fortresses on the island, which were also connected by nets underground.

In theory, this information is very important, but the assessment report of the US military did not mention it at all, ignoring the existence of a large number of difficult to conquer fortifications.

In the pre war report, the Joint Intelligence Center asserted that there were only 39 bunkers, 13 artillery bunkers, 4 underground fortifications, and 104 infantry bunkers on Iwo Jima.

The report overlooked the existence of a large number of sturdy fortifications.

After the battle, the Joint Intelligence Center and the Naval Intelligence Agency began analyzing the reinforced concrete fortifications on Iwo Jima. It was found that unmarked fortresses were everywhere on the map.

Secondly, the US military misjudged the strength of the Japanese army!

On January 10, 1945, the Joint Intelligence Center released an intelligence report on the Battle of Iwo Jima, stating that there were 13500 Japanese soldiers on the island.

Although aerial reconnaissance at the time showed that from autumn 1944 to early winter of the same year, the Japanese army had gathered in large numbers in this area, and their island strength may have increased.

But analysts still point out that "there is no indication that the Japanese army on the island has been strengthened

In fact, since the fall of the Mariana Islands in 1944, the Japanese army has been strengthening the defense of Iwo Jima.

By February 1945, there were over 15000 Japanese soldiers and approximately 7000 Japanese navy personnel on Iwo Jima, totaling around 23000 people and more than 30 aircraft.

In addition, by reviewing aerial photographs, analysts only discovered 105 major weapon deployment points and 119 heavy weapon deployment points on Iwo Jima.

Analysts estimate that the Japanese weapons and equipment on Iwo Jima mainly include the following parts:

24 howitzers, 18 mortars with a caliber of 81mm to 240mm, 10 shore defense guns, 42 to 54 anti tank guns, etc.

Although this number has since doubled, there is still a huge gap compared to the actual situation.

In fact, at that time, the Japanese army had 361 artillery pieces of various calibers, 70 rocket launchers, and 22 tanks on Iwo Jima.

Its firepower intensity is several times or even more than ten times that predicted by the US military.

Although the US military conducted a six-month air raid on the island of Iwo Jima before the official start of the battle, dropping a total of 13500 tons of bombs, it did not truly harm the key points of the Japanese army, and the damage rate to its fortifications was not significant.

Three days before landing, the US military bombed the carpet of Iwo Jima again, and the entire island was almost completely submerged by the smoke of US artillery fire.

According to relevant statistics, the US military had consumed 24000 tons of shells and bombs before landing. Iwo Jima was hit by an average of 1200 tons of shells per square kilometer.

Before landing, 38550 tons of shells were fired in just 2 hours and 20 minutes.

But the Japanese army suffered minimal losses due to their strong underground fortifications.

After the US military landed on the island, they discovered that out of the 914 targets originally estimated to have been destroyed before landing, only 194 were destroyed.

The consequences of intelligence errors are extremely painful. After landing on the island, the US military was heavily hit by Japanese artillery fire, resulting in extremely heavy losses.

It can be seen from this that obtaining information before the outbreak of war is crucial for the development of the situation.

It is precisely because the US military did not have a detailed, accurate, and comprehensive understanding of the Japanese defense system on Iwo Jima before the war, especially the special geographical structure of Iwo Jima itself, that the US military suffered heavy losses in this war.

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Of course, the main reason why the US military did not attach enough importance to pre war intelligence was "overly optimistic".

In the context of Japan's general decline in strategic situation, the high-level of the US military mistakenly held a blindly optimistic attitude, only believing that the US military would win the Battle of Iwo Jima, without seriously considering the cost of winning this war.

In addition to these, the tenacious bravery of the Japanese troops stationed on the island was also an important reason for the heavy losses suffered by the US military.

For the Japanese army, the ability to defend Iwo Jima largely determined Japan's security.

Therefore, facing the attack of the US military, the Japanese troops stationed on the island are bound to swear to defend Japan's security to the death.

Finally, let's summarize briefly:

The Battle of Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945 and lasted until March 26, 1945.

In this battle, 22305 Japanese soldiers were killed and 1083 were captured;

Although the US military achieved victory, it also paid a huge price of 6821 deaths (including 5324 Marines) and 21865 injuries.

Among them, 60% of the combat units of the US Third Marine Division were injured or killed, 75% of the combat units of the Fourth and Fifth Marine Divisions were injured or killed, and the Fifth Amphibious Army almost lost its combat effectiveness.

In this war, the casualties of the US Marine Corps were unparalleled in the entire Pacific War.

The reason why the US military suffered such heavy losses is mainly due to errors in pre war intelligence.

Of course, the blindly optimistic attitude of US military leaders and the tenacity of the Japanese troops stationed on the island were also important reasons for their heavy losses.