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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima

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The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, designated Op…

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https://youtu.be/dpiYR1_CsiI

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https://youtu.be/wxIZMdnXC-I

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Iwo Jima Animated - Part 2, Raise the Flag!

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The Battle of Iwo Jima was an epic military campaign between U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan in early 1945. Located 750 miles off the coast of Japan, the island of Iwo Jima had three airfields that could serve as a staging facility for a potential invasion of mainland Japan.

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America viewed Iwo Jima as a target as Japan's Navy and Air force have already been crippled due to prior scurmishes. Thus America invaded Iwo Jima since the Japanese Military could not sufficiently defend the island

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American high command had decided to capture Iwo
Jima which was important because it was only 660 miles from Tokyo.
Iwo and the bigger island of Okinawa were to be used as bases for the final
invasion of Japan.

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16 Feb: Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 58) of the United States Navy mounts air strikes against Honshu to distract Japanese attention from Iwo Jima.

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American forces invaded the island on February 19, 1945, and the ensuing Battle of Iwo Jima lasted for five weeks.

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19 Feb: The US Marine Divisions land on Iwo Jima.

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Japanese defenders also relied heavily on tunnel systems on the island as means to organise defensive lines. Much like the tunnel systems in the Vietnam War, soldiers often kept all their living necessities in the tunnels, and many met their death in them as well.

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1. In order to prevent disclosing their positions to the Americans, Japanese artillery was to remain silent during the expected prelanding bombardment. No fire would be directed against the American naval vessels.

2. Upon landing on Iwo Jima, the Americans were not to encounter any opposition on the beaches.

3. Once the Americans had advanced about 500 m inland, they were to be taken under the concentrated fire of automatic weapons stationed in the vicinity of Motoyama airfield to the north, as well as automatic weapons and artillery emplaced both on the high ground to the north of the landing beaches and Mount Suribachi to the south.

4. After inflicting maximum possible casualties and damage on the landing force, the artillery was to displace northward from the high ground near the Chidori airfield.

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The battle was between 70 000 US Marines ans 18 000 Japanese soldiers

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Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi led Japanese troops against China, fought against Russia, and commanded the Imperial Guard so he was chosen to by the Japanese emperor to defend Iwo Jima

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20 Feb: Battalions from 23rd, 24th, and 25th Marines of 4th Division and 26th and 27th Marines of 5th Division secure airfield and push northward into heart of enemy defenses. 5th Division zone makes first gains; stiffest resistance from Japanese troops in zone of 25th Marines along east coast.

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After 36 days of fighting on the island, nearly 7000 marines were killed while another 26 000 were wounded. The Marines managed the capture 216 Japanese troops while the rest of the 18 000Japanese forces died in battle. It is the only battle where the Marines suffered more casualties than the Japanese.

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The US deployed 1170 planes and 17 aircraft carriers

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21 Feb: 40-plane air strike precedes attack, all battalions are  employed, supported by tanks, guns, and mounted cannons. Marines get to the foot of Mount Suribachi after smothering a counterattack. That night, Japanese suicide planes strike at vessels gathered off island in the area.

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The lessons learned on Iwo Jima served as guidelines for the following Battle of Okinawa and the planned invasion of the Japanese homeland. Most notably, the Allies took note of the casualties from the battle and the resilience of Japanese forces on such a tiny island. It served as a warning of Japanese resistance on the home islands and possibly mainland Japan.

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Feb 23: US Marines take Mount Suribachi. 21st Marines attack the Motoyama Airfield No. 2 with the use of tanks.

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Japan knew that they would lose the battle of Iwo Jima. The point of the Japanese in engaging with the battle was to stall the US advancement into main land japan. Within that time Japan was planning on fortifying their defences on the mainland as a final stand against US invasion

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Feb 24: 76 minute naval bombardment, pounding from Marine artillery, and carrier air strike precede 0915 crossing of divisional boundary line by tanks from 5th Marine Division to the western portion of airfield.

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Feb 28: 21st Marines overrun ruins of Motoyama Village and seize hills that dominate Airfield 3, still under construction.

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The Japanese had secretly embarked on a new defensive tactic, taking advantage of Iwo Jima’s mountainous landscape and jungles to set up camouflaged artillery positions.

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March 2: Hill 362A is overrun and neighboring Nishi Ridge, just to north, is captured.

March 3: Hill 362B falls to 26th Marines.

March 7: Hill 362C is taken by the Marines.

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Although Allied forces led by the Americans bombarded Iwo Jima with bombs dropped from the sky and heavy gunfire from ships positioned off the coast of the island, the forces controlling it suffered little damage and were thus ready to repel the initial attack by the U.S. Marines

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The beaches of the island were made up of steep dunes of soft, gray volcanic ash, which made getting sturdy footing and passage for vehicles difficult

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March 10: 4th Division finishes off Turkey Knob and the Amphitheater (areas for different battles) and pushes Japanese patrols to the coast. ''The Meat Grinder'' battle was over.

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March 13: 5th Division compresses Japanese troops into the area around Kitano Point. Japanese defenders surrounded in caves but they refuse to surrender, and are killed by the 25th Marines.

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March 16: 3rd Division focuses on heavily fortified resistance near Hill 362C. Last Japanese resistance crushed.

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1. Naval Bombardment of island defenses.
2. Landing of Troops onto the Eastern Beachhead.
3. Capture Southern Airfield by the first day and cut off mount Surubachi.
4. Move troops northwards and prepare are a final assault on the Northern defences.
5. Mop up remaining resistance and secure the island.

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The M2 flamethrower was considered by US commanders to be the single most effective weapon in the Iwo Jima engagement. Each battalion was assigned a flamethrower operator and the weapons became the most effective means of attacking Japanese troops in pillboxes, caves, buildings and bunkers.

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The summit of Suribachi, which has an elevation of 528 feet, marks the island’s highest point. The American flag was raised there on 23 February 1945, but the US wouldn’t claim victory in the battle until more than a month later, on 26 March.

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Two Japanese soldiers remained in hiding on the island for six years

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The victory of the US in Iwo Jima, alliwed the island to be used as an emergency landing site for more than 2200 B 29 bombers, saving the lives of 24 000 US airmen.

The victory also allowed the US to use Iwo Jima as a staging ground for an invasion of Okinawa securing the US the victory over the largest battle in the Pacific