Battle of Iwo Jima: The bloodiest battle of the war
The Battle of Iwo Jima happened on February 19 and ended on March 26 1945. It was called Operation Detachment, and it was a major battle in winning the war. At 8:59, one minute ahead of schedule, the first of an eventual 30,000 marines landed on the beach of Iwo Jima. Marines from the 3rd marine division, 4th marine division, and the 5th marine division made up the V Amphibious Corps who were the ones landing on the beach.
When the Marines first got on the island, they were not met by heavy gunfire. Instead, they were met by a deathly silence. This was the plan of General Kurybiyashi. He wanted to wait until all the Marines and their equipment were on the island. In the silence, the Marines became a bit unnerved and started to advance forward trying to find any Japanese positions. Only after a wave of Marines reached Japanese bunkers defended by machine gunners were they fired upon. The first wave of Marines sustained very heavy losses. Aside from the machine gunners in the bunkers, the Marines were receiving heavy fire from Mount Suribachi. It was extrememly difficult for the Marines to advance to the enemy positions because under their feet was ash from the volcano. There was no where to take cover and no where to dig a foxhole.
The Marines were assisted by Sherman tanks equipped with flamethrowers so they could flush out the japanese from their tunnels. They were also assisted with close air support. The battle of Iwo Jima resulted in 20,000 japanese deaths and the capturing of the three airfields on the island. The Marines were successful at taking over the island but