World War II

Closing In: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima

Closing In: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima Assault Preparations Sidebar: The Japanese Commander D-Day Sidebar: The Assault Commanders at Iwo Jima Suribachi Sidebar: Rosenthal’s Photograph of Iwo Jima Flag-Raising Quickly Became One of the War’s Most Famous The Drive North...

Chapters

7. Part 7

In The Gorge, the 5th Marine Division kept clawing forward. The division reported that the average battalion, which had landed with 36 officers and 885 men on D-day, now mustere...

2. Part 2

These problems notwithstanding, the huge force embarked and began the familiar move to westward. Said Colonel Robert E. Hogaboom, Chief of Staff, 3d Marine Division, “we were in...

1. Part 1

Closing In: Marines in the Seizure of Iwo Jima Assault Preparations Sidebar: The Japanese Commander D-Day Sidebar: The Assault Commanders at Iwo Jima Suribachi Sidebar: Rosentha...

6. Part 6

Marine transport aircraft from Marine Transport Squadrons (VMR) 952, 253, and 353 based in the Marianas delivered critical combat cargo to the island during the height of the ba...

4. Part 4

Concern with the heavy casualties in the first 24 hours led Schmidt to commit the 21st Marines from corps reserve. The seas proved to be too rough. The troops had harrowing expe...

5. Part 5

Not surprisingly, most casualties in the first three weeks of the battle resulted from high explosives: mortars, artillery, mines, grenades, and the hellacious rocket bombs. _Ti...

3. Part 3

Two Marine combat veterans observing this expressed a grudging admiration for the Japanese gunners. “It was one of the worst blood-lettings of the war,” said Major Karch of the...

8. Part 8

Iwo Jima represented at once the supreme test and the pinnacle of American amphibious capabilities in the Pacific War. The sheer magnitude of the task--planning the assault and...