The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Siege of the Island Iwo Jima
Iwo JIma
THe Battle of Iwo Jima was important because the USA needed to have a base closer to japan, so they could launch attacks closer to japan. We started attacking forces from offshore long before the actual battle on February 19th 1945
Event Information
The Battle of Iwo Jima
When?
Monday, Feb 19, 1945, 09:00 PM
Where?
Iwo-jima, Kagoshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Battle Details
The Battle of Iwo JIima was a very important battle that took place in the late years of the war. In this battle the Americans took control of Iwo Jima island from the Japanese. The US needed the island so they could use it as a base for attacks against mainland Japan, as the US was to far away. The marines attacked Iwo Jima February 19, 1945, but they had been bombarding Japanese forces there since June. The marines landed at Iwo Jima, and began there attack. They started by taking smaller Japanese strong points 5 days into the battle the 3rd Marine Division began focusing on the center of the island. The Japanese where fighting from caves and had better cover, which made this fight extremely difficult and l last very long. Other marine groups began securing other areas of the island. On March 11 the closing stages of the battle began and they remaining pockets of resistance where taken out one by one. On March 26 the island was finally declared secure.
Battle of Iwo Jima - Fierce Fighting Footage [Full Resolution]
Generals
Admiral Raymond A. Spruance was the operations overall commander.
Spruance was a naval commander in World War 2 who was in charge of several other battles in the war notably The Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He was born July 3, 1886 and died December 13, 1969. He was known as a great Military commander.
Impact
Iwo Jima was very important for America. It also produced arguably the greatest symbol of American courage, when a picture was taken of it's flag raisings. This battle put america closer to the japan than they had ever been in the war. It gave us a strong strategic place where we could fuel planes and launch strategic attacks. It did come at a cost as many brave marines died.