Why was iwo jima an important objective

By the end of the day, the Marines reached the west coast of the island, but their losses were appalling: almost 2, men killed or wounded. For the rest of February, the Americans pushed north, and by March 1 had taken two-thirds of the island, but it was not until March 26 that the island was finally secured. The Japanese fought to the last man, killing 6, Marines and wounding nearly 20, more. The Japanese losses totaled well over 20, men killed, and only 1, prisoners were taken.

Historians debate whether it was strategically worth the casualties sustained. Iwo Jima: Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, by Joe Rosenthal, became the only photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its publication, and came to be regarded in the United States as one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war. The day-long battle lasted from April 1 until June 22, After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only miles away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations for the planned invasion of Honshu, the Japanese mainland.

Four divisions of the U. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of Japanese kamikaze attacks, and the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island.

The battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, with more than 82, direct casualties on both sides: 14, Allied deaths over 12, Americans killed or missing and 77, Japanese soldiers, excluding those who died from their injuries later. Some islands that saw major battles, such as Iwo Jima, were uninhabited or previously evacuated. Okinawa, by contrast, had a large indigenous civilian population. As part of the naval operations surrounding the battle, the Japanese super-battleship Yamato was sunk and both sides lost considerable numbers of ships and aircraft.

Many military historians believe that the Okinawa campaign led directly to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a means of avoiding the planned ground invasion of the Japanese mainland.

The 3rd Marine Division encountered the most heavily fortified portion of the island in their move to take Airfield No. As with most of the fighting on Iwo Jima, frontal assault was the method used to gain each inch of ground. By nightfall on March 9, the 3rd division reached the island's northeastern beach, cutting the enemy defenses in two.

On the left of the 3rd Marine Division, the 5th Marine Division pushed up the western coast of Iwo Jima from the central airfield to the island's northern tip. Moving to seize and hold the eastern portion of the island, the 4th Marine Division encountered a "mini banzai" attack from the final members of the Japanese Navy serving on Iwo. This attack resulted in the death of nearly enemy and ended the centralized resistance of enemy forces in the 4th division's sector.

The 4th division would join forces with the 3rd and 5th on the coast on March A proud moment for those who worked so hard to gain control of the island was when the first emergency landing was made by a B bomber on March 4.

Repairs were made, refueling was completed and the aircraft was off to complete its mission. Operations entered the final phases March 11; enemy resistance was no longer centralized. Individual pockets of resistance were taken one by one. Finally on March 26, following a banzai attack against troops and air corps personnel near the beaches, the island was declared secure.

The U. Army's th Infantry regiment assumed ground control of the island on April 4, relieving the largest body of Marines committed in combat in one operation during World War II. The day assault resulted in more than 26, American casualties, including 6, dead. Of the 20, Japanese defenders, only 1, survived. The Marines' efforts, however, provided a vital link in the U. By war's end, 2, B bombers carrying 27, crewmen made unscheduled landings on the island.

Historians described U. Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines and sailors, many posthumously, more than were awarded for any other single operation during the war. Schrier, assembled at the base of Mount Suribachi. The platoon's mission was to take the crater at Suribachi's peak and raise the U.

The platoon slowly climbed the steep trails to the summit, but encountered no enemy fire. As they reached the top, the patrol members took positions around the crater watching for pockets of enemy resistance as other members of the patrol looked for something on which to raise the flag. At a. This symbol of victory sent a wave of strength to the battle-weary fighting men below, and struck a further mental blow against the island's defenders. Marine Corps photographer Sergeant Lou Lowery captured this first flag raising on film just as the enemy hurled a grenade in his direction.

Dodging the grenade, Lowery hurled his body over the edge of the crater and tumbled 50 feet. His camera lens was shattered, but he and his film were safe.

Three hours later another patrol was dispatched to raise another, larger flag. The battle for Iwo Jima is encapsulated by this historic flag raising atop Suribachi, which was captured on film by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. His photo, seen around the world as a symbol of American values, would earn him many awards including the Pulitzer Prize.

Over the years, the flag raising has come to symbolize the spirit of the Corps to all Marines. On Nov. Then Vice President Richard M. Nixon said, "This statue symbolizes the hopes and dreams of America, and the real purpose of our foreign policy.

We realize that to retain freedom for ourselves, we must be concerned when people in other parts of the world may lose theirs. There is no greater challenge to statesmanship than to find a way that such sacrifices as this statue represents are not necessary in the future, and to build the kind of world in which people can be free, in which nations can be independent, and in which people can live together in peace and friendship.

Naval History and Heritage Command. Print Friendly. The Sextant. Social Media. Toggle left navigation Nav. Toggle navigation Menu. Toggle navigation. Navy Installations Historic Former U. Navy Women in the U. The Marines at Iwo Jima came from every background. While African Americans were still not allowed on frontline duty because of segregation, they piloted amphibious trucks full of White and Latino Marines to the beaches at Iwo Jima, moved ammunition and supplies to the front, buried the dead and fought off surprise attacks from Japanese defenders.

Navajo Code Talkers were instrumental in taking the island. They were all Marines. The iconic flag-raising became the symbol for all Marines who died in service. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal's photo of Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi is perhaps one of the best-known war photos ever taken. Raising the American flag at the island's highest point sent a clear message to both the Marines below and the Japanese defenders.

In the years that followed, the image took on a more important role. It soon became the symbol of the Marine Corps itself. When the Marine Corps Memorial was dedicated in , it was that image that became the symbol of the Corps' spirit, dedicated to every Marine who gave their life in service to the United States. He can be reached at blake. He can also be found on Twitter blakestilwell or on Facebook. Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.

Subscribe to Military. Volcanic activity beneath Iwo Jima, site of a defining World War II battle, is pushing sunken naval vessels to the surface.

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