U.S. Marines Land on Iwo Jima

Context

By early 1945 the United States had established heavy-bomber bases in the Mariana Islands and begun sustained raids against the Japanese home islands. Those B-29 missions, however, flew without fighter escort for much of their route and lacked nearby emergency landing fields when damaged aircraft could not return to base. Iwo Jima, a small volcanic island in the Volcano chain roughly 650 miles from Tokyo, served Japan as both an early-warning radar station and a forward base for interceptors that could harass the bombers.

What Happened

American planners therefore designated the capture of Iwo Jima’s two airfields as Operation Detachment. After weeks of naval gunfire and aerial bombardment, the assault waves of the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions landed on the southeastern beaches shortly after 9 a.m. on February 19. The loose black volcanic sand and steep rises immediately slowed vehicles and men, while Japanese artillery and mortars, previously silent, opened from concealed positions in the highlands and around Mount Suribachi. The landing force nevertheless established a narrow beachhead and began pushing inland under continuous naval and air support.

Aftermath

Organized resistance lasted another five weeks. Marines captured Mount Suribachi on February 23, and the island was declared secure on March 26. The airfields were rapidly repaired and placed in American service, allowing P-51 Mustang fighters to escort B-29s and providing emergency strips that later rescued hundreds of damaged bombers.

Legacy

The battle demonstrated the effectiveness of heavily fortified underground defenses against amphibious assault and supplied lessons incorporated into Marine and Army doctrine for subsequent operations, including the planned invasion of Japan itself. Its images, especially Joe Rosenthal’s photograph of the flag raising on Suribachi, became lasting symbols of American determination in the Pacific War.