The Invasion
On the day of February 19 1945 the Battle of Iwo Jima, also known as Operation Detatchment Day, was fought. The day for the invasion of Iwo Jima had been planned a week prior. This battle was one of the major turning points in the second world war against Japan. It was major for the United States to win this battle so that they could have a stationed base where they could fire long range missiles when they attacked, and also when a bombing plane was injured they could easily land on the Island. The battle was important to the Japanese because the winning of this battle meant the safety of their home, heartland and nation. Lead by four veteran hero's from the previous world war, Harry Schmidt, Graves B. Earksine, Clifton B. Gates, and Keller E. Rockey, the U.S invaded and bombarded Iwo Jima with gun power and man power using an attack method known as “Rolling Barrage”. Which is where the ships, staying at a safe 400 meters away, constantly bombard the island with missiles and other fire power while troops slowly approached the island. It was considered the only way to break a stale mate at the time. Also air power was used to help regulate the pace of the ships.
Each group of soldiers was assigned a certain task that needed to be accomplished once they reached the island. The 4th division had the obligation of taking the “Quarry”, a stronghold for the Japanese. While the 5th division had the job of taking mount Suribachi. The entire battle was fought with much intensity. John P. Marquand, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer even stated “Its silhouette was like a sea monster, with the little dead volcano for the head, and the beach area for the neck, and all the rest of it, with its scrubby brown cliffs for the body”. Though the battle was tough on that day, and there were many losses totaling 6,800 that day. Captain Hayes one of the leaders of the 5th regime can reacall that out of the 3.400 men that he took onto that island, only 600 survived.
Each group of soldiers was assigned a certain task that needed to be accomplished once they reached the island. The 4th division had the obligation of taking the “Quarry”, a stronghold for the Japanese. While the 5th division had the job of taking mount Suribachi. The entire battle was fought with much intensity. John P. Marquand, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer even stated “Its silhouette was like a sea monster, with the little dead volcano for the head, and the beach area for the neck, and all the rest of it, with its scrubby brown cliffs for the body”. Though the battle was tough on that day, and there were many losses totaling 6,800 that day. Captain Hayes one of the leaders of the 5th regime can reacall that out of the 3.400 men that he took onto that island, only 600 survived.