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Assault Phase of the Iwo
Jima Landings
The Landing Plan
called for putting 9,000 men ashore in the first 45 minutes. The
flag signal to "Land the Landing Force" was executed at 0615. At
0805 naval gunfire was lifted and 120 aircraft shot rockets and
machine guns and dropped bombs on the beach area and its flanks.
Napalm was used generously.
At 0825 the early
landing waves were in position and at 0830 the first wave was
directed to proceed to the beach. The Pre-Landing Gunfire Support
Plan called for putting 8,000 shells on the beach while the troops
were moving in from the Line of Departure. Fire was directed at the
beach until 0857, when it shifted to the flanks and immediate rear.
The first assault
wave hit the beach along the 3,000-yard front at almost exactly
H-Hour, 0900, and moved ahead rapidly for the first 350 yards under
the very real assistance of a rolling barrage of naval gunfire. The
second wave was the initial troop wave.
As the Marine
Commander reported: No anti-boat gunfire was reported by the initial
waves. The Japanese gun, mortar, and small arms fire against the
later waves of amtracs, and against the troops which landed from
them was definitely light on the southern beaches until about H plus
30 minutes, by which time many lead vehicles were well off the
beach.
Japanese gunfire
picked up more quickly against the later waves headed for the
northern beaches and by 0920 reports of heavy Japanese mortar fire
against the right flank beaches were received.
Progress straight
across the southern belt of the island was rapid and by 1030 Marines
had reached the cliffs overlooking the western beaches of Iwo Jima
and by 1130 these cliffs were in the possession of the Fifth Marine
Division. Progress on the right flank was slower, much slower, as
the Marines met gradually intensifying fire from the quarry and
plateau area, from undestroyed pillboxes, and encountered land
mines.
The tanks were
called for, and by noon some reserve units were called in. Since
these were embarked in LCVP's and LCM's real problems at the beach
line soon developed. The amtracs had had their difficulties with the
steep beach and the steep slopes of volcanic sand, but by and large
they made it. When it came to the landing craft, the LCVP and the
LCM, the amphibians ran into trouble because of the combination of
steep beach gradients and the onshore swells. The craft grounded
fair and square but the swells broached, and then swamped many,
before they could be completely unloaded.
By nightfall, all
assault elements of both divisions had been landed, plus other
supporting elements to bring to 30,000 the total of troops landed in
one day.
All the amphibians,
whether on land or sea, and everyone else within sight of Mount
Suribachi, received a tremendous lift when the spirited Marines of
the 28th Regiment of the Fifth Marine Division raised the American
flag on the summit of Mount Suribachi about 1035 on 23 February
1945.
Despite this
favorable turn (which facilitated the full force of the Fifth Corps
being used against the defensive positions to the north), the
Japanese "fight unto death" tactics were aided by the rugged
volcanic crags, steep defiles, and severe escarpments. The Marine
advance was slow, but inexorable.
At 1800 on 16 March,
Iwo Jima was declared secure.
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1945.JPG)
1945.GIF)
