Iwo Jima
The European part of the war was almost over, but the Americans were still trying to push the Japanese out of their Pacific empire.But to do this they needed Iwo Jima as a crucial base by the Japan coast. There were 23,000 Japanese soldiers holed up in underground caves and tunnels. When the Americans stepped upon the island they were ambushed by machine gun fire from the Japanese hiding in the forest. But despite the difficulty of the attack they still took the island after almost a month of fighting.
The Americans started the attack with bombings from the air and sea. They bombed the island so much they thought it was going to be a walk in the park, and for a little bit it was. This was because of the Japanese's change of fighting tactics. Instead of defending the coast of Iwo Jima the Japanese were holed up towards the middle of the island by . This made taking the island almost a casual stroll but once they got into the jungle the marines were met with heavy fire. The Japanese were far below the surface of the island in caves and underground tunnels this is how they survived the bombings. A big part of the battle was the Navajo indians. The Navajo Indians had one of the most complex languages ever made and for every Marine unit there would be a Navajo radiomen to talk to the other units in code. For how crucial their role was in Iwo Jima here is a quote from Major Howard Connor, “Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.” The Japan earlier in the war would be able to crack the Americans code and when the Navajos came into the war it was huge. Iwo Jima was a crucial turning point in World War 2. By capturing Iwo Jima it would help the U.S Military set up strategic battles to take over strongold Japenese islands.It would also helo the U.S set up critical Air and Sea bloackades against the Japan Air Force and Navy. Another reason why Iwo Jima was such a big turning point in the war is because that is what ultimately lead to the atomic bomb dropping in Hiroshima. Iwo Jima was a crucial point in World War 2 and was the turning point in the war. It was a month long battle and both sides faced heavy casualties. In this month long battle we saw the Japan totally abandon their fighting styles from Banzai attacks which is where they charge with swords, into a guerilla style tactic. This is what made this island so hard to get because of the Japan’s savvy fighting style. |
This is the flag that the Americans raised in the famous photo you see today.
Here is a Navajo's radio from the battle 0f Iwo Jima.
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The Americans used flamethrowers like so to burn out the Japanese
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Bibliography:
History.com Staff. "Battle of Iwo Jima." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
"Iwo Jima." Dictionary of American History., "Iwo Jima." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.., "Iwo Jima." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase;Fable., "Iwo Jima." World Encyclopedia., and "Iwo Jima." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. "Iwo Jima." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016
"Navajo Code Talkers and the Unbreakable Code." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 06 Nov. 2008. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
Download Flags USA. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web.
1000 Images about Military Radio. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web.
History.com Staff. "Battle of Iwo Jima." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
"Iwo Jima." Dictionary of American History., "Iwo Jima." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.., "Iwo Jima." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase;Fable., "Iwo Jima." World Encyclopedia., and "Iwo Jima." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. "Iwo Jima." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016
"Navajo Code Talkers and the Unbreakable Code." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 06 Nov. 2008. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
Download Flags USA. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web.
1000 Images about Military Radio. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web.