DON MARSHALL'S ACCOUNT (1)

DON MARSHALL'S report of his experiences on IWOJIMA begins at D-1 in the night when he "took a turn around the deck":
"The bright aluminum moon hanging in the sky paved an avenue of light across the calm Pacific waters toward the ship."
Then he tells us s.th. quite peculiar:
"I had finished my last murder mystery, reluctantly painted over the Jap flags on my helmet, as per request of Lieutenant Charles Schultz, C Company. If our fighter pilots kept score of kills on their planes, why couldn't I on my helmet?"
There was a (divine) service for "those needing comfort of prayer". Don, however, not being much too religious, went to a steak dinner, an old Marine tradition. And he goes on:
"Some, fearing stomach wounds, refused, but not I."
This was the plan for the landing:
"Fifth Amp Tracs were assigned to land troops on Blue Beaches and Yellow Beach 2, 5th Division Regiments 27th and 28th to the left, nearest the base of Mount Suribachi, and 4th Division Regiments 23rd and 25th to the right."
27th and 28th: securing the volcano, then turning north driving up the west side-23rd and 25th: cutting directly "across the island", taking Motoyama Airfiled, pivoting right, driving up to the centre and east side-3rd division: remaining at sea "as a floating reserve".
"We went into action on the third day."
And then the shelling begins:
"We could hear th whumps as our fleet's cannons slammed shells into the tiny island."
And he continues with his special humour telling us the UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) was "said to be half fish and half nuts."
They found only one mine.
All 12 LCIs hit; "nine of those put out of commission and one sunk"-no news of the cruiser Pensacola "getting slammed with artillery fire at 1, 600 yards taking six hits, 17 dead and 120 wounded"-"We were unaware the battleship Tennessee and a support destroyer had taken direct hits."
DON MARSHALL, seemingly cold as ice and of boundless optimism, plays chess with his crew chief SERGEANT WALTER "STONEY" CRAGG "laying on top of our amphib...when around 4. 30 a.m. orders came to stand down for loading."-"We planned on finishing the game later."-CRAGG supervising the loading and MARSHALL cranking the engine 42 times.
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DON MARSHALL: TWO OLD PISTOLS

"Aged 18 and already a vetran of Saipan and Tinian, Don Marshall was a driver with the 5th Amphibious Tractor Battalion, his section due to land on Yellow 2. He drove his Amtrac ahore close to the wrecked Japanese transport whose funnel can be seen lying askew on the left of the picture."
On another shot we can see DON "wearing two Smith & Wessson 44-calibre pistols taken from Japanese on Iwo. Later, Smith & Wesson wrote him a letter of apology for the Japanese having used their products against Americans but stated that the pistols concerned had been sold to Japan in 1903!"

IWOJIMA (13): FINAL ACTIONS (THE END)

After capturing MOUNT SURIBACHI the Marines were able to turn to the north of the island knowing only little that KURIBAYASHI'S main forcers were in the central and northern part.-Japanese defences: "masterpieces of ingenuity" (caves, bunkers, pillboxes, blockhouses)-"for the large part underground"-"through the bombing and shelling almost unscathed"-"The worst of the fighting was yet to come as each position would have to be neutralised one by one."-"It was a nightmare struggle which was to last virtually until the end of March."-Two pictures: "Marines cleaning out caves with flame-throwers and grenades while riflemen stand at the ready."-"Nearly 10 000 American casualties had been evacuated from IWO JIMA by March 6..."-"400 more Americans joined the casualty list on that day"-"On March 7, American forces started their big push."-"132 guns from 11 Marine artillery battallions slammed the entrenched Japanese from a range of 100 yards while a battleship and cruiser set up continuous fire."-"Over 22 000 rounds of 75mm and 150mm shells decimated the western half of the Japanese lines, then concentrated on their eastern front."-Next picture: "Twenty-five days after flagraising on MOUNT SURIBACHI, 5th Division Marines planted the Stars and Stripes on Hill 165 at KITANO POINT close to the northern tip of the coast..."-"General TADAMICHI KURIBAYASHI lived and died in the finest tradition of a Samurai warrior..."-"his body buried in an unmarked, unknown grave, hidden deep in the black volcanic ash of his island fortress"-"The bloodiest battle of the Pacific cost the Americans 6821 dead and 19 217 wounded."-"Over 22 000 Japanese died, dedicated to the final sacrifice in defence of their Empire..."-"Only 1083 Japanese survived the island holocaust..."-"It is believed that GENERAL KURIBAYASHI either committed hara-kiri in the gorge or went down fighting in a last ditch-battle early on March 26. Forty of the Japanese dead carried swords but examination of the bodies failed to identify the General."---
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Next: ACCOUNT OF DON MARSHALL: "These pictures do little to portray the way it was-that is better left to our author, DON MARSHALL, in his personal narrative beginning over the page."

IWOJIMA (12): TOWARDS THE END OF BATTLE (THE END IS NEAR)

Fall of the island's southern defences-Kuribayshi: trying to hold line against the Marines' northward advances-"war of attrition" ("Rifles, flame-throwers, grenades, knives and entrenching tools became their weapons of the moment.")-American artillery becomin useless because Japs hugging close to attacker-waiting "in hidden caves until Marines attempted to thrust ahead, the popped up from behind and attacked with a ferocious determination"-one of the two Japanese memorials remembering the Kamikaze pilots ("On D plus 2, around 50 aircraft of the 2nd Mitate Special Attack Unit took off from Katori airfield near Yokosuka...appeared over Iwo towards evening. The attack lasted three hours, the carrier Bismarck Sea being sunk, and the Saratoga badly damaged and forced to return to Pearl Harbor. A third carrier, Lunga Point, was also hit as were the Keokuk and LST 477. There were no Japanese survivors.")-Message of Kuribayashi: "All surviving fighting positions have sustained heavy losses, but fighting spirit still running high. Inflicting great damage on enemy."-"We inflict enemy losses of 798 men and one tank."-"Captured documents say enemy is 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions...in northern district one aircraft shot down, 200 men killed."-AFTER THE BATTLE, number 82.

IWOJIMA (11): THE RAISING OF THE FLAG

At 10. 20 a.m. a flag (54in. x 28in.) was tied to the top of Mount Suribachi. On one of the pictures one can identify Pfc Gene M. Marshall (the one carrying the radio) and Sergeant Henry O. Hanson to his left (with cap and hand on the pole). Sergeant Louis R. Lowery being together with Company E to record the event.
Soon after, a Marine (unnamed) went to LST 779 to get a larger flag being more visible to ships offshore.
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AFTER THE BATTLE, 82.
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Meanwhile, a second flag was taken there.- Two more photographers joining rhe party: Joe Rosenthal and Private Robert R. Campbell.-Campbell's photo showing Rosenthal waving with the camera to left of small flag.-Another picture: Rosenthal ready to shoot raising of large flag.-At his side:Sergeant William Genaust, 'leatherneck' cameraman.-Two Marines walking in front of him.-Therefore, he took 3 more pictures.-Next picture: showing Rosenthal while picturing his 4th photo ("posed 'insurance' shot"); photo shot by Campbell.-
Next one: Rosenthal overlooking beach.-LST 779 below.-Film airlifted to CINPAC HQ Guam; there processed immediately.-First negative: Stars and Stripes over group of Marines="final posed picture"; 2nd and 3rd pieces of film ruined.-Symbolic picture; "stirred the world and inspired a nation"; Marine having walked into frame not spoiling shot (Pfc Ira H. Hayes, Pfc Franklin B. Sousley, Sergeant Michael Strank and Ph M2C John H. Bradley ("both obscured by comrades"), Pfc Rene A. Gagnon, Corporal Harlon H. Block (Strank, Block and Sousley: killed in action before island being secured).-Next shot: by Private Campbell "taken from aslightly higher angle".-Next photo: showing monument.-"both flags being preserved in the Marine Corps Museum" (Quantico, Virginia)-"Of the six flag-raisers who survived the war, only John Bradley is alive today, living in Antigo, Wisconsin. Marty Black went to see him for us in April 1992 but Bradley is very modest and shuns all publicity."
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AFTER THE BATTLE, 82.

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IWOJIMA (10): KAMIKAZE-ANGRIFFE: ÖSTLICHES GEGEN WESTLICHES DENKEN

Nach der Landung von 40 000 Amerikanern, wurde IWOJIMA die ganze Nacht von der Flotte aus beschossen.-nächster Tag: Flieger greifen im Sturzflug alle japanischen Stellungen an (bis in die Nacht)-Bodentruppen: konnten nur 150-200 m vorrücken-japanische Bunker: halten Ufer unter Beschuß-japanischer Beschuß läßt nach-Panzer können landen-Flugzeugträger: südlich von Iwojima-der erste Kamikaze stürzt sich auf die Saratoga (s. auch Ehrenkodex der Samurai; deren Opferbereitschaft)-2. Februar: 3 Kamikaze schlagen auf der Kommandobrücke ein-Saratoga muß sich zurückziehen-2 Kamikaze stürzen auf die Bismarck Sea-das Schiff sinkt: 350 tot.
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DER ZWEITE WELTKRIEG, DAS BESTE
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Die (für uns irrationalen) Kamikaze-Angriffe, deren wahnsinnige Logik "Ein Flugzeug gegen ein Schiff" lautete, veränderten die Kriegsführung. Die Japaner hielten sich sozusagen nicht mehr an die "Regeln" des Krieges. Diese Taktik, die unserem westlichen Denken völlig fremd ist, traf die Amerikaner unvorbereitet. Dennoch war sie lediglich ein Akt der Verzweiflung. Das Ende wurde nur hinausgezögert.
Die Kamikaze-Taktik war nicht nur ein Produkt der Propaganda, sondern auch auf die tief verwurzelte Opferbereitschaft der Samurai zurückzuführen.

IWOJIMA (9): THE CAPTURE OF MOUNT SURIBACHI

"Concentrated Japanese fire knocked out most of the few tanks able to land. Land mines disabled the others."
AFTER THE BATTLE, nr. 84.
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LSM 216: tried 4times to land-first tank unloaded bogged down blocking the others-"Seabees"=Navy Engineers: "suffered 269 casualties"-"In all, over 13 700 casualties had been evacuated by the battle's end."-"For three gruelling days, Marines fought for the control of Mount Suribachi. Finally, on the fourth day and at a cost of 900 dead and wounded, elements of the attcking 28th Marine Regiment managed to secure the top of the volcano and raise a small American flag. But the fall of Mount Suribachi by no means guaranteed the fall of Iwo Jima."-"The battle for the volcano was an epic in itself, the capture of Suribachi becoming a legend in the long and varied history of the United States Marine Corps."-"By D plus 4, the 5th Marine Division had made sufficient progress against Suribachi that the order was given for the 2nd Battalion of the 28th Marines to secure and occupy the crest. The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Chandler W. Johnson (killed in action on March 2) sent out two three-man patrols from Companies D and F to reconnoitre and probe for enemy resistance and, as none was encountered, the Marines reached the lip of the crater at 9.40 a.m. A 40-strong detachment from Company E was sent to back them up which reached the rim by 10. 15 a.m."-"stiff resistance" by a group of defenders-"a 54in.x 28in. flag was tied to the top".-
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AFTER THE BATTLE, 84.

IWOJIMA (8)

KURIBAYASHI rebasing his bombers (Chichi Jima)-reducing his airpower (2 Zeros)-order to dive-bomb and ram largest of attacking ships-both planes downed-5-hour "rain of death"-16 blockhouses, about 20 pillboxes, 17 shore batteries in ruins-defending forces retreating deeper and waiting-next morning: 6. 40 a.m.: heaviest pre-H-hour bomardment of WW II-the North Carolina and San Francisco opposite the heart of the island-4 battleships, 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers covering south-eastern coast-2 battleships, 5 cruisers aginst western beaches-next 85 minutes: big ship firing 75 rounds each, cruisers 100 apiece-120 rocket-firing and napalm-dropping planes-battleships: 155 rounds apiece-cruisers: 150 each-destroyers: 500 each-ceased fire at 8.50 a.m.-LTS rocket ships: 20 000 rockets-68 LVTs (Landing Vehicle, Tracked): 1360 leathernecks-first wave of marines-tractors: easy targets-within 90 minutes: 9000 men, tanks, tractors, jeeps, landing craft, war material-4 th Marine Division: sector Yellow 1, 2, Blue 1, 2-under observation and fire of Hill 382-5th Division: less opposition-1st Battallion, 28th Marines: Green, Red 1, 2-problems with the volcanic sand-Cruiser Santa Fe: continuous fire-Nevada, West Virginia: both firing, too-troops arriving Chidori Airfield (within 2, 5 h)!-Suribachi: nearly cut off.-
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AFTER THE BATTLE, 82.
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"Die Flut hatte eingesetzt und eine heftige Brandung bereitete den Landungsschiffen große Schwierigkeiten."
"An verschiedenen Punkten des Strandes landeten ununterbrochen neue Truppen."
"In der Nähe des Wassers war das Ufer mit umgeworfenenen Alligatoren, mit zerschossenen Lastwagen, Jeeps und Panzerabwehrkanonen übersät."
"Am Abend des 19. Februar hatten die Truppen noch nicht einmal ein Viertel der Strecke zurückgelegt, die für den ersten Tag vorgesehen war. 1700 Verwundete waren evakuiert worden; die Zahl der Toten war noch nicht bekannt. 40 000 Mann waren gelandet..."
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DER 2. WELTKRIEG, DAS BESTE, Bd. III.

IWOJIMA (7)

BESCHIESSUNG DER INSEL:
"Battleships Nevada, Texas, Arkansas and New York...answered in unison to the command signal: 'Commence firing!' Over two hundred 2, 000-mph, 16-inch shells slammed into Iwo's concrete defences. The other ships blasted the wounded island with 6, 472 8-inch and 15, 221 3-inch shells. At the end of a hot sweaty day, exhausted gun crew shifts were stunned that only 17 out of their 1700 targets had been crossed off."
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AFTER THE BATTLE, 82
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"On the morning of Febraury 17, mine-sweepers, under protection of the heavy cruiser Pensacola, swept the area. They found no mines..."
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Die PENSACOLA wird getroffen:
"Suddenly, a burst of fire exploded from a well-hidden 150 mm. The Pensacola sustained six hits in three minutes."
Daraufhin mußte sich die PENSACOLA zurückziehen.
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DIE LANDEBOOTE:
"At 10. 30 a.m. 12 LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) slowly approached IWO's black, volcanic shore..."
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"LCI 473 burst into flame after taking 189 holes in her hull. LCI 450 suffered hits in her hull and gun mounts. One shot severed the anchor chain, sent the heavy missile plunging to the bottom and gave birth to the grim joke that LCI 450 was the first fighting ship to drop anchor in Japan's home waters...Fourteen 6-inch shells slammed into LCI 474 setting off three magazine explosions and four fires, killing 43 seamen and wounding 153. She went to the bottom with six of her crew. Japanese marksmanship killed seven and wounded 11 aboard the destroyer Leutze."
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Die Japaner warten, bis ca. 2000 Amerikaner gelandet waren.-Sie eröffnen das Feuer aus den unterirdischen Anlagen-schwere Angriffe auf Ufer und Schiffe-Landung der ersten Bulldozer und Panzer unter Dauerbeschuß-Bulldozer versuchen, das Gelände zu ebnen-japanische Stellungen können von den Schiffen aus nicht beschossen werden, da Gefahr, eigene Leute zu treffen-Marinesoldaten mußten daher ganz nah an die Schießscharten ran-Vormarsch äußerst langsam, bisweilen Stillstand-jede Stellung mußte einzeln genommen werden-Nachmittag: schwere Landungsschiffe für Panzer werden außer Reichweite gehalten-Motorschaluppen fahren zwischen Landungsschiffen und weniger gefährdeten Abschnitten hin und her.
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DER 2. WELTKRIEG, DAS BESTE, Bd. 3.

BILDER VON GOR

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IWOJIMA (6): LANDUNG

Breite des Strandes: wenige Meter; dahinter: Terasse, 1-2 m hoch, dann ein sanfter Abhang und eine weitere Terasse.
Versuch der Bomber, diese Terasse einzuebnen; Zweck: leichtere Überwindung durch Panzer und andere Fahrzeuge.
Beschießung des Strandes durch Jagdflugzeuge.
Aus den Landungsbooten fliegen Handgranaten.
8 Uhr 30: erste Landungswelle; weitere im Abstand von wenigen Minuten.
Reihenfolge: Amphibienfahrzeuge (75-mm-Mörser, Maschinengewehre), Truppe, Panzer und Bulldozer, Sanitäter, übrige Begleitmannschaft.
8 Uhr 40: B 29 und Sturzkampfbomber; Bombardierung des Südwestens der Insel; Schiffe belegen Strand mit Sperrfeuer.
8 Uhr 55: Feuer der Schiffe wird 500 m vorverlegt.
9 Uhr: die ersten Marinesoldaten gehen an Land; sie sinken knöcheltief im Sand ein, behindert Vormarsch.
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DER 2. WELTKRIEG, Bd. 3, das Beste; Bericht von Georges Blond.

IWOJIMA (5): BIS ZUR LANDUNG

Beginn der Luftangriffe: 1. 12. 1944 (schwere Bomber, Typ B 29; Ausgangspunkt: Karolinen)
Die B 29 hatten einen Aktionsradius von 11 000 km! Spannweite: 43 m, Gewicht: 50 Tonnen!
8. 12.: Evakuierung der Zivilbevölkerung; danach: Befestigungsarbeiten,
Anfänglich wurde die Flak ausgeschaltet; Bombenschäden wurden sofort repariert.
Bau eines dritten Flugplatzes!-Verstärkung der Flugabwehr.
10. 2. 1945: Task Force 58 unter ADMIRAL MITSCHER startet von Ulithi, Karolinen: 11 schwere, 5 leichte Flugzeugträger, 1200 Flugzeuge, 8 Schlachtschiffe, 17 schwere und leichte Kreuzer, 81 Zerstörer; zunächst Angriffe auf Flugplätze anderer Inseln.
12. 2: Task Force 52-2 nimmt von Ulithi direkt Kurs auf Iwojima: Flugzeugträger Enterprise und Saratoga, 12 Geleitflugzeugträger, 3 Kreuzer, 24 Zerstörer; im Abstand: Artillerieunterstützung, 6 Panzerkreuzer plus Geleitschutz.
Beginn der Beschießung: 16. 2.
18. 2: Eintreffen der Task Force 58; ihre Flugzeuge gelangten bis in die Bucht von Tokio, wo sie japanische Schiffe angegriffen hatten.
Mit den Truppentransportschiffen: 800 Schiffe!
Nach der Bombadierung der Insel gab es kein Grün mehr!
Landungsort: Strand von Futatsune im Südwesten der Insel
19. 2: erneute Bombadierung
7 Uhr 30: die erste Landungswelle; die Männer verlassen die Transportschiffe und steigen in die Landungsboote (Alligatoren)
8 Uhr: Höhepunkt der Bombadierung; Schiffe bis auf 1000 m vom Ufer entfernt.-
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DER ZWEITE WELTKRIEG, DAS BESTE, Bd. 3.

IWOJIMA (4)

BEFESTIGUNG DER INSEL:
"He ordered the little village of Motoyama dismantled for much-needed building supplies. His troops dug connecting tunnels from mount Suribachi to the former site of Motoyama. Underground billeting, headquarters and hospitals began to take shape. Rifle pits exposed muzzles only. Rocks, ravines and shadowy terrain camouflaged deep-burrowed heavy guns. At no time would he unnecassarily expose his men to the enemy."
Bis August wurden 16 Meilen Tunnel fertiggestellt! Ein Tunnel war 540 Yard lang, 32 Fuß tief, 17 Eingänge, ein anderer 800, 14 Eingänge. KURIBAYASHI inspizierte persönlich die ganze Anlage "sighting each slit and opening with a nearby guard's rifle or an officer's swagger stick to test its clear field of fire and effective coverage of installations in the immediate area."
"AFTER THE BATTLE", number 82.

IWOJIMA (3)

KURIBAYAHIS Vorgehen:

"Kuribayashi laid his plans to fortify Iwo against an eastwardly invasion of enemy forces. He planned to fight  a battle of delay and attrition, one in which his troops would remain concealed, their guns silent as the enemy crammed the beach with tanks, trucks and supplies."
Seine Streitkräfte:
"His forces consisted of the 9th through the 12th Independent Anti-Tank Battalions, the 5th Anti-Aircraft Unit,, the 145th Infantry Regiment, portions of the 2nd Mixed Brigade, the 204th Naval Construction Battalion, the 2th Tank Regiment, the 21st Special Machine Cannon Unit and the 2nd Mixed Brigade Field Hospital...a total of 22 000 men."
(AFTER THE BATTLE, number 82)

IWOJIMA (2)

Chester Nimitz

Die Amerikaner hatten die Insel bereits am 15. und 16. 6. 1944 mit Flugzeugen angegriffen. Dabei wurden zwei Flugplätze entdeckt, die für die Amerikaner von großem Interesse waren. Diese konnten nämlich für Zwischenlandungen auf dem Weg nach Japan genutzt werden.
ADMRAL NIMITZ hatte eine Karte in seinem Büro in PEARL HARBOUR. Ein Pfeil darauf zeigte direkt nach Japan. IWOJIMA befand sich genau in Richtung dieses Pfeils.
Im Mai kam GENERAL TADAMICHI KURIBAYASHI auf IWOJIMA an. Zunächst gab es Streit über die Frage, wie die Insel zu verteidigen sei. Die Rivalität zwischen der fanatischen Inselbesatzung und Marineoffizieren "had negated all progress toward fortifying Iwo against enemy attack."
"Within six months, this strong-willed, dedicated man ended the jealous bickering, moulded the two warring military bodies into an extremely effective fighting force and dispelled his troop's pre-conceived notons of glorious, suicidal, Banzai charges against an invading enemy."

IWOJIMA (1)

Der Kampf um IWOJIMA war einer der blutigsten Schlachten des gesamten Pazifikkrieges. Die Insel war für die Amerikaner von großer strategischer Bedeutung, da sie als Stützpunkt für die Bomber dienen sollte, um von dort aus Japan anzugreifen.
Einige Fakten zu IWOJIMA:
9 km lang, 5 km breit-kleiner Vulkan im Südwesten-im Inneren grüne Flächen, Palmen, Kokosnußbäume-Strand mit schwarzem Sand-wird auch Schwefelinsel genannt (manchmal steigt erstickender Dampf vom Meer auf)-bisweilen bricht Lava aus der Erde hervor oder eine neue Insel entsteht wie 1914 (die dann aber wieder verschwand)-Zivilbevölkerung vor dem Krieg: 1100.
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Quelle: DER ZWEITE WELTKRIEG. DAS BESTE, BAND 3, von El-Alamein bis Hiroshima, Stuttg. 1979, S. 323-332, Kapitel: DER FRIEDHOF DES TEUFELS.
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 In der ZEITSCHRIFT "AFTER THE BATTLE", number 82, liest man:
"General KURIBAYASHI, through brilliant startegy, precise planning and total devotion to a cause already lost, would convert a mere eight-square-mile piece of rock sitting in the vast Pacific mid-way between Saipan and Tokyo into an almost impregnable fortress destined to stand alone in a 36-day battle. America's combined force of 8 battleships, 12 escort carriers, 19 cruisers and 44 destroyers pounded this insignificant dot in the ocean with thousands of tons of high explosives."
Unterstützt wurde diese Flotte von 43 "transports", 63 "landing ships; tanks" (LSTs), 31 "landing ships mechanised (LSMs), "carriers and transports crammed with fighting Marines and Navy Army garrison personnel".
"The entre armada consisted of 800 ships and almost a quarter of a million men."