Capturing Iwo Jima for the Americans would make the island useful as airbase that would provide escort for the bombing campaign over the Japanese mainland. Even if the planes from Iwo Jima didn’t directly threaten the bombers, Iwo Jima contained an Early Warning System that gave the mainland a two-hour advanced notice of impending aerial attack. Fighter planes could be deployed from Iwo Jima that could directly attack bomber planes on the way to the Japanese mainland. The capture of Iwo Jima would be beneficial to the American forces in two ways. Thousands of Japanese and American lives were lost in Iwo Jima and up to this day, nearly 10,000 Japanese souls are still lying unfound in Iwo Jima’s black volcanic soil.īy 1944, all indications told the Japanese that the American forces would try to invade the mainland. Yet this small island has been home to one of the worst fighting ever in human history. It is around 4.5 kilometers long and is 2.5 kilometers at its widest – a small island as islands go. Iwo Jima is a small island on the Pacific Ocean, around 1200 kilometers south of Tokyo.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |