Combat· World War II
Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was a fortified volcanic island the US seized to deny Japan an airbase and provide an emergency field for B-29s raiding the home islands.
Lieutenant General Kuribayashi built an interlocking underground defense of caves, blockhouses, and pillboxes across the northern plateau and Mount Suribachi. Three Marine divisions of the V Amphibious Corps made the assault landing and carried the entire ground fight, advancing yard by yard against a rarely seen enemy using flamethrowers, demolitions, and tanks. The Marines provided the assault infantry, armor, artillery, and engineers, fighting one of the costliest battles in Corps history and raising the flag over Suribachi that became an enduring symbol of the Marine Corps.
Podcast episodes on World War II
Record no. 109