The result was that by the end of the first day, about 30,000 troops had been successfully landed, about 760 soldiers had advanced a considerable distance and the relevant Japanese area of defense around Mount Suribachi had been isolated from the rest of the troops
In the battle over the island, the Japanese leadership (general Kuribayashi and general Nishi) had given up on some of the traditional Japanese fighting, such as the banzai attacks, which were deemed useless in the face of overwhelming fire power of the U.S. troops. Instead, the Japanese successfully used guerilla and surprise tactics, along with the fortified system already mentioned. The latter meant that no position that the Americans gained could be secured until the entire perimeter had been cleared. This was because the Japanese soldiers could, at any time, use the underground network to attack from behind the American lines
. Attacks on the U.S. troops became common during the night, with significant casualties inflicted. While the southern part of the island, including Mount Suribachi, was conquered in the first part of the attack, Japanese defense of the island continued with ferocity in the northern part and around the Motoyama Plateau, where similar defenses had been built. In this area, it was not until March 21 that the American troops destroyed the remaining defense posts on the northern part of the island. On March 25, the remaining 300 Japanese soldiers launched the final assault of this campaign.
In the aftermath of the battle, the American troops had conquered an island that was relevant, as mentioned in the introduction, in the subsequent assault on Japan itself. In terms of supply logistics, the island could now be used as a refueling zone for bombers aiming at industrial and urban centers in Japan. Despite the heavy casualties and losses that the U.S. troops had incurred, all Japanese defenses, including radar equipment, which could have an impact on the protection of the lines behind the front and on the final objective of defeating Japan had, been eliminated.
Finally, the symbolism of the battle cannot be overlooked. Other than the famous image of the U.S. Marines raising the American flag...
This was part of Lt. Kuribayashi's plan to allow U.S. assault forces to land on the shore and to hold off attacking them until they began to move inland. As American marines advanced onto the Island, Kuribayashi's hidden machine gun nests dug into the island opened up and inflicted very heavy casualties. The interconnected bunkers enabled the Japanese forces to retreat under attack and then emerge from other bunkers
Termed "the forgotten battle," the Battle for the Aleutians represented the only instance during World War II when the Japanese occupied American soil and the campaign exacted a significant toll of American lives and treasure. The Aleutians became strategically significant during World War II for the Japanese as well as the United States, but the American preparations in anticipation of this attack were woefully inadequate. Despite a U.S. naval base
It was a powerful image that may have helped counteract the effects of the horror the men had seen. The flag was more an act of defiance and determination than of triumph. In fact, the men on the top of the volcano who actually placed the first flag were attacked by Japanese shortly after they finished photographing the first flag. The actual flag in the photo was saved from a ship
Attacks on Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center had similar historical events surrounding each attack. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George W. Bush used similar policies to combat further attacks and unite the nation The paper highlights the entwined American reactions to the September 11 attacks and the Pearl Harbor attacks. The paper illustrates the similarities in which the over-prevailing backgrounds of each event created reactions to the devastating measures that
The U.S. And Allies (including Australia) wanted nothing less than a total defeat of Japan. The Allies began beefing up their "…line of communications across the southern Pacific to Australia" and America also strengthened bases in Alaska, Hawaii, and India, which could become launching points for "counter-offences" against the Japanese (Coakley, 503).. It was not an easy task, as Japanese fighters were dug in deep in Guadalcanal and the southern
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