Overall Commander of US Campaign >
Raymond Spruance :
US Admiral >
Lieutenant General Tadamishi Kuribayashi:
Japanese Commander >
The Boys Of H Company
About The Programme
At 9.00am on February 19, 1945, the soldiers of the United States Marine Corps 5th Division, H Company lowered themselves down rope cargo nets into landing crafts rocking in five-foot seas. They were less than a mile from the shore of the remote Pacific island of Iwo Jima.
H Company was made up mostly of 18 to 20 year old boys who had been training for this day for over a year. For most of them, Iwo Jima was their first time in combat. The boys knew little of the island. They had seen mock-ups in briefings but nothing could have prepared them for what lay ahead on the black sand beaches of Iwo.
Through compelling first person accounts, dramatic recreations and archival footage, this intense docudrama follows in the boot steps of the boys of H Company as they fight one of the costliest battles in US History.
In the war in the Pacific, Iwo Jima was crucial to the US as an air base for long-range bombing missions against mainland Japan. The Japanese knew the island’s importance and spent years “digging in” in preparation for the inevitable US attack.
Seizing Iwo Jima was necessary, but the prize would not come easily. On that February morning, the boys of H Company stormed the beaches at Iwo Jima along with 60,000 other Marines.
The Life of an American Marine
The Marines are a vital aspect of American armed attack and defence. The Marine Corps is comprised of intelligent, highly adaptable men and women. They serve as the aggressive tip of the U.S. military spear. The marines are the smallest, most dynamic American Military force. They number about 172,000 in total.
They take part in expeditionary operations by air, land, and sea. Marines take great pride in the size and expertise of their companies. Working to overcome disadvantage and turn conflict into victory wherever possible.
In the American Marine Corps, there is a motto that describes their commitment to each other and their organization, and country. It is Semper Fidelis or "Semper Fi." Translated from Latin, it means "Always Faithful".
Pyschological Damage To Marines
A study involving 6,200 soldiers and Marines was conducted by a team at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. It is the first attempt to understand the psychological effects of war on US Marines.
Many experts believe that early identification of symptoms and early intervention could help prevent the kind of massive psychological devastation seen in veterans of the Vietnam War. A disease known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was often suffered.
It consists of psychological effects that can include flashbacks, sleep disorders, panic attacks, emotional numbness and violent outbursts. Some 30 per cent of Vietnam vets eventually suffered from PTSD. It is widely believed that Marines tend to suffer from psychological disorders more those in any other Military.
Why Was The Battle Of Iwo Jima Fought?
The Japanese Island of Iwo Jima was in a critical position from the perspective of the United States in the Second World War. Strategically it was crucial to continuing the B-29 raid on mainland Japan. It contained three airstrips which the Japanese had been using for their Kamikaze attacks on America. If any planes were damaged during their raid, Iwo Jima would also provide an area for emergency Japanese landings.
The island was strategically positioned to create sea and air blockades in the hope of crippling the Japanese navy. On 19 February 1945, 40,000 American Marines of the fourth and fifth division landed on Red Beach. Iwo Jima served as one of the many islands Americans used in order to advance to Japan. This technique was euphemistically called island hopping.
The Japanese Reaction
The Japanese were as aware of the importance of this island as the Americans. They took many precautions to prevent a US victory. The Japanese constructed three miles of tunnels throughout the island. They also built 800 pillboxes which were cement enclosures used as gun ports.
Japanese soldiers could hide inside, fire their weapons through the ports, and be protected by the cement. The Marines in charge of demolitions would set off bombs in front of the pillboxes and tunnels to force the Japanese out into the open where they would be picked off by machine-gun fire.
What Did It Achieve?
The U.S. had vastly underestimated the Japanese strength on the island. The nature and the difficulty of the soil on the island was never examined before the invasion. Approximately 6,800 Americans died, the highest number in Marine Corps history. But Japanese casualties were far higher - an estimated 22,000 perished. On top of this, a further 30,000 suffered from combat fatigue and wounds.
When flying overhead, the island of Iwo Jima appears to be a peaceful, serene island, about 750 miles from mainland Japan. In reality, the fighting that took place during the 36-day assault would be the longest, most intensive shelling of any Pacific island during the war.
Eventually, US firepower prevailed and the Marines managed to secure an air base for long-range bombing missions against mainland Japan. America triumphed, but not without cost.