World War 2 In Review: D-1 Pre D-Day Bombardment Iwo Jima

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Distances to points in Japan from Iwo Jima.

Iwo Jima, 1943 (Second Edition, 1944)

Japanese Map of Defensive Positions on Iwo Jima.

Iwo Jima, Anchorage Chart, 1944.

“Top Secret” map of Iwo Jima prepared for the American invasion. Prepared by Intelligence Section Amphibious Forces, Pacifc, Confidential Intelligence Map Iwo Jima I. Volcano Islands Installations as of 2 September 1944 shown in Magenta. 15 October 1944.

“Secret” 1944 map of Iwo Jima prepared for the American invasion. 1633rd Engineering Photomapping Platoon, Intelligence section (G-2) of Fleet Marine Force Pacific, 64th Engineering Topographical Battalion, Special Air and Gunnery Target Map scale 1 : 10,000. G-2 Beach Map “A” Instructions Prepared by Ac Of S, G-2 Fleet Marine Force, Pacific 28 October 1944 from Photographs to 1 September 1944 Situation to 25 September 1944. October 28, 1944.

Military Installations and Troop Dispositions, Iwo Jima.

Enemy Defense Installations as Observed from Ground Study, 19 February-19 March 1945 Iwo Jima.

Map of Iwo Jima showing airfields, roads, trails and paths.

The naval bombardment plan for D-Day called for U.S. warships, positioned on three sides of Iwo Jima, to blanket the island with 6- to 16-inch rounds (red lines) and 5-inch shells (black lines). The plan included target blocks for the rolling barrage that would precede advancing Marines. On shore, elements of joint assault signal companies assumed responsibility for the advancing barrage as well as “on call” naval fire missions.

“Top Secret” Map Of Iwo Jima Prepared For The American Invasion. V Phib Corps Landing Force Annex Easy to Operation Plan No. 3-44 (Detachment) (Preferred Plan) 23 October 1944 Operations Map by Command of Maj. Gen. H. Schmidt. Special Air and Gunnery Target Map.

Special Air and Gunnery Target Map Iwo Jima Secret 12 November 1944 from photos of 15 October 1944.

“Secret” Situation Map of Iwo Jima prepared for the American invasion. Prepared for CINCPAC-CINCPOA by 64th Engr. Top. Bn. USAFICPA. Installations overlay prepared by AC of S, G2 Fleet Marine Force, Pacific and Intelligence Section Amphibious Forces Pacific, Iwo Jima Volcano Islands, Special Air and Gunnery Target Map, mid-late November 1944. With Home Addresses of 3921st Sig Svc Co. A rare “Secret” situation map of Iwo Jima prepared in anticipation of the February 19, 1945 U.S. invasion of the island. The map shows the landing zones on the southeastern and southwestern beaches of the island, and, most importantly, the Japanese defensive installations throughout the island in minute detail… at least as they were known to American forces before the battle.

D-1 Pre D-Day Bombardment Iwo Jima.

Map of Iwo Jima identifying the landing beaches.

Diagram of the island's invasion beaches, identified by green, red, yellow and blue; the alternate beaches on the other side of Iwo Jima, identified by purple, brown, white and orange; the landing ship and transport areas offshore; and the lines of approach used by boats from USS Sanborn (APA-93) to Beaches Blue One and Two. Original 35mm transparency of a diagram probably prepared by Howard W. Whalen after World War II. Note that the arrow pointing North actually points about fifteen degrees west of north. (Naval History and Heritage Command photograph NH 104377-KN)

Contour map of Iwo Jima, showing Japanese defense installations as observed from ground study during the period 19 February - 19 March 1945. The original chart was prepared by Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific Ocean Area (JICPOA).

Iwo Jima Landing Beaches and Day-by-Day Front Line Positions.

Highly detailed map of Iwo Jima topography, airfields, installations, and Marine units.

Two very rare color-printed views of the southern beaches of Iwo Jima, the southwestern section of which served as a potential landing area for the U.S. Marine Corps, and the southeastern of which served as the actual landing area. Both bear the "SECRET" classification. (Intelligence Section, Amphibious Forces Pacific, Beach Diagram Southwestern Beaches, Iwo Jima. with Beach Diagram Southeastern Beaches, Iwo Jima. [Probably Hawaii, early 1945.]) These two diagrams present a general view of the two potential landing beaches at the southern end of Iwo Jima, along with notes about the conditions in each of the roughly 500-yard-wide landing zones. The notes cover “Beach Extent,” “Beach Approaches,” “Nature of Beach,” “Terrain Inland,” “Exits,” and “Obstacles.” There is also a set of notes for the General conditions affecting all beaches. The southeastern beaches, site of the actual landing, are divided into zones “Green 1”, “Red 1”, “Red 2”, “Yellow 1”, “Yellow 2”, “Blue 1”, “Blue 2”. On the first day of the invasion the 4th Marine Division landed at the Blue and Yellow beaches, while the 5th Marines landed at the Green and Red. The 3rd Marine Division was held in reserve and committed to the central sector on 22nd of February. Mount Suribachi, or “Hot Rocks” as it was codenamed, appears at the far left or right of the diagrams.

Accuracy of the Beach Diagrams: The diagrams relied on aerial photographs made on July 4, 1944, more than seven months before the invasion. They show little in the way of manmade impediments to amphibious invasion, belying the extensive Japanese fortifications and the dogged resistance that the Marines would face from the roughly 20,000 defenders. Eschewing Japanese doctrine, which called for him to contest every inch of the landing beaches, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi instead instructed his soldiers to allow the American forces to land en masse, before springing traps to kill as many newly-landed troops as possible. American planners also misunderstood the nature of the volcanic sand and terrain of the beaches, most of which was thought to be perfectly suitable for disembarking and traversing. In these diagrams, particularly the one for the southwestern beaches, the volcanic sand is described as “firm” and “firm enough for movement of vehicles.” In reality, the ash was very difficult to traverse, and equally difficult to dig into, greatly complicating the unloading of equipment and vehicles and the excavation of foxholes and trenches. These errors were symptomatic of a general lack of accurate pre-invasion intelligence, which ultimately cost hundreds, even thousands of American lives.

Map of Japanese Defenses on Iwo Jima. Original 1:20,000-scale map, 20" x 22", showing the entirety of the Pacific island of Iwo Jima. The name of the island appears at top, with the notations "Special Map" and "Advance Copy", while the bottom edge is marked "Confidential". The map clearly depicts the locations and types of enemy defenses, including artillery, anti-aircraft guns, bunkers, trenches, machine gun emplacements, radar installations, and radio towers, as well as the island's two airfields (with a third under construction), all explained by a "defense symbol key" at lower right. The publishing line states that the map was produced by the 64th Engineer's Topographic Battalion in November of 1944, from aerial reconnaissance photographs produced in August and September of that year.