to help prevent losing more Americans in the dangerous Pacific Ocean. The decision was quickly made to attack and take the island of Iwo Jima, code named operation detachment. June 1944, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi was chosen as command of Iwo Jima (National Geographics). Kuribayashi had lived and trained in the United States so knew the only way to have a chance against the American’s superior fire power was to fight the battle from underground where they would be protected (Hickman)
both the preparation and the battle for Iwo Jima, Lieutenant General Kuribayashi displayed that he was one of Japan’s finest leaders and tactician. In preparation for the Americans invasion, Lieutenant General Kuribayashi chose to focus his defense on the northern part of Iwo Jima covering two-thirds of the end, instead on the southern beaches –where he predicted the Americans would land. Also, instead of the beaches, Kuribayashi decided to place large artillery spots deeper into the island (Symonds
were General Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith of the U.S Army and General Tadamichi Kuribayashi of Imperial Japanese Army. Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher, General Graves Blanchard Erskine, General Clifton Bledsoe Cates, Lieutenant General Keller Emrick Rockey, Chester William Nimitz, and Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance also helped lead the U.S to victory during the battle of Iwo Jima. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi was assisted by Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi who commanded the 26th Tank Regiment
The Battle of Iwo Jima In the early morning of 19 February 1945, United States Marines assigned to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Division led the initial assault on the Japanese controlled island of Iwo Jima, with the objective of capturing and securing the island. This was the beginning of one of the fiercest and bloodiest; and more decisively, the most strategically important battles fought during World War II. After the dust had settled, and the smoke had cleared, the causalities and losses were
In the film, General Kuribayashi was shown to be a humble and strong leader as he was in real life. General Kuribayashi was believed to have died due to suicide, his body was never identified, as presented in the Japanese film. He wrote a lot of letters to his son and wife in particular, but in the film, it focused on him