ABSTRACT
Iwo Jima is part of a small island group very aptly named the Volcano Islands. A geologist’s paradise, Iwo is eight miles square, experiences frequent earth tremors, and lacks any vegetation. It has steaming sulphur pits, an abundance of volcanic rock formations, and on rare occasions, hot lava flows. The Allies would almost certainly have overlooked this island but for its strategic function: the Japanese had transformed it into a sophisticated observation platform, which included more than one radar installation. The American Navy, proud of its rapid expansion since Pearl Harbor, did not relish British aid, even though the British carrier Victorious had previously served in the Pacific from March to August 1943, when she was sorely needed. The marines and army troops literally walked ashore in some areas, as initially only a very few snipers fired at them. General Buckner ordered some of his forces to turn north.
