East China Sea 1945

Climax of the Kamikaze

Brian Lane Herder, Adam Tooby

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781472848475
• eBook ISBN: 9781472848475
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Japanese History
• Index: History

This study describes the air-sea offensive supporting the ground-force invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in February and April 1945, which led to the sinking of the Yamato and the onslaught of the Japanese kamikaze. During the Pacific War, the island invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were the last two major ground campaigns. By the time these took place in early 1945, the US Navy had reached an exceptional level of coordination in its amphibious operations, and was able to overrun and subdue Japanese territories efficiently. Faced with the increasing might of these forces and to prevent further defeat, Imperial Japan deployed its kamikaze aircraft and attacked many US heavy aircraft carriers and destroyers; several were sunk, while others were knocked out of the war. This superbly illustrated book explores the air–sea aspects of the pivotal battles that took place, and includes the "death ride" of the Japanese battleship Yamato (the largest ever built), and the mass kamikaze attacks off Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as the Iwo Jima and Okinawa amphibious invasions and the naval and air bombardments of the two islands. It also considers the contribution of the USAAF and the British Pacific Fleet to the eventual victory of US air and ground forces.

THE CAMPAIGN

COMMENCING DETACHMENT, FEBRUARY 16–20, 1945

Iwo Jima and the Nanpo Shoto

Iwo Jima belongs to the Nanpo Shoto island chain, which extends 750nm south from Honshu towards the Marianas. The Nanpo Shoto is divided into three groups, with the Izut Shoto (including Hachijo Jima) in the north, the Bonin Islands (including Chichi Jima and Haha Jima) in the center, and finally the Volcano Islands (Kazan Retto) in the south.

Iwo Jima lies 650nm south of Tokyo in the Volcano Islands. At just 8.1 square miles, Iwo Jima is barely one-third the size of New York’s Manhattan Island. The volcanically active rock reeks of sulfur (Iwo Jima means “Sulfur Island”) and its hot surface is riven with fumaroles belching noxious smoke from beneath. Unusually fine volcanic ash and cinders comprise Iwo Jima’s black beaches. Dominating the small island in its extreme southwest is the 554ft ASL Mount Suribachi volcano. By early 1945 the Japanese had two double-strip airfields operational, with a third under construction. All civilians had been evacuated.

Defending Iwo Jima were 20,933 Japanese troops (13,586 IJA soldiers and 7,347 armed IJN personnel) commanded by the brilliant defensive tactician Lieutenant-General Tadamichi Kuribiyashi. The Japanese garrison was fully subterranean and comprised 5,000 skillfully concealed cave entrances and pillboxes. Within these hidden underground fortifications were 361 artillery pieces, 77 mortars, 33 large-caliber coastal defense guns, nearly 300 antiaircraft guns, 69 antitank guns, 70 rocket launchers, and 24 tanks.

Some 120nm north of Iwo Jima, in the Bonins, mountainous Haha Jima was too rugged for a major airfield. Boasting two excellent harbors, it was defended by 7,000 Japanese troops. Thirty miles farther north and 150nm north of Iwo Jima was the equally rugged Chichi Jima, which had an airstrip and a large harbor. Chichi Jima was heavily fortified by 14,000 Japanese troops and many antiaircraft guns.

Detachment pre-landing operations, February 16–18

Fifth Fleet’s pre-landing naval bombardment of Iwo Jima proved one of the most bitter and enduring controversies of the Pacific War. The marines had insisted on ten days’ shelling, but Spruance only allotted three. A ten day-long bombardment, Spruance reasoned, would destroy operational surprise and was logistically untenable anyway. Additionally, when considering Iwo’s hardened, concealed emplacements, a ten-day shelling would have far exceeded the point of decreasing returns. Writing from Iwo Jima in March 1945, TIME magazine correspondent Robert Sherrod would claim: “At Iwo the Japs dug themselves in so deeply that all the explosives in the world could hardly have reached them.”

B-24 Liberators bomb Iwo Jima in late 1944. Lieutenant-General Holland M. Smith (USMC) nevertheless reported: “The prolonged aerial bombardment of Iwo Jima, which was a daily occurrence for over 70 days, had no appreciable effect in the reduction of the enemy’s well-prepared and heavily-fortified defensive installations.” A Japanese POW later reported that at least 40 percent of bombs dropped by USAAF bombers missed the island completely. (NHHC NH 65318)

Indeed, Iwo had already been heavily bombarded. Between August 10, 1944 and February 15, 1945 (D-4), US forces had pounded Iwo Jima with 9,616 tons of aerial and naval munitions. Of this total, 5,582 tons had been delivered by B-24s, 1,223 tons by B-29s, and 406 tons by USN aircraft. Four USN battleship and cruiser bombardments accounted for the remaining 2,405 tons. After the initial pre-landing naval shelling began on February 16 (D-3), USN warships expended another 9,907 tons of ordnance, with B-24s adding 127 tons of bombs. By D-Day, February 19, the Americans had already plastered Iwo with over 2,425 tons of projectiles per square mile. This comes to 3.79 tons of munitions per acre, or nearly three tons of bombs and shells per American football field over the entire island.

Turner’s TF-51 comprised 495 warships, transports, and support ships to land, support, and sustain two assault divisions and one reserve division at Iwo Jima. Within the Attack Force (TF-53) were 43 attack transports, 16 attack cargo ships, 63 LSTs, 58 LCIs, and 18 LCI(G) gunboats. Aboard the Attack Force was V Amphibious Corps comprising the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions and attached units, totaling 80,618 personnel and 84,790 tons of supplies and equipment, including 7,311 vehicles, plus the USAAF 15th Fighter Group.

Rodgers’ hastily improvised bombardment force comprised the ancient battleships Idaho, Tennessee, Nevada, Texas, Arkansas, and New York; heavy cruisers Chester, Pensacola, Salt Lake City, and Tuscaloosa; light cruiser Vicksburg; and 16 destroyers. Nevada, Texas, Arkansas, and Tuscaloosa had all recently reached the Pacific from Operations Overlord and Dragoon, while New York was seeing her first amphibious action since Operation Torch. Spruance additionally promised Turner the 16in.-gunned fast battleships North Carolina and Washington by D-Day.

Accompanied by Spruance in Indianapolis, Mitscher’s TF-58 opened heavy airfield suppression strikes against the Tokyo area the morning of February 16 (D-3). Meanwhile, 650nm to the south, Blandy’s TF-52 (Amphibious Support Force) and Rodgers’ TF-54 (Gunfire and Covering Force) arrived off a misty, rainy Iwo Jima. Despite the poor visibility, TF-52 and TF-54 commenced Detachment’s pre-landing naval bombardment at 0800hrs.

Kuribiyashi had skillfully developed Iwo’s fixed defenses. A multitude of intricate, heavily protected, and interconnected but independent small strongpoints were widely dispersed, localizing potential bomb damage. Kuribiyashi kept his flak positions concealed and made his coastal guns count by seldom firing unless they had a good target. Even then, Japanese powder produced frustratingly little flash and smoke. Mortars, antitank guns, ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chronology
• Opposing Commanders
• Opposing Forces
• Opposing Plans
• The Campaign
• Aftermath
• The Warships Today
• Further Reading
• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• eCopyright