The High Cost of Faultyby Moore, Jeff M. Naval History. Feb2005, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p18-23. 6p. 2 Color Photographs, 1 Black and White Photograph, 1 Map.
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The article presents some issues related to the war of Iowa Jima in 1945. Despite the best of intentions, intelligence collected by a joint information center prior to the assault on Iwo Jima— here, in the distance, shrouded in naval gunfire smoke— underestimated Japanese defenses and troop strength, making a tough battle all the more difficult for the marines who stormed the beach. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th marine divisions, supported by hundreds of ships and tactical aircraft, battled for more than a month on Iwo Jima, an island two miles long and five miles wide. With a staff of 1,767 army, navy, and marine intelligence specialists, the center processed all-source intelligence from secondary-source research, reconnaissance photographs, enemy prisoner of war (POW) interrogations, captured documents, and enemy communications.