Battle Studies, Country Studies, & Staff Rides

Burrell, Robert S. The Journal of Military History68.4 (Oct 2004): 1143-1186.
Full Text and PDF available.
The American struggle to capture the Pacific Island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese in 1945 proved to be the bloodiest fight in Marine Corps history. Yet, ironically, the justifications for seizing the island have undergone little critical analysis. A detailed look into the planning for Iwo Jima demonstrates that the service rivalry resulting from the competing agendas of the Navy, Army and Army Air Forces in the Pacific negatively influenced the decision to initiate Operation Detachment. The Marine Corps, which paid the heaviest price, remained completely excluded from the decision making process. When fighter escort operations from Iwo Jima, the original reason given for seizing the island, failed to produce the anticipated results, the military sought additional reasons to justify the costly battle. Historians, unfortunately, have perpetuated these illusions.

by Howard, Michael C. Marine Corps Gazette 79.2 (Feb 1995): 58-65.
Full Text and PDF available.

by Moore, Jeff M. Naval History. Feb2005, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p18-23. 6p. 2 Color Photographs, 1 Black and White Photograph, 1 Map.
Full Text available.
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.

by Hoffman, Jon T. Marine Corps Gazette79.2 (Feb 1995): 72-77.
Full Text and PDF available.
Fighting was bloody and ferocious on Iwo Jima, a tiny island barely eight square miles. The experiences gained at the battle on Iwo Jima remain significant today and will continue to be important as long as Marines contemplate the challenge of amphibious warfare.

Fourth Marine Division
PDF available.
Operations report of the Fourth Marine Division in Iwo Jima from February 19 to March 16, 1945. Including sections: planning and preparations, movement to objective, ship to shore movement, narrative of operation, progress of attack, and comments and recommendations.

Headquarters, Expeditionary Troops, Task Force 56
PDF available.
This is the G-3 report of seizure, occupation and defense of Iwo Jima (19 February through 16 March 1945). The subject matter for this document includes planning and organization, training, and embarkation and movement to the objective. There are operations for the capture, occupation and defense of Iwo Jima, along with comments and recommendations, periodic reports numbers 1-23, and a report of liaison officers.

United States. Marine Corps. Division, 4th. Amphibious Corps, V
PDF available.
These are reports from the commanding generals of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions, discussing the Iwo Jima operations.

by Lt. Col. Whitman S. Bartley, USMC
Historical Section, Division of Public Information
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
1954

United States. Navy. Pacific Fleet. Task Force 56
PDF available.
This is the commanding general's report of the capture, occupation, development, and defense of Iwo Jima, representing an important step in the prosecution of the war against Japan. The enclosures for this report are not attached.

Gives background information on why the US wanted to capture Iwo Jima.

Scroll down to bottom of page for fast access to map links.

An historical overview and selection of images from the Iwo Jima operation, February - March 1945.

From The History Channel website.

Military Installations and Troop Dispositions of Iwo Jima (Sulphur Island) as of 14 September 1944.

A caption printed on this map reads "Second of two maps for use in conjunction with article on Camouflage vs. Photo Interpretation in this issue of 'Weekly Intelligence.'" This map depicts airfields, coastal defenses, artillery and antiaircraft, mortar positions, casements and blockhouses, signal towers, pillboxes, and observation posts and observation towers, among other features. The map notes that the thousands of caves on the island have not been plotted.