Deadly Defense
"Where dark tides billow on the ocean,
A wink-shaped isle of mighty fame,
Guards of the gateway to our empire:
Iwo Jima is its name"
- "The Song of Iwo Jima"
Japanese Traps
"To the Japanese... the capture of Iwo Jima meant the battle for Okinawa, and the invasion of Japan itself, was not far off."
Marine Corps University
"The Japanese made very effective use of... [Iwo Jima's] natural caves and tunnels... The island was honeycombed with pillboxes with mutually supporting fields of fire, often connected by interior tunnels."
Naval History and Heritage Command
“The Japanese were not on Iwo Jima. They were in it!”
- Fred Haynes
"Japanese Imperial Army Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi commanded the island from deep inside".
"The Battle Of Iwo Jima: The Incredible Story Of Survival", 2022
"Life on Iwo Jima wasn't bad in the beginning... It was a pleasant and peaceful place."
- Private Kichi Abe
"Japanese Defensive Zones" | A Tomb Called Iwo Jima
"Japanese bunker" | A Tomb Called Iwo Jima
The Japanese were prepared to defend Iwo Jima from the U.S. because it was a meaningful part of their country and had three useful airfields.
Kuribayashi's Plan
"Rather than...participate in a desperate, all-out mass counterattack-a so-called banzai- ... [Kuribayashi] decreed that nearly every defender must remain in place".
Two Flags Over Iwo Jima, Eric Hammel
"It was considered an honor to die in battle. We'd gladly offer our lives under such a virtuous commander."
- Japanese Seargent Key Kanai
"General Tadamichi Kuribayashi" | World War II Multimedia Database
"Japanese Pillbox" | U.S. Department of Defense
General Kuribayashi's plan was significant in the fact that the Americans would be taken by surprise in this new warfare, and the Japanese had an advantage if they made the best use of the island's structure. The Japanese were resolute to make it one of the bloodiest battles of the war and maximize American casualties.