19 February 1945: Iwo Jima Assault. At 08:59, one minute ahead of schedule, the initial Marines of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine divisions, under V Amphibious Corps, landed on the beach. About 30,000 men go ashore on the first day.
I've never seen this addressed in any article on Iwo, but given the Japanese proclivity to dig deep fortifications, why wasn't B-29 bombers set up to drop the 10,000lbs Barnes Wallace "earthquake" bombs as deep penetrators prior to the invasion?
And who remembers the man who raised the flag?
ReplyDeleteI've never seen this addressed in any article on Iwo, but given the Japanese proclivity to dig deep fortifications, why wasn't B-29 bombers set up to drop the 10,000lbs Barnes Wallace "earthquake" bombs as deep penetrators prior to the invasion?
ReplyDeletemy grandfather is lying in the foreground here...wonderful shot.
ReplyDelete