75 years ago Marines gearing up for Iwo Jima

[harmonica]

a lot of armchair generals here
hahhahahahahahha
I guess they should've bypassed everything and just went to Japan

Lots of laughs over 6,000 Marines killed in a single month. Every square inch of the island was covered by intersecting machine gun fire. Every square foot was registered by mortar fire. They made a big show of surprising the Germans at Normandy but there was no surprises at Iwo Jima and yet the Navy had better things than to shell the island for the requisite time. Shelling might not have done any good because the Japanese had forty years to erect pill boxes connected to underground tunnels. It was suicide. The ironic thing was that the "Bomb" was in the works and the war was over in six months. It's possible that Marines were sacrificed assaulting an impregnable fortress to encourage support for using a nuclear weapon on civilians.

.....you don't know your WW2 history....at Tarawa they had more than TWICE as many killed per day ---I guess we should've bypassed that one?? bypass them all???!!!!

About 1.600 Marines were killed on Tarawa in a week of fighting. A significant number but many Marines were killed when faulty intelligence failed to calculate the tides and the landing craft were stuck on the reefs while Marines had to wade ashore in deep water.

...more per day that at Iwo

 

[whitehall]

Are you aware that even while still taking the Island B29's were landing there because they could not make it home? Exactly where else were crippled bombers supposed to go?

The war would be over in six months. Where did the B-29's go before Marines lost 6,000 on the smelly island? Maybe friendly China? Does it make sense for a crippled B-29, maybe with navigation problems or low on gas to leave the mainland and search for a tiny dot in the ocean?

 

[whitehall]

There is no mention of B-29's let alone crippled B-29's in the planning of the Iwo Jima invasion except that General Hap Arnold wanted a base for fighters to escort the planes. The mission was changed after the incredible casualties were realized. Would anyone in their right mind trade the lives of 6,000 Marines for an airbase that wasn't needed 6 months before the war in the Pacific ended. The infighting between MacArthur and the Navy made a mess of the planning and the intelligence. FDR was a dying man and possibly incoherent and VP Harry Truman had no love for the Marines. The administration covered it's ass by ordering B-29's to Iwo.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Let's see. whining about the US check, whining about objectives check, whining about the use of the military in a full on world war check.

 

[whitehall]

Let's see. whining about the US check, whining about objectives check, whining about the use of the military in a full on world war check.

Whining? You don't whine about history, you discuss it. The victors write the history books so you have to look for the truth. There was no leadership from the White House. FDR would be dead in a month and Truman was clueless. COS Marshall didn't have much power and MacArthur had most of the media behind him. The Pacific war was winding down and the Bomb was almost ready but nobody was really in charge and the Generals and the Admirals jostled for position while Marines died for nothing.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

You cheapen their sacrifice with this ignorant rant. Iwo was needed and yes there was leadership.

 

[whitehall]

You cheapen their sacrifice with this ignorant rant. Iwo was needed and yes there was leadership.

The sacrifice was real. Uncommon valor was a common virtue. It's strange that a retired gunny defends the politicians. Maybe political loyalty is stronger than loyalty to the Corps. General Arnold wanted an airfield for fighters. Admiral Nimitz wanted to go on to Okinawa. MacArthur wanted to run the war in the Pacific, FDR was dying and Truman had no idea. COS Marshall never saw a day of combat and Ike was worried about getting relieved for the debacle of the Bulge in Europe. What leadership?

 

[harmonica]

Are you aware that even while still taking the Island B29's were landing there because they could not make it home? Exactly where else were crippled bombers supposed to go?

The war would be over in six months. Where did the B-29's go before Marines lost 6,000 on the smelly island? Maybe friendly China? Does it make sense for a crippled B-29, maybe with navigation problems or low on gas to leave the mainland and search for a tiny dot in the ocean?

hahhahah--no one knew when it would be over!!!!!!!!!

..you obviously don't know what you are talking about!! ----they make the bomb runs and then turn away toward home
...they could get damaged on the way back
...they might make the decision for an emergency landing long after they are away from Japan = over the ocean...
..they might find out about the damage LONG after the bomb run..
.the damage might not seem so bad initially, but after they are on the way home, an emergency landing might be needed...
...what initially is not a severe problem, can get worse because of the flying distances stated below!!!
do you know how WW2 planes operated??!!!
.....

...it's 800 miles from Japan to Iwo!!!!!!!! get it????!!!?? a lot can go wrong in that time
..and about the same from Iwo to Tinian ---get it????? a lot can go wrong in that time

 

[whitehall]

Are you aware that even while still taking the Island B29's were landing there because they could not make it home? Exactly where else were crippled bombers supposed to go?

The war would be over in six months. Where did the B-29's go before Marines lost 6,000 on the smelly island? Maybe friendly China? Does it make sense for a crippled B-29, maybe with navigation problems or low on gas to leave the mainland and search for a tiny dot in the ocean?

hahhahah--no one knew when it would be over!!!!!!!!!

..you obviously don't know what you are talking about!! ----they make the bomb runs and then turn away toward home
...they could get damaged on the way back
...they might make the decision for an emergency landing long after they are away from Japan = over the ocean...
..they might find out about the damage LONG after the bomb run..
.the damage might not seem so bad intitially, but after they are on the way home, an emergency landing might be needed...
.....

...it's 800 miles from Japan to Iwo!!!!!!!! get it????!!!?? a lot can go wrong in that time
..and about the same from Iwo to Tinian ---get it????? a lot can go wrong in that time

More creepy inappropriate laughter in a serious subject? Bombers were pummeling Japan in daylight raids. The Japanese navy and air force was pretty much obliterated by February 1945. FDR was dying and Truman wasn't even aware of the Atomic Bomb. The only question was how hard Japanese soldiers would resist an invasion of their homeland. My personal opinion was that Iwo Jima was the experiment that told U.S. leaders what they wanted to hear and using the Bomb on a civilian population in 1945's version of shock and awe would be authorized.

 

[harmonica]

Are you aware that even while still taking the Island B29's were landing there because they could not make it home? Exactly where else were crippled bombers supposed to go?

The war would be over in six months. Where did the B-29's go before Marines lost 6,000 on the smelly island? Maybe friendly China? Does it make sense for a crippled B-29, maybe with navigation problems or low on gas to leave the mainland and search for a tiny dot in the ocean?

hahhahah--no one knew when it would be over!!!!!!!!!

..you obviously don't know what you are talking about!! ----they make the bomb runs and then turn away toward home
...they could get damaged on the way back
...they might make the decision for an emergency landing long after they are away from Japan = over the ocean...
..they might find out about the damage LONG after the bomb run..
.the damage might not seem so bad intitially, but after they are on the way home, an emergency landing might be needed...
.....

...it's 800 miles from Japan to Iwo!!!!!!!! get it????!!!?? a lot can go wrong in that time
..and about the same from Iwo to Tinian ---get it????? a lot can go wrong in that time

More creepy inappropriate laughter in a serious subject? Bombers were pummeling Japan in daylight raids. The Japanese navy and air force was pretty much obliterated by February 1945. FDR was dying and Truman wasn't even aware of the Atomic Bomb. The only question was how hard Japanese soldiers would resist an invasion of their homeland. My personal opinion was that Iwo Jima was the experiment that told U.S. leaders what they wanted to hear and using the Bomb on a civilian population in 1945's version of shock and awe would be authorized.

that doesn't make sense!! = they invaded Okinawa---
AND there were TWICE as many dead on Okinawa---how come that was ok???!!!!

 

[whitehall]

There was no tactical urgency but the invasion of Okinawa was in the works and nothing could stop it as long as the president was dead and a stooge was in the White House. Okinawa was inevitable but Iwo Jima still didn't make sense.

 

[cnm]

Today is the anniversary, but unfortunately, I don't see the "Sands of Iwo Jima" on the TV schedule for today. I always loved that film, one of John Wayne's greatest and most heroic.

An heroic performance from the draft dodger...

 

[whitehall]

Today is the anniversary, but unfortunately, I don't see the "Sands of Iwo Jima" on the TV schedule for today. I always loved that film, one of John Wayne's greatest and most heroic.

An heroic performance from the draft dodger...

Just about every male Hollywood actor enlisted during WW2 but the Duke stayed home. He looked good as Sgt. Stryker though.

 

[Polishprince]

Today is the anniversary, but unfortunately, I don't see the "Sands of Iwo Jima" on the TV schedule for today. I always loved that film, one of John Wayne's greatest and most heroic.

An heroic performance from the draft dodger...

The Duke wasn't a "draft dodger" at all, he had a legitimate deferment. At age 35 in 1942, with minors dependent on him, as well as an old injury that would have prevented him from receiving a commission, he wasn't yellow at all.

Further, his boss at the Republic studio already sacrificed Gene Autry to the military, he was going to fight the conscription of the Duke as well.

 

[cnm]

At age 35 in 1942, with minors dependent on him, as well as an old injury that would have prevented him from receiving a commission, he wasn't yellow at all.

Why did he need a commission when America was in peril?

 

[San Souci]

Today is the anniversary, but unfortunately, I don't see the "Sands of Iwo Jima" on the TV schedule for today. I always loved that film, one of John Wayne's greatest and most heroic.

An heroic performance from the draft dodger...

Thought he was to old? At the time? Wasn't the age limit 26?

 

[Theowl32]

About 6,000 Marines would die in a little over a month taking a smelly island that could have been bypassed. 22 Marines and 5 Navy would be awarded the Medal of Honor and one Marine who had been awarded the MOH on Guadalcanal would be KIA.

"Likes and dislikes are not consequences. Do what must be done, even though it is not happiness, it is greatness. "

George Bernard Shaw

 

[Picaro]

Today is the anniversary, but unfortunately, I don't see the "Sands of Iwo Jima" on the TV schedule for today. I always loved that film, one of John Wayne's greatest and most heroic.

An heroic performance from the draft dodger...

Thought he was to old? At the time? Wasn't the age limit 26?

Actually 26 was close to the average age, iirc. America's population wasn't nearly as large back then, plus there were all the factories to man on top of that. Fortunately, our kill ratios were pretty high, even during the Normandy breakout, which should have been a lot deadlier, but ended up being tolerable.

https://www.quora.com/How-old-were-the-soldiers-during-WW2

 

[San Souci]

Today is the anniversary, but unfortunately, I don't see the "Sands of Iwo Jima" on the TV schedule for today. I always loved that film, one of John Wayne's greatest and most heroic.

An heroic performance from the draft dodger...

Thought he was to old? At the time? Wasn't the age limit 26?

Actually 26 was close to the average age, iirc. America's population wasn't nearly as large back then, plus there were all the factories to man on top of that. Fortunately, our kill ratios were pretty high, even during the Normandy breakout, which should have been a lot deadlier, but ended up being tolerable.

https://www.quora.com/How-old-were-the-soldiers-during-WW2

In 1968 ,the average Draft age was 19. Sure gave us a break. I avoided the Draft by enlisting. At least I got my CHOICE.

 

[Picaro]

Today is the anniversary, but unfortunately, I don't see the "Sands of Iwo Jima" on the TV schedule for today. I always loved that film, one of John Wayne's greatest and most heroic.

An heroic performance from the draft dodger...

Thought he was to old? At the time? Wasn't the age limit 26?

Actually 26 was close to the average age, iirc. America's population wasn't nearly as large back then, plus there were all the factories to man on top of that. Fortunately, our kill ratios were pretty high, even during the Normandy breakout, which should have been a lot deadlier, but ended up being tolerable.

https://www.quora.com/How-old-were-the-soldiers-during-WW2

In 1968 ,the average Draft age was 19. Sure gave us a break. I avoided the Draft by enlisting. At least I got my CHOICE.

There were a lot of 40 and 50 year old volunteers during WW II. Americans were too affluent and soft by the time Nam rolled around to match the earlier generation. They did, however, perform very well in Nam, depite all the negative Commie leftist and 'libertoon' propaganda that kept the North inspired and on the battlefield.