The End in Sight. . . PTO (id:#57360)

Critical Hit (Leatherneck 3 ID: LN3-8)   [next]   [previous]

Iwo Jima 1945-03-06 (8 others)

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Overview:

D+15 on Iwo Jima started the same as any other day. Naval and Marine high caliber guns blasted at Japanese positions, followed by waves of carrier planes dropping bombs and napalm. But the dirty work of securing the island fell upon he infantrymen, assigned to see out the tenacious defenders amid the devilish terrain, to burn and blast them from their positions. Along the west coast of Iwo Jima, the 5th Marines made scant headway after the barrage lifted. Withering fire met them, forcing the attackers to halt and dig in. To the east of the 5th Marines, in the 3rd Division sector, the attack gained momentum – but only briefly. Two platoons from the 21st Regiment managed a 300 yard advance. Halting briefly in a brush choked ravine, they knocked out enemy pillboxes with now practiced tactics of demolition teams using flamethrowers. Assisted by tanks, the men of George company made short work of several suicide bombers. Clawing up a crest of a ridge, the platoon leader was somewhat shocked to find he could see the northern coastline less than a quarter mile away. Quickly a runner was dispatched back to headquarters to bring reinforcements to this precarious point position.

Defender: Japanese (Remnants of the 145th Infantry Regiment)  

Errata (source)