What island is this?

[syscom3]

I know where it is, do you?

Its in the Pacific.

"Uncommon valor was the norm"

 

[Chief]

Wako?

 

[evangilder]

That's Iwo Jima. It's burned into my memory from reading a lot about it and giving a presentation on it at the museum. The bloodiest battle the Marines ever fought. Here are some brief facts about Iwo Jima:

- 25,581 US casualties including 6,825 dead
- About 1/3 of Marine Corps casualties in WWII were during this 36 day battle
- About 22,000 Japanese dead
- WWII CMOH total 81 Marines and 57 Navy recipients
- Iwo Jima: 22 Marines and 5 sailors received the CMOH
- By the end of the war, 2,400 B-29s made emergency landings on Iwo Jima
Saving 27,000 crewmen!

Many commanders would pay tribute to the courage and tenacity of the Iwo Jima Marines, but Admiral Nimitz said it best:

The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines by their individual and collective courage have conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it was vital to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat. By their victory the Third, Fourth and Fifth Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island uncommon valor was a common virtue.

 

[syscom3]

Dang it Evans.... youre too fast. I wanted some others to take a crack at it.

Good job!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

jeez i never realised the island was that small!

 

[evangilder]

Yep, the entire island is about 7.5 to 8 square miles. Before the battle, the Japanese had almost 16 miles of tunnels below the surface. During the batle, it was the most populated place on earth, with about 25,000 Japanese fighting about 50,000 Marines. That averages out to about 1000 men per square mile!

 

[loomaluftwaffe]

manila is more crowded

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

Hmm, it's looks like Iwo Jima like evanglider said. It's looks like that to me because that mountain looks like Mount Surabachi.

 

[R Pope]

Yep, that's "Mount Sonofabitchi" all right. Probably the easiest island in the Pacific to ID.

 

[evangilder]

I was looking at Iwo on Google Earth today and found this detail. Anyone know what ship that is/was?

Image source: Google Earth.

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Hmm....I wouldn't know. When I looked at Google earth all the Pacific islands were a blur.

But oddly enough, I can see my house on my personal google earth, but I can't see London or Washington D.C. and many other places you would think were of more importance.

Wrong settings?


Ok, on google.com you can see a lot more on the maps search. cool.

 

[Henk]

Probably a transport ship or some Jap trawler.

 

[syscom3]

I found several other ships.

I wonder if it was a breakwater of sorts that was made.

This picture is centered just meters south of the ship in Evans picture

 

[evangilder]

And if you look a little left and below of the one I posted, it looks like it may be the bow and stern of another. It could be a breakwater, but I wonder if it might be debris from the battle.

 

[syscom3]

Its a crappy picture, but this might be the ship that Evans saw.

It is a Japanese "lugger"

 

[Soren]

Could be, although on the picture its turning the wrong way, but then again it could have just been turned around and used as a dock after the war - certainly looks like it looking at the first picture.