Iwo Jima: Uncommon Valor Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Volcano Islands

Iwo Jima is located in the Volcano Islands. Roughly under 700 miles from the Japanese mainland, seizure of this island was of the utmost importance for several very vital reasons: it would eliminate raids on the Mariana Islands by destroying Iwo based aircraft.

It would deprive the Japanese of early warnings of approaching B-29s, and the incoming B-29s that were damaged in raids on Japan could land on Iwo instead of ditching at sea. The final more strategic importance of the island would give the US an air base for fighter escorts to the Japanese mainland. Never did one single objective have more importance than this last in the closing days of the Pacific Theatre.

Answer: The beaches were to be undefended and there were to be no Banzai charges

General Kuribayashi made two decisions that were diametrically opposed to Japanese Army doctrine. Refusing to defend the beaches would assure a successful landing and refusing to allow the men to sacrifice themselves in Banzai charges would not allow them to die honorably. Both of these orders were met with opposition by his senior commanders as well as the rank and file.

Answer: The 5th Marine Division

The III Amphibian Corps comprised of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions. The brand new 5th Marine Division which was raised and trained at Camp Pendelton was seeing combat for the first time as a formation. Although it was 'new', it was made up of veterans from the disbanded Para Marines and other formations.

Answer: They disappeared

Despite extensive shelling of the island, the installations (bunkers, pillboxes, rifle pits, covered artillery) disappeared. The assumption was these fortifications had been destroyed; in reality they simply went underground. Everything was expertly concealed and camouflaged.

Answer: It was continous and accurate

Upon landing on Iwo Jima, veterans immediatly noticed that Japanese gunnery was both continous and highly accurate. Japanese gunnery also featured heavy 320mm mortars and rockets which required no accuracy on a crowded beachead.

Answer: Hotrocks

Hotrocks was code name for the seizure of Mount Suribachi. The 28th Regiment of the 5th Marine Division was given this task of isolating Suribachi and taking it. All the Marines seen in Rosenthal's famous photo were members of the 5th Marine Division.

Answer: The Meatgrinder

The Hill (Hill 382) the Amphitheater and Turkey Knob are remembered as the Meatgrinder. All three positions were honeycombed with caves and fortified bunkers with interlocking fields of fire. The 4th Marine Division was decimated in repeated assaults on these positions.

Answer: A night time assault

Hill 362 was only taken after a night time assault. The Japanese had grown so accustomed to a prelimenary bombardment followed by a day time infantry assualt that they simply retired for the evening and went to sleep. This would have been a tremendous success except that Hill 331 was seized instead of Hill 362.

This mistake created a salient known as Cushman's Pocket. Bitter fighting ensued and Hill 362 was finally taken.

Answer: Captain Inouye

Captain Inouye's Naval Detachment (remnants) participated in a Banzai charge on 8th March. Knowing that the remnants of his command would never see April 8th alive, he ordered a Banzai charge. Over 700 of men were easily killed in the 3rd Marine sector.

Answer: No one really knows

General Kuribayashi did participate in the final Japanese attack on March 26th, but his body was never identified. Some suggest that he commited seppuku but this has never been proven and confirmed. Only one fact remains: he died on Iwo Jima along with 20,000 other Japanese defenders.