To the Shores of Iwo Jima (ca.1945) 1 of 2

[051883313737]

R.I.P john basilone

[hadjivids]

Does anyone know what year it was that the last Jap soldiers came out from hiding in the caves on that island? 1951!!!!!! Six years after the war ended.

[Noldi400]

Hardly just symbolic. Taking Iwo allowed the US to place land based bombers much closer to the Japanese mainland, and close enough to send land-based fighter escorts. It also took away warning time for incoming air raids.

[hkll1958]

the US win the honor of ending ww2.

[comrade44]

wow, all in colour!

[JinKazama92]

Was the battle of iwo jima really bloody as told in the books?

Its not even close to bloody in this video. I see less than 10 casualties. wtf

[KaningLamigin]

@JinKazama92 just because it's not in the video doesn't mean it's not true. You can't expect to have the whole war documented with all the battles and casualties and all.

[hadjivids]

@JinKazama92 It was bloody like any initial invasion where troops are suddenly exposed to machine gun fire as soon as the ramps were down. The big problem with IWO was the fact that the preemptive shelling and air bombardment did little to reduce enemy numbers. They made a mess of the area but the Japs were dug-in waiting for them to hit the beach. They knew that everything would bog-down and fast foot advancement would be a bitch in the volcanic sand on the beach. To the boot top every step.

[UnitedKorean]

Battle of Iwo Jima was a battle with more symbolic value than any strategic value. USA did not have to take that island but it chose to do so because it would be the first Japanese land to be taken and it would prepare the US marines for the next much bigger invasion of Okinawa. It was in other words a test to see how the Japs would fight back to defend their own homeland. I am Korean born and I have no respect what the Japs did to the civillians of other countries. Absolute savages they were.

[Toddinfantry]

@UnitedKorean Unfortunately this is incorrect for the most part. Iwo was a hugely strategic position and this fact was shown by saving the lives of approx. 25,000 Allied airmen. Untold others were saved by the fighters that flew from Iwo. Also gave the US a base to help bombing of Okinawa. Symbolic, yes but more for the flag raising than it being Japanese home territory.

[nofgood4live]

wold most know (war) scene @ 9:55

[TheJafrikan]

Propoganda for Japanese hate? Why can we not recognize that this was a decisive battle and that both armies have traits that we should admire. The American's bravery to charge and the Japanese honor to fight to the very end.

Remember, only 2 people left from the Japanese side after the battle. Shows their dedication. If only the US army was like that now.

[LobsterHumper]

@TheJafrikan 2 survivors? There were 216 captured

[ptakja1]

With no disrespect. Couldn't a lot of ordinace from gun ships leveled this island ?

[Paoasian]

japan was moore advanced with ww2 at the time. tunnels and heavy fortifcations were smart. Yet Even if bombers and vessels hit, still the tunnels and bunkers would still be working well. Yet softing the island was a good idea since theyre were 20000 japs to kill. Sincce the japs were hiding it would take forever to kill the,.

[sioul18]

i hope no more wars will ever happenn again

[rzorNvme]

wheres the second part?

[SerenityIsTheMan]

The US government cuts out a lot of scenes in this video. Trust me... they captured more than what you see on film. I mean they filmed some pretty nasty bloody violent shit. But it's not allowed to be shown. That's why in these WW2 videos a lot of the scenes just cut off and skip to the next one.

[JinKazama92]

@SerenityIsTheMan

Where can we watch the full version?

[TheZakopolis]

it wasn't 20 years of Japanese preparation!

[Dogmeat1950]

@TheZakopolis well, it was kind of 20 years. they Japanese military set up the Island 20 years before the battle Iwo Jima. but most of the defense came into place about late 1944. so they had a good 6 months of buiding up defenses.

[TheZakopolis]

@Dogmeat1950 but the whole defense strategy was changed

[w6zra]

My Father was an Electronic Electrician on the USS Muliphen (a cargo ship) at Iwo. I just found out in 2008, and he died in 1972. I never knew about his military experiences, but obtained his military records in 2008, and I am very proud of his bravery. His lifelong battle with alcoholism was probably influenced by this experience, and his ship was not hit, but he is not forgotten. I keep hoping to see his ship in a video.

[barwana2007]

U.S. MARINE CORPS .... F&^% with the Best, Die like the Rest.

[no1kiyoko]

Were the Japanese soldiers strong? the soldier units of Iwo Jima consisted of amateurs.; as for the medleys such as farmers / teachers / the wine shoppers ・・・

and They did not have enough weapons / ammunition / water / and the food .

US soldiers which had all enough are enviable.

It may have taken time a little more to occupy it if well trained jap solriers fought with enough weapons. sorry in clumsy English.

[uhgvitybvouv]

attention, the full film is 47 mins

[rcplanetim53]

looks to be a good show... thanks for the post..

[Krylogenic]

My Uncle died last July and he was in the 5th marines on Iwo Jima and he had 79 photos of the battle and island and it was a blood bath they never show that in this film. He also was one of the first on top of Suribachi and our family has the original photos of the first flag over Mt Suribachi. I will miss my uncle but he will live in the history of the U.S. Marines forever. Semper Fi!!

[Toddinfantry]

@Krylogenic Respect to your uncles service. I have helped others put collections of past Marines into the National Marine Museum so they can be seen by all and remembered. If you would like to see about getting his original photos into the museum, let me know.

Check Peleliu 1 of 5 vid and see my posts with Mr. Mellin. His brothers collection was entered into the museum this past Fourth of July

Semper Fi !

[Longie562]

What a sacrifice those guys made. I wonder how many of those faces we see on this video survived the battle. God bless those Marines.

[bent]

@Longie562 one of them din make it is sgt john basilone..that save alot of marine that day...the hero of guadacanal

[gaaguile]

After seeing this, I Wonder How can there exist people who hate America

[nils4545]

My son was on Iwo Jima, so you can imagen how old I am.

[StrangerYouKnow]

I love the old propaganda. One thing i don't like is when people always say, "the marines should've done this!" or "They were stupid cause they didn't do that!" You people have no respect. Also, don't pretend you were acually there. It's so obvious when a guy named "Buzzlightyear234" says "I was there." Thumbs up!

[meerkat1954]

"20 years of Jap preparation for murder" - I love these old Yankee propaganda films.

[Nationsnotregimes]

This was a murder of our people, in other words it was a crime.

[leananshae]

After having all that ordinance pumped into it, I'll bet Mt Surabachi could be mined for all that metal! Wow!

Cutting the two segments of this film right in the middle of the flag raising scene was not very well thought out, 2bn442RCT! That's the main event! ARGH!

[larrydelamb]

japan should NEVER be allowed have an army

[larrydelamb]

i feel humble

[asther113]

The terrible carnage, and loss of life in american history-only the dead have seen the end of war.

[T37164N]

These clips show a small portion of reality

because photographers can't be everywhere at all times. It was this bad and worse. I was there in one of those tanks and was part of it.

[Toddinfantry]

And you are kidding aren't you?

Posturing??? The Marine Corps was shredded after WW2.

WOW!!

Another WOW!! for sheer WTF??

[andrewkenworthy]

i guess well never really know why certain decisions were taken , and maybe im just thinking purely from a compassionate point of view, one could argue if the bomb had been dropped before americans tried to take jap islands,the japs would have stood down,there is another documentary here on the net,,"how hilter lost the war" it was really fascinating. i love history but i do get sad when i reflect upon the suffering caused by men with evil minds.

[Toddinfantry]

You are right, we will never know. As a former Marine infantryman, I have seen the suffering caused when evil men do evil things. When you truly know this, compassion is out the window and it is time to right the wrong. There was no other alternative to taking these islands, let compassion back in when the battle is over. The cost of 6,821 Marines is high, but their sacrifice saved thousands directly and think of the human cost if we had to invade Japan to force their surrender.

Semper Fi !

[andrewkenworthy]

i have to ask you if you are an american, hitler killed himself and the nazis faced war crimes trials , the top nazi leaders were hung, the japs commited far worse barbaric and gruesome crimes against babies , children infants, pregnant women , american pows british pows , chinese population at unit 731, they butchered the whole civilian population at nanking,but none were charged with war crimes, the emperor walked free, cos the americans did a deal for money and info,

[Toddinfantry]

Yes, I am American. No, I do not believe or trust my gov't very much, never have never will. Atrocities were committed by all combatants during the war. The Japanese and the Germans stood out...why. Because they were the aggressors, nothing more. The Russians did horrible things, we dropped atomic weapons..neither of us got charged. By the time the war ended most of the Jap. upper military were dead, generally by their own hand. Tojo and Hirohito were left alone as figurehead leaders.

[andrewkenworthy]

how would one feel knowing this if one had fought at iwo jima or okinawa, sacrifices for nothing it seems , when the same men who sen you to die, let the people responsible for the agression war and crimes against humanity off the hook,general mcarthur in a way drove a knife into the back of all those who gave everything defending the japs, and remember the japs never showed mercy, and executed with the sword , disembowlment or beheading, women kids pows everyone.

[andrewkenworthy]

maybe im wrong but didnt the americans lose twenty five thosand soldiers taking this island.

[Toddinfantry]

That was casualties, not KIA

[askjiir]

Pherhaps in total causalties. Killed, wounded, missing and so on.

[andrewkenworthy]

the sad thing about this is the americans were fucking stupid, the japs were contained on an island ,not able to go anywhere, let them fucking starve, why risk the lives of good men,ill never understand it, plus the japs soldiers on the island would have been more deserving of an atomic bomb than the peasants of hiroshima or nagasak , wheres was the logic.

[julili5454]

i agree

[Toddinfantry]

Andrew, the island was taken to provide a next step closer to Japan. This island also saved the lives of over 23,000 airmen that had to land here while on bombing missions to Japan from the Marianas. Also saved lives by giving us forward fighter bases that could escort the bombers to Japan. Many Jap bases were bypassed, others had to be taken. This one had to be taken and did some good after.

Semper Fi !

[andrewkenworthy]

well agree to disagree, the americans still had functioning aircraft carriers and at this stage the japs naval threat was at the bottom of the sea, there was another way,many thosands of americans died at iwo jima,americans played into the hads of the jap general on iwo jima, he knew japans war was over,and wanted to just infilct as many casualties as possible,this was avoidable.

[Toddinfantry]

I do understand your point (s) and agree with you on some. But, given your scenario of not taking Iwo by force, what would your next move have been to beat Japan? That was the ultimate goal, was it not, to beat Japan militarily, until they agreed to unconditional surrender.

[WolYou]

When Japan has a defense line, the american propaganda calls it "preperation for murder". Hitler would have been be surprised about the plagiation of nazi-propaganda. I wonder if the guys in washington ever considered to pay royalties to Goebbels for using his wording :)

[ironhorzmn]

Usually because it WAS 'preparation for murder'.

STFU asshole. Japan attacked US first and Germany declared war on the US the next day.

We got our shit together, rebuilt our fleet and army and went out and thoroughly kicked both country's asses.

Propaganda my ass. FDR was not my favorite president but he knew how to lead a wartime nation to victory.

Besides, Japanese and German atrocities were the only propaganda FDR needed.

[mrpoop1997]

like a mini d-day well big casualtys but very close to d-day

[Beeba1]

Ten times the casualties of d-day!

[juno117]

@mrpoop1997 iwo was way worse than D-Day

[ironhorzmn]

Which was a large part of Truman's decision to use atomic weapons.

Based on the horrific toll of US island-hopping, from Tarawa to Iwo to Saipan to Okinawa, Allied planning estimated over a million casualties on both sides in the final assault on Japanese home islands.

Based on this horrific human calculus it made infinitely more sense to bring the war to an end using two atomic weapons instead of turning Japan into a slaughterhouse.

The US lives saved alone made the bombings worth it.

[Toddinfantry]

Small correction iron.... that was 1 million casualties on our side in the first 30 days of the invasion. It was estimated that the Japanese would suffer twice that in the same time period.

Semper Fi !

[ironhorzmn]

Noted. I read that entire regiments would be written off in the first waves. Thanks.

[andrewkenworthy]

i agree , but a bomb could have been droped in a sparsely populated area ,a warning given ,that the next wiil be on tokyo,this for sure would have ended the war,but military scientists got their way cos they wanted to see the destruction it would cause on an unwarned city, an experiment if you like,sad thing is it kiied innocents japs, and then the americans let all the architects of japans agression go free for money and human experiment medical research.vey very sad but true.

[whiff1962]

Many of the big guns and bombs from on high failed to hit their respective targets. Much of this is due to the shell trajectories of the big ships.

[xsdxsd]

硫黄島の戦いでのアメリカ軍艦砲射撃や空爆は日本軍によるとまっ­たく効果がなかったそうです。

[xsdxsd]

硫黄島の戦い　ですよね。

[davidlopez09]

Since this was a propaganda film, it didn't show any casualties. Only cool action ...

[SoldatenArvidsjaur23]

The US newsreels were more biased than the German of WW2 usually.

VERY seldom did US and British newsreels mention anything but enemy losses which they usually inflated. German tank losses were multiplied by 4 usually.

Germany usually had no reason to inflate enemy losses because they were usually much higher than their own on all fronts.

[Ge4ceGuy]

German reports were often inflated, especially Allied bomber losses in 1944/45, at a time when the majority of German fighters was grounded (lack of fuel). While some reports were accurate, (King)Tigers really achieved up to 38 kills per tank against Russian units, the Germans inflated enemy losses in 1940 already: There is footage showing the Germans bombing British ships at Dunkirque, but they are staged. When they were filmed, the evac had been finished, without intervention of the Luftwaffe.

[QuantumUni]

It would have been very helpful for the marines back then if bunker busters were invented to weaken iwo jima, too bad.

[supergerry95]

its a good thing Iwo jima didnt turn out 2 be somethin like Normandy cause a lot of ppl would have died then

[Eye4Lites]

ALOT of good Marines died on Iwo. Do you even have any idea how many died on Iwo? Comparing Iwo to Normandy is ridiculous. I just love ppl like you that have no clue.

[lizard0manson]

I was watching Letter of Iwo Jima today, don't remember if someone old in my family went to the pacific war but i pay my respects for both sides.

[s14elong]

my grandpa died on iwo jima he was killed in a Bonzai

[Ladysensei]

Your Granpa was A VERY brave man who died for his country, He was a Man of Honor and You have something to always tell your grandchildren about one day,

Always remember,

My Father was also on Iwo Jima and lived to be 83 years old, he may have even know your granpa, watch the video it speaks for itself!

[FireFromTheSky95]

Did he know any of the 6 flag raisers?

By the way, I have very high respect for anyone in ww2, especially Iwo Jima. Sorry to hear that he died, but god bless him.

[elgato66]

Personally, I think the Naval strategy of island hopping was not that smart. The Navy should have followed the ARMy'S lead. If the navy would have followed the ARMY'S lead, there would have been fewer deaths.

[2bn442RCT]

And the Armys lead would be what.

[PanzerSmurf1]

@2bn442RCT

Walking to Japan on the bottom :p

[Eye4Lites]

Why was it not smart?? What would the "ARMY" do?? Go learn about WWII then post something of value.

[chicarelli1941]

he's probly talking about marshall's plan or something. seriously though. when you come up with a better plan than island hopping let the rest of us know. because as far as im concerned i'd say nimitz and macarthur and halsey and all those guys did a pretty damn good job.

so i agree, go learn a thing or two about WWII and say something that makes sense.

[anteracmacash]

@elgato66 @elgato66 personaly I think there would have been fewer deaths on the beaches in Normandy if the Marines (an amphibious force) would have invaded Europe on D - Day...but let's keep our personal thoughts for our selves and just respect the sacrifice that the Marines made in the Pacific and the Army did in Europe...

[marjis3]

mave.foorumi.eu

[wafflecushioned]

@elgato66 Exactly, because the Army can walk on water

[surfbum482]

@elgato66 what in the hell are you talking about?

[4everUSNavy]

@elgato66

Island hoping was all we had. The Army leading would have been very stupid. why let the army lead when the Marines were better at island invasions? We could us The US Army way of fighting in taking back islands.

Im glad you was not a General because we would have lost the war

[bayonet262]

@elgato66 Follow the Armys lead? With out the Marines the Pacfific war would have never been won.

[gunny51997]

@elgato66 your strategy is not that smart

[MrJoergenfoged]

@elgato66 --

And to that u are sure?????

[vancityguy]

@elgato66 Uh... I think the Navy bombarding a heavily fortified island is a smart strategic step. I think the Army would agree.

[Team4omena]

im suprise that island dident sink XD

[RipMr15]

My great grandpa was in Iwo Jima. He is still alive today

[bankman234]

That's awesome, my grandpa wasn't in the war but still, that's awesome you grandpa was on iwo jima.

[DesertFoxKG]

Like always... Bombarding, bombarding and then telling how brave they are.

[bankman234]

braver then you, at least they can say "I defended my country and saved it." Without bombarding we may have lost so shut up and leave your non-patriotic comments to yourself!!!

[chicarelli1941]

dude i cant believe the nerve you have.

k lets see you land on the most heavily fortified and entrenched jap help island in the pacific next to okinawa (cuz that came after iwo....) without it being softened up by navy shelling.

for that matter lets see you get the balls to land on ANY island. or even join the marine corps in the first place.

if you cant respect it, then dont say anything at all

[lolthatsright]

@chicarelli1941 no offense, but you have shitty logic. saying that is like saying because i dont respect slavery i should just sit there and let it happen.

[marvesmarves]

72 hrs of bombardment..... you wont have a time to take a nap

[kingtiger88]

A simply statement but very true. Just because a shelling doesn't kill an enemy soldier the fatigue and terror of a shelling can rout a soldier before an attack.

[elgato66]

Was that U.S Army Infantry at 4.36? it looked like the trooper was wearing an Army uniform.

I know the Army was in the Pacific at the time but did they fight on Iwo Jima?

[2bn442RCT]

The US Army did not fight at Iwo Jima

[elgato66]

was that a navy uniform?

[2bn442RCT]

yes

[chak3226]

@2bn442RCT

Yes they did. Granted the battle was almost over but the 147th Infantry Division landed on March 20th and the 506th AA battalion was there and provided fires support for the Marines of the 5th Division

Source: The United States Marine Corps in World War II by S.E. Smith

[Eman355355]

there were american engineers

[texasheatwave93]

in the middle it switches and talks about D-day.

listen at 3:49.

[happybrick33]

d-day just means landing day

theres lots of d-days

[chicarelli1941]

did you know that d-day for okinawa was called love day??

i guess brass called it love day beacause it was april fool's day and easter sunday. haha go figure

[MrTambopaxi]

@elgato66 Looks like a CG landing craft coxswain....

[PAYSSADU]

Saudaçoes a todos os veteranos desta guerra e principalmente aos do Vietnam, onde estive e sobrevivi.

[mj5660]

Great video 5 stars!!!

[imanchanel]

ouuuh yeahh!!!

[imanchanel]

ouuuh yeahhh!!

[imanchanel]

oouuuuh yeahhh!!!