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Dawn on 20 February 1945 presented the Marines around Motoyama #1 with a dismal sight. Under gray, scudding clouds, wrecked planes littered the airfield runways. Hidden among the wreckage were numerous Japanese snipers, who began their work at first light. The frontline Marines had a clear view of the D-Day landing beaches, a wasteland of smashed vehicles, broached landing craft, and the dead and dying.
On D+1, the Vth Amphibious Corps’ objective was to secure the O-1 line. The 4th and 5th Marine Divisions began to grind forward into the teeth of bitter resistance. Oriented north, with Motoyama Airfield #1 on the right flank, the 27th Marines kicked off the attack at 0855 under heavy Japanese shellfire. To provide depth to the assault, LT 1/27 followed behind LT 3/27 at a distance of 400 yards. The battalion 81mm mortar platoon remained in position by the airfield and supported LT 3/27.
As the attack drove slowly forward, Japanese heavy machine gun and antitank fire ranged across the Marines from the approaches to the Motoyama plateau. Shooting at any Marines who presented an easy target, snipers and troops hidden in bypassed bunkers also took their toll. The Marines of 1/27 now began to mop-up these enemy stay-behinds.
In a process that would repeat itself a thousand times, rifle squads and platoons responded to desperate calls for help. Often, they would arrive at the scene and find a dead Marine, shot through the head by a enemy sniper. Working carefully, the infantry Marines isolated the sniper, then approached within grenade range to kill the enemy. This was nerve-wracking and frustrating work.
The attacking Marines secured over 800 yards. Although still short of the O-1 line, the Vth Amphibious Corps now stood on the north side of Motoyama #1. At 1600, under a threatening sky, the Marines began digging in for another sleepless night. LT 1/27’s positions were emplaced to provide defense in depth behind the Marines of LT 3/27. On every mouth were the words, “Do you think the Japs are gonna banzai tonight?” Late in the afternoon, Japanese snipers became more active, exacting a fearsome toll. In response, the Marines patrolled throughout the area. The night passed fitfully, with extensive Japanese infiltration and artillery that ranged all across the frontline and beachhead. On D+2 (21 February) the 5th Marine Division again launched the attack north toward the O-1 line. The Japanese had built their main defensive fortifications along the southern approaches to the Motoyama plateau. Looking out from a series of ridges that stood over 100 feet high, they could observe and fire on anything that moved. After the battle, survey teams would count over 1,000 improved caves in this east-west belt, in addition to numerous pillboxes and bunkers.
LT 1/27 was again assigned as combat team reserve for the attack. After securing about 900 yards of hard-won ground, the Marines smashed up against the main enemy positions. At about 1500, enemy resistance became so fierce that the assault ground to a complete halt. During the afternoon, a dangerous gap had opened up on the seam between the 4th and 5th Marines Divisions’ zones of action. LtCol Butler dispatched Able, Baker and Charlie companies to fill in this gap. As the Marines moved forward into the frontlines, accurate and heavy artillery fire pounded them. In an exposed position, the line companies spent the night in shell scrapes that caved in with each nearby explosion. Just before midnight, a Japanese attack formed in front of Baker Company’s position. The battalion 81mm mortar platoon and on-call artillery fire from the 13th Marines broke up the attack. As the night wore on, rain began falling, soaking the exhausted Marines. They huddled in their holes, wrapped in soggy ponchos, staring into the dark.
During the afternoon, the 27th Marines passed into divisional reserve and 1/27 moved into an assembly area a few hundred yards northwest of Motoyama #1. At 1600, the landing team was alerted to reinforce LT 1/26 against a developing Japanese counterattack. The weary Marines packed their gear and humped down to a strip of ground near the western beaches. At 1800, 1/27 was relieved from this mission and returned to the assembly area. In reserve, weary Marines could change their socks, eat hot 10-in-1 rations, and read cherished letters from home. They slept under blankets and ponchos in holes dug into the black ash. At night, they watched the northern sky in awe as battleships and heavy artillery dueled with Japanese guns concealed in the rugged badlands. And they slept, maybe not like at home, but better than in a frontline position. Morale improved, and the line companies rebuilt and refitted.
Meanwhile, under the harshest possible conditions, other units battered themselves to the breaking point against the Japanese defensive belts. Over the course of several days, the 26th Marines and elements of the 3rd Marine Division attacked again and again in the broken terrain on the western side of Motoyama Airfield #2. With tanks, engineers and a full array of indirect fire support, Marines fought a bloody and depressing battle against interlocked concrete positions. On D+8 (27 February) the 27th Marines took over as the main assault force in the 5th Marine Division sector. Driving to the O-2 line north of Motoyama #2, a regimental attack kicked off at 0800 following a heavy artillery barrage. The ultimate goal of this action was to secure the Japanese defensive complex on Hill 362A. LT 1/27 was assigned to the center of the regimental sector. The battalion initially made good progress, pushing forward 200 yards. Then, the roof fell in. A cluster of pillboxes in Charlie Company’s sector stood astride the battalion axis of advance. Heavy machine guns from this position raked across the battalion, forcing Marines to cover. A 75mm halftrack rumbled forward in support. Its crew destroyed one reinforced blockhouse with point blank fire. Enemy snipers engaged the halftrack, killing some crewmembers and forcing it to withdraw. Flamethrowers and demolition men moved up and reduced the pillboxes one by one by. This slow, dangerous work took much of the morning.
Able Company pushed forward and took a small hill with little effort. Before it was able to consolidate on the position, the Marines were pinned down by heavy fire from the flanks and rear. 1st Platoon, under 2ndLt Clair Voss of Chicago, Ill., found itself at the center of this maelstrom. The platoon was nearly annihilated in the first moments of the ambush and the stunned survivors were forced to ground by the withering fire that encircled them. Voss assessed the danger from a reinforced pillbox directly to the platoon’s front. With hand grenades and a demolition charge, Voss worked his way forward under direct fire from the pillbox’s machine gun, and from interlocking enemy positions. Somehow, he made it to the pillbox and threw his hand grenades inside, silencing the machine gun. Realizing Japanese troops still occupied the pillbox, Voss climbed on top and set his demolition charge, all the time under heavy fire. The charge detonated, destroying the fortification. This gallant Marine was wounded during the fight, but lived to wear the Navy Cross he would earn for this day’s work. (1)
Able Company extricated itself from the bloody hill, losing eight Marines killed and 50 wounded in the battle. The battered company went into reserve to regroup and reorganize after the punishing fight. LtCol Butler alerted Baker Company out of battalion reserve to replace Able. In the afternoon, LtCol Butler requested tank support to destroy enemy fortifications holding up the battalion. A platoon of M4s, including a flame tank, arrived in sector, but was met with heavy mortar fire. The flame tank received a direct hit and was knocked out. But the other tanks gave very effective fire support and destroyed several pillboxes and a dug-in Japanese tank. The battalion advanced 200 yards in the afternoon. At 1730, the weary Marines began digging in for the night. In a day of brutal, no-holds barred fighting, LT 1/27 had advanced about 500 yards in the teeth of bitter resistance. Now they were within striking distance of the defensive complex at Hill 362A, a cornerstone of the Japanese fortifications on Iwo Jima. This tall escarpment commanded the approaches to the northern end of Iwo Jima. Both sides recognized its critical role in the battle. The Japanese were absolutely determined to hold it to the last drop of blood, and the 5th Marine Division had to take it. There was simply no other choice.
The attack against 362A continued the next day, D+9 (28 February). At 0830, LT 3/27 attacked directly against the Japanese forces on the hill. LT 1/27 launched a supporting attack against a rugged complex of ridgelines that ran down from 362A to Iwo’s western coast. Like the previous day, the Marines advanced a short distance, and then ran into extremely tough opposition from Japanese defenders in reinforced pillboxes.
During LT 1/27’s initial advance, Baker Company was assigned to the left of the battalion zone, and Charlie Company to the right. Baker gained the high ground to its front, but endured 17 dead and 27 wounded in the attack. Charlie fought forward by squad and platoon under heavy, close range machine gun fire. Tanks and a 75mm halftrack assisted the infantry Marines in the fight. 1stLt Jesse Julian, of Franklinville, NC, was a platoon leader in Charlie. During the attack, some of Charlie’s Marines were blasted by intense machine gun fire and had to pull back. 1stLt Julian moved forward and took control of the withdrawing Marines. He then led his platoon in an attack to regain the ground. A short while later, Julian led a patrol up to the top of a cliff under constant sniper fire, and established a blocking position to prevent mass infiltration by the Japanese. For his skillful leadership under fire, 1stLt Julian later received the Navy Cross. (2) As the attacking Marines of Charlie pushed forward on completely exposed ground, one of the rifle platoons was pinned down by intense machine gun, rifle and mortar fire. Cpl Bernie Baggett, a fireteam leader from Tampa, Fla., decided to do something. Braving sheets of fire and painfully wounded in the shoulder by a sniper, Bagget found the tanks and guided them to help his platoon. He designated targets for the tanks and was again wounded. Desipte his wounds, Baggett refused evacuation until the Japanese position was destroyed.(3) Taking heavy casualties, Charlie Company stalled short of the ridgeline. At 1630, Able Company executed a passage of lines and replaced their hard-hit brothers. Charlie then went into battalion reserve and hastily reorganized. During the relief, a Japanese counterattack developed in front of Able but was repulsed. The fight for the ridge complex west of 362A was a confusing, bloody, disappointing struggle in a nightmare landscape. Skillfully using every fold of terrain to the maximum advantage, the Japanese took a fearsome toll on the Marines. To the east, 3/27 was unable to take the main objective and the attack effectively ground to a halt. The 27th Marines—short of ammunition, bled dry, and with huge gaps in its ranks—needed relief desperately.
After a quiet night spent huddled in foxholes staring watchfully into the dark, the 27th Marines passed into division reserve. LT 2/28 moved up from the Suribachi sector on the morning of 1 March and relieved LT 1/27. Hiking wearily down to an assembly area 800 yards west of Motoyama #2, the battalion was now faced with the daunting task of reorganizing and refitting after taking terrible losses.
Notes for cited material: (1) 2ndLt Voss’ fight on D+8 was constructed from his Navy Cross citation, and The Spearhead, page 86, by Howard Connor.
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