Iwo Jima is a part of the Nanpo Shoto, a chain of volcanic island groups that extends some 750 miles south of Japan. The island lies at the center of the Volcano Island group and is about 660 miles south of Japan. In World War II Iwo Jima (Sulfur Island in Japanese) was part of the Tokyo Prefecture and was considered to be Japanese soil.
Porkchop shaped, Iwo Jima was just over four miles long from southwest to northeast. At its widest point the island was 2 1/2 miles across. At its narrowest, Iwo Jima was only 700 yards wide. It covered 7 1/2 square miles and was the largest island in the Volcano Islands group. The dominating terrain was Mount Suribachi, an extinct volcano 550 feet high on the southwest tail of the island.
Northeast of Mount Suribachi was a flat lowland. This area was covered by a heavy layer of black volcanic sand. Wave action on the coast had carved steep terraces of eight to fifteen feet in height in the shoreline. This area rose to about 50 feet above sea level and was sparsely vegetated. It offered practically no cover. An airfield–Motoyama #1–was located in this area. In the geographic center of the island was located Motoyama airfield #2.
The northern part of Iwo Jima comprised the Motoyama Plateau. This area was generally 200-300 feet above sea level with sandstone hills and ridges up to 390 feet high. The ground was broken with outcroppings and shallow draws cutting across the land. This area was covered by sparse grass and scrubby trees, mostly stripped away in the pre-landing bombardments. Motoyama airfield #2 was located on rising ground in roughly the center of the island. On the eastern side of the Motoyama Plateau were located numerous sulfur vents and sulfur mud pits.
Iwo Jima presented serious challenges in the military sense. First, the ocean broke directly against the shoreline, creating heavy wave action and strong undertows. The steeply sloped beach terraces and deep sand were obstacles to both vehicle and foot traffic. With the heights of Suribachi on one side and the rugged Motoyama Plateau on the other, Iwo's terrain favored the Japanese defenders. And a non-existent road net caused serious problems as the campaign developed. There were no natural water sources on Iwo Jima.
With a subtropical climate, Iwo's temperatures ranged from 50-80 degrees Fahrenheit. February was typically the driest month, but February 1945 was unseasonably wet.
"At dawn on D-Day Marines saw Iwo Jima for the first time. It was unlike any other island they had ever seen. Instead of palm trees and a white ribbon of beach which had first met their gaze at Roi–Namur, or the green cane fields of Saipan and Tinian, they saw an ugly lump of volcanic sand and clay, which was treeless, craggy, and blistered with endless sand hummocks. Mount Suribachi, at the southern tip, loomed like something out of an inferno; the plateau at the north was a series of ridges and hills, although little of its really hazardous character could be appreciated from the ships…. The beach was not white, but black, and the vegetation which grew sparsely, was wilted, burned out, colorless. It was as if, prophetically, Iwo was meant to support not life, but death."
The Fourth Marine Division in World War II
Carl W. Proehl
|
 |
(above) Motoyama airfield #2 covered by smoke and dust
duringa heavy bomber raid–late Winter 1944 USAF Photo |
 |
(above) The rugged terrain of northern Iwo Jima is evident in this
photo. Combat engineers take cover as a powerful demolition charge
seals a Japanese
cave on the Motoyama Plateau. Life Magazine
|
Image credits: Photos 1 & 2: US Navy, map: USMC extracted from Operation DETACHMENT Special Action Report
NEXT
SPOTLIGHT ON IWO JIMA INDEX
