We are once again very fortunate to have a perfect day to proceed ahead with a few hours of scenic cruising of a very important island here in the Pacific, Iwo Jima. Many on board are here to pay respects for the many lives lost here as this battle was an important precursor to the ending of WWII.
Wikipedia states the battle as follows:
The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the purpose of capturing the island with its two airfields: South Field and Central Field.
The Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified, with a dense network of bunkers, hidden artillery positions, and 18 km (11 mi) of tunnels. The American ground forces were supported by extensive naval artillery and had complete air supremacy provided by U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators throughout the battle. The five-week battle saw some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the Pacific War.
Unique among Pacific War Marine battles, total American casualties exceeded those of the Japanese, with a ratio of three American casualties for every two Japanese. Of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima at the beginning of the battle, only 216 were taken prisoner, some of whom were captured only because they had been knocked unconscious or otherwise disabled. Most of the remainder were killed in action, but it has been estimated that as many as 3,000 continued to resist within the various cave systems for many days afterwards until they eventually succumbed to their injuries or surrendered weeks later.
The action was controversial, with retired Chief of Naval Operations William V. Pratt stating that the island was useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base. The Japanese continued to have early-warning radar from Rota island, which was never invaded. Experiences with previous Pacific island battles suggested that the island would be well-defended and thus casualties would be significant. The lessons learned on Iwo Jima served as guidelines for the following Battle of Okinawa and the planned invasion of the Japanese homeland.
Joe Rosenthal's Associated Press photograph of the raising of the U.S. flag at the top of the 169 m (554 ft) Mount Suribachi by six U.S. Marines became a famous image of the battle and the American war effort in the Pacific.
We had great commentary coming around the island where Captain Mark did a complete 360 of the ship so that all could have a good look at the place where the troops stormed the beaches. This 360 was a tricky maneuver with a ship this size with the wind and the swells. We had learned this in the Antarctic when the Captain had to turn the small Prinsendam around. He told us that putting the thrusters on to turn the ship is only one step because as the ship becomes broadside to the wind, the wind hits the balconies causing a reverse effect and when you throw swells in there it can be a bit tricky. So well done Captain Mark.
Only a few pics of our day, hope you enjoy our day 2 of 11 at sea…
The beaches that were stormed.
The spot where the famous picture took place.
The famous picture.
Yes, we are beginning to get to the middle of nowhere. Hope all remain healthy on the ship. No return now.
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