[PeterPrinciple]

At IWO JIMA on the night of the 29th-30th 9 B-24’s attacked individually at 45 minute intervals with fragmentation bombs. ON the 30th 14 B-24’s dropeed 28 tons on the airfields with results being largely unobserved.

Nimitz Graybook

---

I have an interest in Iwo Jima, with my uncle from the 5th Marines injured there. First general purpose bombs from 50 b29’s, then delayed fuse and now fragmentation bombs. Is no damage being done or are the japs rebuilding the airfield?

[colorado tanker]

The airfield was not integral to the Japanese defenses, which were a system of mutually supporting caves, bunkers, tunnels and gun emplacements. The pre-invasion bombing was ineffective in degrading these defenses.

The code word for the operation was Detachment. Nimitz sometimes refers to it in his Graybook.

[fso301]

Is no damage being done or are the japs rebuilding the airfield?

Bombed airfields and railroads can be put back into operation very quickly.

[TalonDJ]

I have an interest in Iwo Jima, with my uncle from the 5th Marines injured there. First general purpose bombs from 50 b29’s, then delayed fuse and now fragmentation bombs. Is no damage being done or are the japs rebuilding the airfield?

Sorry this one is late. Still catching up on the thread from the holiday. Delayed fuse bombs are usually to put deep holes in a run way (or something) and in this case I would bet the frags the next day were to wipe out repair crews and equipment filling in those craters.