Iwo Jima - A stupid Mistake?

LA TImes ^ | March 10, 2005 | Max Boot

[rcocean]

Our awe at the bravery of the Marines and their Japanese adversaries should not cause us to overlook the stupidity that forced them into this unnecessary meat grinder. Selective memories of World War II, which record only inspiring deeds and block out all waste and folly, create an impossible standard of perfection against which to judge contemporary conflicts.

[rcocean]

Author states the landing at Iwo Jima was a mistake and unnecessary resulting in the death of 6,000 marines. Just another article to make us feel bad about our history.

[RaceBannon]

The planners actually thought that Iwo Jima would be lightly defended. Nimitz had no idea that the Japanese had been preparing an elaborate defensive network of caves, bunkers and tunnels. As a result, he failed to allocate enough aircraft or warships to seriously dent the enemy defenses before the infantry landings. This oversight consigned the Marines to what a war correspondent called "a nightmare in hell." And for what?

What an idiot, they said that about every Island, any honest history student of Marine Battles KNOWs theyunderestimated enemy strength on almost every Island.

[Pyro7480]

It is a fact that without Iwo Jima, they could not properly conduct air raids over Japan. They needed the runway on that island.

[llevrok]

There is an old saying, "in war, the first thing to die is the truth."

It seems to me that in Peace, the revisonists always want to birth new truth in their own image.

[dfwgator]

"War is a series of calamaties that result in victory."

[Coop]

The planners actually thought that Iwo Jima would be lightly defended. Nimitz had no idea that the Japanese had been preparing an elaborate defensive network of caves, bunkers and tunnels. As a result, he failed to allocate enough aircraft or warships to seriously dent the enemy defenses before the infantry landings. This oversight consigned the Marines to what a war correspondent called "a nightmare in hell." And for what?

This is completely contrary to what I learned about Iwo Jima. As I recall, the island was subjected to a devastating barrage of naval gunfire, but the elaborate tunnel system kept most of the defenders protected.

[bmwcyle]

I have no respect for the second guesser.

[wallcrawlr]

many of the marines that fought across those islands live in cali, I'm sure they'll enjoy his editorial.

[ruiner]

What did Nimitz know and when did he know it?

[pissant]

Max should stick to waht he knows best, whining.

[F16Fighter]

"Author states the landing at Iwo Jima was a mistake and unnecessary resulting in the death of 6,000 marines. Just another article to make us feel bad about our history."

I happen to agree with the the assessment of the author which in NO way detracts from the heroism and bravery of those who fought at Iwo Jima.

The venture was not remotely "cost effective" in terms of American casualties vs. military benefit.

[Semper Paratus]

Iwo was the last island on the NW approach to the main Japanese islands.

[PowerAmp]

Thanks for the post. It reminds me why the LA Times is my least favorite newspaper.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Das Max Boot

[RexBeach]

If Ted Kennedy had been in the Senate in 1945, as the author posits, the Japanese and the Germans would have taken great solace from the senator's weak-kneed whining about the progress of American arms in WW2. Happily, the senator was only a little boy in that year.

[Piranha]

I didn't read the article (I don't go to the LA Times), but from the first paragraph I thought his point was goint to be that in every war there are serious, and tragic, mistakes that result in many casualties. As a result, all of the attention of supposed errors by our military in taking control of Iraq are irrelevant, and as destructive as it would have been to second-guess Iwo Jima, hold hearings, and otherwise disrupt the military during wartime.

[Michael.SF.]

Nimitz had no idea that the Japanese had been preparing an elaborate defensive network of caves, bunkers and tunnels.

Since the primary defense of Iwo Jima relied on the network of caves and interconnecting tunnels, how does the author expect that Nimitz would have known of this defensive strategy? One that had not been used previously (to my knowledge) by the Japanese, and one that would not be detected from aerial recon nor be destroyed by shelling or bombing.

[xkaydet65]

Just another article to make us feel bad about our history

From Max Boot, I doubt it.Saying a military operation was a mistake does nothing to subtract from the honor and admiration we have for those who fought.One purpose of military history is to make judgements on military decisions such as Iwo Jima.

The Pacific War is fraught with such decisions. More than Iwo, the decision to take the island of Pelilieu is seen today as having no consequence worth the damage done to the Ist Marine Div in 37 days of combat. If anything, people like Max Boot can force Americans to look far more appreciatively on the decision making qualities of our current military. If sainted figures like Nimitz, Halsey, and MacArthur could make errors in military judgement that cost lives in the thousands, how much criticism can be offered to the decisions made by Rumsfeld, and Franks which saw accomplishments with far lethal cost.

[Non-Sequitur]

Author states the landing at Iwo Jima was a mistake and unnecessary resulting in the death of 6,000 marines. Just another article to make us feel bad about our history.

The author is stating nothing of the kind. He's repeating the findings of a Marine Corps officer and instructor at the Naval Academy who has researched the battle. It was in interesting article and I'd be interested in reading the book.

[RushCrush]

That is what I have learned as well. We conducted massive strafing and air raids on this island, weakening enemy defenses, their resolve and their mental states. This type of revisionist history is crap. It's like something Ward Churchill would base his masters thesis on. I prefer to read things like: Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley