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[link]http://www.iwojima.com/iwojimatoday.ppt#256,1,Slide[/link]
Not enough Iwo Jima for you, check out the link above for a powerpoint of Iwo Jima today.
Looking for a little history help and map interpretation, please review the map and see if you can pick out the exact coordinates of “The Meat Grinder”. Hill 382 is Turkey Knob, I'm not sure where “The Amphitheater” is unless it's the rock quarry. I'm not seeing a 200 x 400 yard 'depression'.
The topo map is +/- 20' elevation.
[link]http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/iwo_jima_2003.jpg[/link]
I believe “The Meat Grinder” took place on Hill 362A. It is in the map grid 216 section S.
Here is a link to the 5th Mar Div Zone of Action Progress Lines, 24-28 Feb
[link]http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-IwoJima/maps/USMC-M-IwoJima-IX.jpg[/link]
Mike
Matthew loaned me another book which had everything labeled. You can't see the terrain accurately enough on the topo. Iwo Jima, Legacy of Valor by Bill D. Ross
But for reference sake on the topo. The amphitheter was at the base of 382, the little curve on the topo. Turkey Knob is northeast of Minami village though you can't tell by the topo. Or the books wrong, entirely possible.
You know, you'd think the USMC would have 'detailed files' on Iwo Jima, Saipan, Tarawa etc… Nothing useful from the USMC website.
I need a better topographic map.
Well, while you are waiting for that, check out Google Earth. It's Iwo Jima images are quite crisp with marker notes and images taken from various spots as well
-Groo
History is written… (but often in error)
Heya Folks! So like a bulldog on a mission I've been scouring the web for 'accuracy' regarding Iwo Jima. I'm going to say that books 'try' to be accurate. I've been working books against the topo map and I'm seeing a trend at this point. Peeps writing the books are recording oral history.
Nuff said, I've got pictures of Turkey Knob, I've got a good feel that books haven't really got the placement of “The Amphitheater” correct against the Topo. (I'm inclined to suggest that the 'obvious' amphitheater on the topo is 'in fact' correct. “Turkey Knob” isn't and wasn't the 2nd highest point on the island. Here's an artist image:
[link]http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-Iwo/img/USMC-C-Iwo-p35a.jpg[/link]So after a week's worth of unproductive work for Apex Fasteners, I'm going to go with what I understand as a basal knowledge of the Iwo Jima fight around Motoyama #2 airfield.
As a 'gamer' I can appreciate how hard this battle was fought. I'm looking at a HASL sized map of not more than 25 hexes square. I was talking to Matthew trying to express my knowledge into information. How do you compress the intensity of the fighting? The Topo map linked above represents 200 yards on the small squares, 5 hexes roughly in ASL 40 meter terms. A full big square is 25 hexes. Imagine a two or three hex gain a day at a time.
This area was fought from prepared positions and caves, one army group was fighting on top and the other below ground. I think if you want to undertake knowing the fight you have to see how the battle was fought. I'd really like to see the Japanese defensive fortification and tunnel maps. The Marine numerical advantage of 3-1+ left no doubt of the outcome (setting aside material) but the modern world saw an evolution in warfare.
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