Iwo Jima Recon: The U.S. Navy at War, February 17, 1945

by R.D. Camp

Iwo Jima, February 17, 1945: The mission: to scout the beaches for underwater obstacles and mines and determine whether the soil would support vehicles. Four Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (predecessor to the SEALS) and twenty-two Marine observers-backed by battleships Tennessee and Nevada, a cruiser, several destroyers, and twelve Landing Craft Infantry ships configured as gunboats proceeded with the operation.

The story of what followed - the battle for Iwo Jima that no one knows - is fully told for the first time in this book, a heart-stopping account of ill-equipped but heroic forces under fire from an unexpected, overwhelming enemy.

Drawing on first-person accounts, deck logs, and after-action reports, Dick Camp brings the action to harrowing life: the thin-skinned reconfigured LCIs fighting it out with the Japanese in a valiant effort to protect the swimmers caught five hundred yards off the beach; the battleship Nevada ignoring orders to withdraw and moving in to knock out the enemys heavy caliber guns; the devastating action - casualities of 40 percent - that very likely saved the actual landing on the 19th.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Colonel Richard D. "Dick" Camp Jr., a Purple Heart recipient, served 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring in 1988. Upon retirement he served as the Deputy Director, U.S. Marine Corps History Division (he was Acting Director for most of 2006) and as the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Vice President for Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. Currently residing in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he is the author of ten books and over 100 magazine articles on various military related subjects.

Reviews

[Melora · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting with lots of solid facts and photographs, plus maps.

[Vern · Rating 4 out of 5]

A facet of the Iwo Jima campaign I was previously unaware. The courage of the men involved is inspiring and sobering. There is a reason they are called The Greatest Generation.

[Bec]

I'm not going to give this a number of stars because I don't think I'm the type of audience it was aiming at and I'm the first one to review it here.

It really wasn't something that held my attraction - it was a struggle finish what was in esence a short book with lots of great pictures. If you were a military buff or really interested in Iwo Jima then this might be the book for you.

I did learn a few things however, around what sort of fortress the Japanese built, the role of "divers" in the mission and the impact it had overall. This was my very first exposure to any information on Iwo Jima - i have heard of it of course but that was about it, so now at least I knwo some details.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prior to the invasion of Iwo Jima by American forces, intelligence of the island was gathered by Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Iwo Jima tells the story while giving backgounds of the people involved from both Japanese and American forces. An interesting, often neglected, part part of the story of the battle for Iwo Jima.

[C. Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without the feats of these brave men the carnage on Iwo may have been even worse. Semper Fi