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

Osceola, Wisconsin, U.S.A.: Zenith Press, 2007. New book, 128 pages. Before the invasion could be stages, there was the Iwo Jima recon. On February 17, 1945 - two days before the invasion - four U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Teams of about a hundred men each and twenty two Marine observers scouted the water around Iwo Jima and went ashore to determine if the soil would support vehicles. The swimmers wore nothing more than their trunks, swim fins, goggles, and knives, along with some camoflage paint and a coat of grease to protect them agianst the frigid water. Supported by the Battleships Tennessee and Nevada, a cruiser, several destroyers and aircraft, and twelve Landing Craft Infantry gunboats, they approached the shore as the Japanese opened fire. Nine of the thin skinned gunboats suffered heavy damage, one sank, and the rest survived with moderate damage. Forty three seamen were killed, and almost two hundred wounded, 40% of the men engaged. Using eyewitness accounts, after action reports, and more than one hundred photos, this book brings to life this little known story of courage above and beyond the call of duty.. Soft Cover. As New. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.