... by enemy observers or enemy fighter planes so the Japanese could avoid the destruction of their country. By the date of the American invasion of Iwo Jima, an airfield was partly finished, it had two fully-operational airstrips and a third one was under construction, also, Japanese planes were already operating there. Since February of the following year, the island had been object of 69 air raids by 1.269 planes and had suffered heavy naval bombing in 8 occasions; in this way, the Americans tried in vain to stop the construction of defences and to destroy the air field. The island was a fortress by itself; its flat black-sand beaches had no hiding places for the attackers, the thick vegetation was another formidable obstacle, the hidden and tall rock positions at mount Suribachi were natural bunkers and finally, there were the artificial defences. The Japanese had planned to build 28 kilometres ...

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