Beach Green [Battle of Iwo Jima]

Point of first contact during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

This exceptionally rare map presents an approximately 800-yard stretch of Beach Green, found along the southeastern edge of the island of Iwo Jima. It was the target landing zone for members of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 28th Marine Regiment during the WWII amphibious invasion codenamed Operation Detachment. The five-week campaign, one of the bloodiest in the Pacific Theater, is more commonly known today as the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The image presents the extent of Allied intelligence-gathering efforts in early 1945. Military equipment like searchlights, pillboxes, machine guns, and antiaircraft emplacements are identified according to the legend in the lower left. Trench lines and contoured topography give a faint impression of the physical landscape inland from the beach. Dotted numbers refer to aerial photographs, a primary source of information used when compiling the map. Further features are penciled in, possibly reflecting the addition of last-minute details.

The sheet, marked SECRET, was owned and used by a Sergeant in the 5th Marines, A ‘Jerry’ DeBello. DeBello (1915 – 1989), was a member of the 5th Pioneer Battalion who received a Good Conduct Medal for his service during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was honorably discharged at Treasure Island, San Francisco in 1946 and the map was acquired from his descendants. While the 5th Pioneers were not involved in the initial assault (they arrived on D+10), they did have the distinction of engaging in the last combat action of the campaign.

Planning maps of this kind are ephemeral and scarce. Generally speaking, information marked as Secret or Confidential had strict requirements for destruction, though these regulations were often casually enforced. I have been unable to locate other examples of similar planning maps for any of the Iwo Jima beaches (Green, Red, Yellow, or Blue).

Source: Iwo Jima: Amphibious Epic