July 4, 1944
(USN)
Carrier Raid against Iwo Jima and bombardment. Japanese A6M5 Zeros of
the 301 Kokutai intercept. Lost is F6F
43041 (MIA), F6F 41879 (MIA), Ens F. Hancock Jr. (MIA), Lt(jg) M.L. Loomis (MIA)
and Lt(jg) Wilson (rescued).
August 10, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s flying their first mission from Saipan pound Iwo Jima Island, beginning the AAF's neutralization campaign.
August 14, 1944
(7th AF) Saipan-based B-24s bomb
Iwo Jima.
August 17, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan Island bomb
Iwo Jima.
August 23, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan Island bomb
Iwo Jima.
August 25, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan hit the airfield on Iwo Jima.
August 26, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan hit the airfield on Iwo Jima.
August 27, 1944
(7th AF) A Saipan Island-based B-24 bombs Iwo Jima.
August 28, 1944
(7th AF) Saipan Island-based B-24s pound Iwo Jima by day and night.
August 29, 1944
(7th AF) Saipan Island-based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima.
September 3, 1944
(7th AF) Saipan based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima.
September 4, 1944
(7th AF) 5 B-24s, on armed reconnaissance, snooper mission,
and training flight, bomb Iwo Jima.
September 5, 1944
(7th AF) 20 Saipan based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima.
September 7, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s on snooper and armed reconnaissance missions hit Iwo Jima.
September 8, 1944
(7th AF) Saipan based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima.
September 9, 1944
(7th AF) A B-24 on a snooper mission from Saipan bombs
Iwo Jima during the night of 9/10.
September 10, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan hit Iwo Jima and strike
shipping near Iwo Jima.
September 13, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s on armed reconnaissance, snooper, and
training missions bomb Iwo Jima.
September 14, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima.
September 16, 1944
(7th AF) 17 Saipan based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima.
September 17, 1944
(7th AF) A B-24 on a snooper mission bombs Iwo Jima.
September 19, 1944
(7th AF) Three B-24s on snooper and armed reconnaissance missions bomb Iwo Jima.
September 22, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s on snooper and armed reconnaissance missions bomb Iwo Jima.
September 26, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 26/27 a B-24 snooper hits Iwo Jima.
September 29, 1944
(7th AF) 2 B-24s hit
Iwo Jima.
October 1, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan strike the airfield on Iwo Jima.
October 3, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s on special reconnaissance
missions bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima.
October 4, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan attack shipping west of Iwo Jima and targets on the island.
October 6, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan hit Iwo Jima in harassment attacks during the night of 6/7.
October 9, 1944
(7th AF) 18 B-24s from Saipan pound Iwo Jima.
October 10, 1944
(7th AF) 14 B-24s from Saipan bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima.
October 15, 1944
(7th AF) 27 B-24s from Saipan strike
fuel storage, AA positions, and installations at the airfield on Iwo Jima.
October 17, 1944
(7th AF) During
the night of 17/18 Oct, 1 B-24 bombs an airfield on Iwo Jima.
October 20, 1944
(7th AF) During the night
of 20/21 Oct a B-24 on a snooper mission bombs Iwo Jima.
October 21, 1944
(7th AF) 28 B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima.
October 23, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 23/24 Oct, 1 bombs Iwo Jima.
October 25, 1944
(7th AF) 29 Saipan based
B-24s bomb Iwo Jima during the morning.
October 27, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 27/28 Oct a B-24 on a snooper mission
hits Iwo Jima.
October 30, 1944
(7th AF) 1 B-24 snooper from Saipan, during
the night of 30/31 bombs Iwo Jima.
October 31, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 31 Oct/l Nov a B-24 on a
snooper mission from Saipan Island bombs Iwo Jima.
November 1, 1944
(7th AF) 8 B-24s from Guam attack
shipping NE of Iwo Jima Island. 12 B-24s escorting a US Navy
photo aircraft over Iwo Jima bomb targets. During the night of
1/2 Nov a B-24 on a snooper mission from Saipan Island bombs Iwo Jima.
November 3, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Saipan continue armed reconnaissance and snooper missions
over Iwo Jima.
November 4, 1944
(7th AF) 18 Saipan Island-based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima
airfields.
November 5, 1944
(20th AF) 24 Mariana Islands based B-29s bomb 2 Iwo Jima
Island airfields, starting tactical operations against the island in preparation
for the US invasion in Feb 1945.
November 6, 1944
(7th AF) During
the night of 6/7 Nov a snooper mission is flown over Iwo Jima airfields; the dispersal areas and runways are bombed.
November 7, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Guam strike Iwo Jima.
November 8, 1944
(7th AF) A single B-24 on a snooper mission bombs Iwo
Jima during the night of 8/9.
(20th AF) 17 B-29s are airborne against
the airfield on Iwo Jima; 6 manage to bomb through a hole in the cloud
cover; others fail to bomb the target; enemy aircraft drop phosphorus bombs on the formations, damaging 1 B-29; 1 B-29 ditches, the
first aircraft lost by the XXI Bomber Command on a combat mission.
November 9, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Guam strafe Iwo Jima. During the night of 9/10 Nov a lone B-24 from Guam Island, on a snooper mission,
bombs Iwo Jima.
November 10, 1944
(7th AF) 27 Saipan based B-24s pound Iwo Jima.
November 11, 1944
(7th AF) 29 Guam based B-24s pound Iwo Jima
airfields.
November 12, 1944
(7th AF) 29 Saipan based B-24s with P-38 escort bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima.
During the night a B-24 on a snooper mission bombs Iwo Jima.
November 13, 1944
(7th AF) B-24s from Guam escorting US Navy photo
aircraft over Iwo Jima.
1 B-24 from Saipan carrying out an unsuccessful
shipping search, bombs Iwo Jima.
November 15, 1944
(7th AF) 1 Saipan Island-based B-24, during the night of 15/16 Nov snooper mission,
bombs Iwo Jima after failing to find shipping targets in the Bonins.
November 18, 1944
(7th AF)P-38s and B-24s from Saipan escort photo planes over Iwo Jima.
November 19, 1944
(7th AF) 5 B-24s from Guam on armed reconnaissance over Iwo Jima and bomb airfields on Iwo Jima.
November 21, 1944
(7th AF) 5 B-24s from Guam on armed reconnaissance over Iwo Jima and bomb airfields on Iwo Jima.
November 26, 1944
(7th AF) During the night a B-24 on a snooper mission from Guam bombs Iwo Jima.
November 27, 1944
(7th AF) 24 B-24s from Saipan escorted by 12 P-38s,
hit Iwo Jima; 29 more B-24s, from Guam fly a second strike against
the island.
November 28, 1944
(7th AF) 21 Saipan based B-24s bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima. During the night of 28/29 Nov a B-24 on a snooper mission hits Iwo Jima.
November 29, 1944
(7th AF) 18 B-24s from Guam bomb Iwo Jima. During the night of 29/30 Nov, 2 B-24s from Guam and Saipan bomb the Iwo Jima airfield on snooper missions.
November 30, 1944
(7th AF) 23 B-24s from Saipan bomb the airfield on Iwo Jima.
December 1, 1944
(7th AF) 26 Guam based B-24s pound
the airfield on Iwo Jima. During the night of 1/2,
a B-24 bombs Iwo Jima during a snooper mission.
December 2, 1944
(7th AF) 23 B-24s from Guam hit Iwo Jima. During the night of 2/3 Dec 3 B-24s on snooper missions from Saipan and Guam bomb an airfield on Iwo Jima.
December 3, 1944
(7th AF)
17 Guam B-24s pound Iwo Jima; 7 others, escorting photo aircraft over the Bonin and Kazan Islands, bomb Haha Jima and Iwo Jima. B-24s on snooper missions from the Mariana during the night of 3/4, continue to bomb Iwo Jima.
December 8, 1944
(7th AF) 89 B-24s from Guam and Saipan join B-29s and naval vessels in bombarding Iwo Jima airfields; 28 P-38s escort the B-29s; the strikes are aimed at reducing the raids against US bases in the Marianas.
December 8, 1944
(20th AF) 82 B-29s from the Mariana join Seventh AF P-38s, B-24s and Navy cruisers in a strike against airfields on Iwo Jima from which Japanese strikes against US airfields in the Mariana Islands are being launched; 61 B-29s bomb the airfields and 4 bomb other targets without loss; [Japanese aircraft strike the Mariana airfields on 2, 7, and 27 Nov, 7 and 25 Dec (the largest attack 25 aircraft), and from 25 Dec 44 to 2 Jan 45 in very minor degrees; altogether about 80 Japanese aircraft attack, and nearly 40 are downed; 11 B-29s are destroyed and 43 damaged on the ground in these attacks].
December 9, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 9/10 Nov, 2 B-24s from Saipan fly harassment strikes against Iwo Jima.
December 10, 1944
(7th AF) 3 B-24s from Saipan and 1 from Guam fly harassment strikes against Iwo Jima during the night of 10/11 Dec.
December 11, 1944
(7th AF) On Iwo Jima, 28 B-24s from Guam pound the airfield and ammunition storage area; night harassment continues as individual B-24s from Guam and Saipan fly 3 snooper strikes against the island during the night of 11/12 Dec.
December 12, 1944
(7th AF) 24 Saipan based B-24s pound Iwo Jima. Individual B-24s from Saipan and Guam fly 5 snooper strikes against Iwo Jima during the night of 12/13 Dec.
December 13, 1944
(20th AF) 15 Guam based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima. During the night of 13/14 Dec, 6 B-24s make individual harassment raids against Iwo Jima from Saipan and Guam.
December 14, 1944
(7th AF) 24 Saipan based B-24s pound Iwo Jima.
During the night of 14/15 Dec, 6 B-24s from Guam and Saipan fly individual
snooper strikes against Iwo Jima.
December 15, 1944
(7th AF) 13 B-24s from Guam bomb Iwo Jima.
During the night of 15/16 Dec, a B-24 on a snooper raid from Guam hits Iwo
Jima.
December 16, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 16/17 Dec, 3 B-24s from Guam and Saipan fly individual snooper strikes against Iwo Jima.
December 17, 1944
(7th AF) 24 B-24s from Saipan and 26 from Guam pound Iwo Jima. During the night of 17/18 Dec, B-24s from Saipan and Guam fly 3 single-plane harassment strikes against Iwo Jima.
December 18, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 18/19 Dec, 4 B-24s from Guam and Saipan fly snooper strikes against Iwo Jima.
Decmeber 19, 1944
(7th AF) 27 B-24s from Saipan and 25 from Guam strike Iwo Jima. 4 B-25s from Guam and Saipan carry out 3 snooper strikes against Iwo Jima during the night of 19/20 Dec.
December 20, 1944
(7th AF) 23 B-24s, based on Saipan, pound Iwo Jima. During the night of 20/21 Dec, 6 B-24s from Guam and Saipan hit Iwo Jima with 5 snooper strikes.
December 21, 1944
(7th AF) 23 Guam based B-24s hit Iwo Jima.
During the night of 21/22 Dec, 4 B-24s from the Mariana fly 3 harassment
strikes against Iwo Jima.
December 22, 1944
(7th AF) During the night of 22/23 Dec, 2 Guam and Saipan based B-24s make harassing strikes on Iwo Jima.
December 23, 1944
12 B-24s from Saipan Island and 14 from Guam
hit Iwo Jima; During the night 2 B-24s from Guam and Saipan fly
harassing strikes against Iwo Jima.
December 24, 1944
(7th AF) 2 B-24s from Saipan and 38 from Guam strike Iwo Jima and 17 Saipan based P-38s make a low-level strafing attack on Iwo Jima. 2 B-24s on harassment strikes from the Marianas hit Iwo Jima during the night of 24/25.
(20th AF): Mission 15: 29 Mariana based B-29s are dispatched to attack 2 airfields on Iwo Jima; 23 hit the primary targets and 1 hits an alternate target without loss.
December 25, 1944
(7th AF) 12 B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima; B-24s from Guam and Saipan continue night strikes against Iwo Jima during the night of 25/26 Dec.
December 26, 1944
(7th AF) 13 Guam based B-24s hit Iwo Jima.
2 B-24s
from the Mariana Islands strike Iwo Jima during the night of 26/27 Dec.
December 27, 1944
(7th AF) 13 Saipan based B-24s hit Iwo Jima while 21 more bomb Chichi Jima; 35 B-24s from Guam also pound Iwo Jima while P-38s strafe the island on which 2 B-24s also make snooper strikes during the night of 27/28 Dec.
December 28, 1944
(7th AF) 13 B-24s, flying out of Saipan, bomb an airfield on Iwo Jima which is hit again during the night of 28/29 Dec when B-24s from Guam and Saipan fly 2 single-plane strikes.
December 29, 1944
(7th AF) 26 B-24s, based on Guam pound Iwo Jima
which is bombed again for a 6-hour period during the night of 29/30
Dec, by 9 B-24s, flying at varying intervals.
December 31, 1944
(7th AF) 19 B-24s hit Iwo Jima
airfields during the day; 10 more B-24s hit the island with individual harassment
raids over a 6-hour period during the night of 31 Dec/1 Jan.
January 1, 1945
(7th AF) 19 B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima; 9
more, during snooper missions on the night of 1/2 Jan, hit the at varying intervals.
January 2, 1945
(7th AF) 14 others pound Iwo Jima; during the night of 2/3 Jan, 10 B-24s, flying
snooper strikes out of Guam, hit Iwo Jima over a 7-hour period.
January 3, 1945
(7th AF) 22 B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima. 3 from Guam on armed reconnaissance, hit Marcus in the North Pacific. During a 6-hour period on the night of 3/4 Jan, 10 B-24s from Guam hit Iwo Jima.
January 4, 1945
(7th AF) 13 Guam based B-24s pound Iwo Jima. During the
night of 4/5 Jan, 10 more hit the with individual harassment strikes.
January 5, 1945
(7th AF) 22 B-24s from Saipan in morning and afternoon
raids, pound Iwo Jima ; 7 P-38s, with 3 B-24s as navigational escort, fly a
strafing mission against Iwo Jima.
January 6, 1945
(7th AF) 15 B-24s, based on Guam bomb Iwo Jima airfields.
During the night of 6/7 Jan, 9 B-24s on individual snooper strikes continue
to pound the airfields.
January 6, 1945
(7th AF) 15 B-24s, based on Guam bomb Iwo Jima airfields.
January 7, 1945
11 B-24s, flying out of Saipan bomb an airfield
on Iwo Jima. During the night of 7/8 Jan, 10 more B-24s again pound airfields, striking in single-bomber snooper missions over a 7-hour period.
January 8, 1945
26 Guam based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima, while, during the night of 8/9 Jan, 10 more B-24s subject the to individual
snooper strikes over a 6-hour period.
January 9, 1945
(7th AF) 24 B-24s, based on Saipan hit an airfield on Iwo Jima which is struck again by 8 B-24s on individual snooper missions during the night of 9/10 Jan.
January 10, 1945
(7th AF) 30 Guam based B-24s operating in 2 separate formations, bomb airfields on Iwo Jima; Iwo Jima airfields are hit again on the night of 10/11 Jan by B-24s flying snooper missions from Guam.
January 11, 1945
(7th AF) 23 B-24s from Saipan pound airfields on Iwo Jima; the bombing of Iwo Jima is continued during the night of 11/12 Jan, by 3
B-24s flying individual snooper strikes from the Mariana.
January 12, 1945
(7th AF) 28 Guam based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima; Iwo Jima is
hit by snooper strikes during the night of 12/13 Jan, by 4 B-24s from the
Marianas.
January 13, 1945
(7th AF) 14 Saipan based B-24s hit an airfield on Iwo Jima; 2 B-24s from Guam and Saipan again raid the airfields on the night of 13/14 Jan.
January 14, 1945
(7th AF) 12 B-24s from Guam pound
an airfield on Iwo Jima; 2 B-24s from the Mariana fly snooper strikes against
Iwo Jima airfields during the night of 14/15 Jan.
January 15, 1945
(7th AF) 12 B-24s from Saipan hit airfields on Iwo Jima ; 2 B-24s, operating singly from Guam and Saipan, strike Iwo Jima airfields during the night of 15/16 Jan.
January 16, 1945
(7th AF) 10 B-24s from Guam bomb an airfield on Iwo Jima ; 12 P-38s from Saipan assigned to high cover for the B-24 strike fail to make contact with the formation due to bad weather. 3 B-24s fly snooper strikes against
Iwo Jima airfields during the night of 16/17 Jan.
January 17, 1945
(7th AF) 14 B-24s from Saipan pound airfields on Iwo Jima; 3 from Guam on armed reconnaissance flight, bomb Marcus; 2 B-24s, from Guam and Saipan, fly individual harassment strikes against Iwo Jima during the night of 17/18 Jan.
January 18, 1945
(7th AF) 10 B-24s from Guam pound an airfield on Iwo Jima. During the night of 18/19 Jan, 3 B-24s continue snooper strikes against Iwo Jima airfields.
January 19, 1945
(7th AF) Nine B-24s from Guam hit airfields on Iwo Jima; Seven B-24s escort photo
planes over the Bonin and Kazan and one bombs Iwo Jima; during the night, 3 B-24s
on individual snooper strikes from the Marianas bomb Iwo Jima.
January 20, 1945
(7th AF) 12 Guam based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima; During the night of 20/21 Jan, 10 B-24s from Guam fly separate snooper strikes against Iwo Jima airfields.
January 21, 1945
(7th AF) 12 Guam based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima; during the night of 21/22 Jan, 8 more, flying separate snooper strikes from Saipan, pound the airfields.
January 22, 1945
(7th AF) 20 B-24s from Guam blast airfields on Iwo Jima, while 8 more B-24s flying individual strikes from Guam pound the airfields again during the night of 22/23 Jan.
January 23, 1945
(7th AF) 12 B-24s from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima airfields. During the night of 23/24 Jan, 10 B-24s from Saipan strike Iwo Jima singly at about 45-minute intervals.
January 24, 1945
(7th AF) 33 B-24s, from Guam and Saipan pound Iwo Jima during 4 raids; 6 others act as airborne spotters for a naval bombardment of Iwo; during 5 hours on the night of 24/25 Jan, 10 B-24s maintain harassment strikes against the island's airfields.
(20th AF) Mission 23: 20 of 28 B-29s dispatched hit 2
airfields on Iwo Jima without loss.
January 25, 1945
(7th AF) 14 Saipan based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima in the afternoon; during the night of 25/26 Jan, 10 more, flying individual harassment strikes at intervals.
January 26, 1945
(7th AF) 17 Guam based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima airfields; during
then night of 26/27 Jan, the airfields are hit by 9 B-24s on individual harassment
missions.
January 27, 1945
(7th AF) 19 B-24s, based on Saipan bomb Iwo Jima; 10 B-24s
from Saipan and Guam follow up with individual harassment raids against the during
the night of 27/28 Jan.
January 28, 1945
(7th AF) 10 B-24s from Guam and 10 from Saipan bomb airfields
on Iwo Jima; 10 more follow during the night of 28/29 Jan with single-bomber
harassment raids on the airfields.
January 29, 1945
(7th AF) 19 Guam based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima airfields. During the night of 29/30
Jan, 5 B-24s from Saipan continue harassment raids on Iwo Jima airfields.
January 30, 1945
(7th AF) 17 B-24s from Saipan bomb an Iwo Jima airfield.
During the night of 30/31 Jan, 10
B-24s from Saipan fly single-bomber snooper raids against Iwo Jima airfields.
January 31, 1945
(7th AF) 20 B-24s from Guam bomb airfields and AA defenses
on Iwo Jima; during the night of 31 Jan/1 Feb, 9 more B-24s, flying single-bomber
harassment strikes, hit the island.
February 2, 1945
(7th AF) 20 Guam based B-24s pound a storage area on Iwo Jima.
During the night of 2/3 Feb, 10 B-24s, flying individual harassment raids, bomb the island's airfields.
February 8, 1945
(7th AF) 20 B-24s from Guam bomb
radar and radio installations and AA defenses on Iwo
Jima in the afternoon; during the night of 8/9 Feb, 10 B-24s fly single-plane
snooper strikes against Iwo Jima's airfields.
February 9, 1945
(7th AF) 22 B-24s from Guam and Saipan bomb
airfields, defense and radar-radio installations and AA positions on Iwo
Jima; during the night of 9/10 Feb, 11 more B-24s from Saipan make
separate strikes against airfields and AA defenses.
February 10, 1945
(7th AF) 6 P-38s escort a photo mission and fly fighter a sweep over Iwo Jima. 17 B-24s from Guam,
with P-38 escort, pound Iwo Jima in
the late afternoon, and 9 more make single bomber harassment strikes on the during the night of 10/11 Feb.
February 11, 1945
(7th AF) 21 B-24s from Saipan operating in 2 separate forces, bomb airfields and defenses on Iwo
Jima. During the night of 11/12 Feb, 10 B-24s from Saipan fly
individual harassment strikes against Iwo Jima.
February 12, 1945
(7th AF) 19 bomb airfields and defenses
on Iwo
Jima.
(20th AF) Mission 31: 21 B-29s
from the Mariana bomb heavy AA sites on Iwo Jima in preparation for the amphibious
invasion of the on 19 Feb; no losses.
February 13, 1945
(7th AF) 25 B-24s from Saipan fly
two strikes against Iwo Jima; during the night of 13/14 Feb, 5 B-24s, flying individual harassment strikes, bomb Iwo Jima at intervals over an 8-hour period.
February 15, 1945
24 B-24s from Saipan in two separate strikes, bomb Iwo Jima airfields
and AA defenses. 5 B-24s fly night harassment raids against Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima.
February 17, 1945
(7th AF) 42 B-24s from Saipan blast
defense installations and a bivouac area on Iwo
Jima.
February 18, 1945
(7th AF) 36 Guam based B-24s dispatched against Iwo Jima are recalled because
of complete cloud cover over the target.
February 19, 1945
(7th AF) 44 B-24s from Saipan are sent against Iwo Jima; 14 pound defense
positions and bivouac and storage areas little more than an hour before elements of the American landings.
(USMC) At 9:00am the 4th Marine Divisions and 5th Marine Division make an amphibious landing on the black sand beach of Iwo Jima.
February 26, 1945
(7th AF) 9 B-24s sent from Guam against
positions on Iwo Jima are
recalled due to cloud cover.
February 27. 1945
(7th AF)
B-24s from Guam blast pillboxes, artillery emplacements, blockhouse, and mortar positions
on the northern part of Iwo Jima.
