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 USN 1945  U.S. Army July 2, 1945  Unknown 1974 |
Location Lat 26° 42' 35N Long 127° 48' 33E Ie is located at an elevation of 3' above sea level near the southern coast of Ie Shima in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Also known as Ie Town. Wartime History During World War II, Ie Town consisted of roughly 300 houses with roads leading inland. By November 1944, the only Japanese military unit stationed on Ie Shima was the 50th Airfield Battalion. By the end of the year, they were reinforced by the Japanese Army 44th Independent Mixed Brigade, 2nd Infantry Unit, 1st Battalion "Igawa Unit" under the command of Major Igawa. The airfield personnel were designated as infantry and redesignated as the 50th Specially Established Infantry Battalion to augment the defense. Starting in early October 1944, attacked by U.S. Navy (USN) carrier aircraf that targeted American aircraft targeted Ie Shima Airfield and shipping in the area to isolated the island. American missions against Ie Shima 1944–1945 During February 1945, a labor unit of 580 Okinawan men arrived and with the help of roughly 2,000 civilians still on the island built defenses, pillboxes, trenches, tunnels and emplacements and Ie Town was fortified. The Japanese began evacuating the civilian population to Okinawa but less than half were removed before the U.S. landing. On April 18, 1945 a jeep with Lt. Col. Joseph B. Coolidge (C. O. 305th Infantry Regiment) plus three other officers and correspondent Ernie Pyle were driving to their new command post. On the outskirts of Ie, a Japanese machine gunner in a coral slope along side the road opened fire and the men in the jeep ran into a nearby ditch seeking cover. When Pyle raised his head above the ditch he was hit in the head below the rim of his helmet, killing him instantly. After three hours of patrolling, the machine gun position that opened fire was eliminated. Ernie Pyle Monument Located to the south of the main pier at Ie Shima. This monument was dedicated to U.S. Correspondent Ernie Pyle who was killed on April 18, 1945 by machine gun fire on Ie Shima. The memorial remains today. References U.S. In World War II - Okinawa: The Last Battle Chapter VII The Capture of Ie Shima pages 149-183 Contribute
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 Map April 16, 1945 Map Fallingrain |
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