William H. P. Blandy

Admiral Nimitz assigned this mission to the same team which had prevailed so effectively in the earlier amphibious assaults in the Gilberts, Marshalls, and Marianas, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance commanding the 5th Fleet, Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner commanding the Expeditionary Forces, and Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill commanding the Attack Force.

Spruance added the highly regarded Rear Admiral William H. P. Blandy, a veteran of the Peleliu-Angour landings, to command the amphibious support forces responsible for minesweeping, underwater demolition team operations, and preliminary naval air and gun bombardment.

As usual, maintaining unremitting military pressure on the enemy meant an accelerated planning schedule and an overriding emphasis on speed of execution.

The amphibious task force preparing to assault Iwo Jima soon found itself squeezed on both ends.

Hill and Blandy had a critical need for the amphibious ships, landing craft, and shore bombardment vessels currently being used by General Douglas MacArthur in his reconquest of Luzon in the Philippines.

But bad weather and stiff enemy resistance combined to delay completion of that operation.

The Joint Chiefs reluctantly postponed D-Day for Iwo Jima from 20 January 1945 until 19 February.

He deployed one infantry battalion in the vicinity of the beaches and lower airfield, ordered the bulk of his garrison into its assigned fighting holes, and settled down to await the inevitable storm.

The amphibious task force preparing to assault Iwo Jima soon found itself squeezed on both ends.

Hill and Blandy had a critical need for the amphibious ships, landing craft, and shore bombardment vessels currently being used by General Douglas MacArthur in his reconquest of Luzon in the Philippines.

But bad weather and stiff enemy resistance combined to delay completion of that operation.

The Joint Chiefs reluctantly postponed D-Day for Iwo Jima from 20 January 1945 until 19 February.

He deployed one infantry battalion in the vicinity of the beaches and lower airfield, ordered the bulk of his garrison into its assigned fighting holes, and settled down to await the inevitable storm.

Two contentious issues divided the Navy Marine Team as D-Day at Iwo Jima loomed closer.

The first involved Admiral Spruance's decision to detach Task Force 58, the fast carriers under Admiral Mark Mitcher, to attack strategic targets on Honshu simultaneously with the onset of Admiral Blandy's preliminary bombardment of Iwo.

The Marines suspected Navy-Air Force rivalry at work here.