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empire. It was seen in the sentence ‘we earnestly hope you fill fight honorably and die for your country’.
4.1.2 The Letters that Reveal the Condition in which Japanese Army was
lacking of Military Facilities
Sometimes in war situation, a battle could fail by the shortages of facilities which support it. The letters also showed the condition in which the Japanese army in
Iwo Jima was lacking of military facilities. The Combined Fleet in Mariana was destroyed by America so Japanese Army was defeated. It was supported by the
conversation between Kuribayashi and Baron Nishi as stated below:
Baron Nishi : When you think about, it is regrettable that most of the Combined Fleet was destroyed. We still have some
battleships left, but we have very little striking power from the air or sea.
Kuribayashi : Nishi, what do you mean? Baron Nishi : So you not heard about the Mariana battle? Admiral
Ozawa’s carrier and boat planes were destroyed. 00.21.08 – 00.21.40
The conversation above showed the lacking of Japanese military. In the sentence ‘it is regrettable that most of the Combined Fleet was destroyed’,
showed that the Combined Fleet which supported the Japanese army in Iwo Jima was destroyed by America in Mariana. So, the Japan military force in Iwo Jima
was decreased and they did not have the ammunition supplies as seen in the sentence ‘Admiral Ozawa’s carrier and boat planes were destroyed’.
Datum number 9 and 13 below were the letters that showed the lacking condition of Japanese military facilities.
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Japanese high military officer : We regret that we are unable to send reinforcements to Iwo at this time. We
earnestly hope you fill fight honorably and die for your country.
Datum no. 9 Datum number 9 was the letter that was written by the Japanese high
military officer. The Japanese high military could not help the army in Iwo Jima because America destroyed the bases of the Japanese military in Saipan and
Mariana, so that they could not send reinforcement to support the Japanese army in Iwo Jima as seen in the sentence ‘we regret that we are unable to send
reinforcements to Iwo at this time’.
Kuribayashi : The battle is approaching its end. And there is no more ammunition, no more water. All the survivors will engage in a
general attack…….. Datum no. 13
The second data or datum number 13 was the letter that was written by Kuribayashi. The letter showed the bad condition of Japanese army in Iwo; they
fought without ammunition and water as seen in the sentence ‘the battle is approaching its end. And there is no more ammunition, no more water’. This
letter also showed the condition which the Japanese was close to destruction.
4.1.3 The Letters that Reveal the Emotional States of Soldiers toward the War
