South Field (Iwo Jima)

South Field was a World War II airfield on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, located in the Central Pacific.

Commander of the island, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi diverted more than 600 men, 11 trucks, and 2 bulldozers for immediate repairs.

It was during the fight to secure this airfield that Medal of Honor recipient Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was killed by a Japanese mortar shell.

Named South Field, the east-northeast to west-southwest runway was being used by observation planes as early as 26 February (D plus 7) when the first American aircraft landed on the strip, an OY-1 Sentinel piloted by Lt. Harvey Olson of VMO-4.

On 7 April 1945, P-51s took off from South Field to form the first land-based fighter escort for B-29s on a strike against the Japanese homeland.

It hosted various communications, weather as well as Far East Materiel Command units for supply and maintenance activities.

[7] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

4 March 1945: Dinah Might was the first B-29 to make an emergency landing on Iwo Jima. Greeted by a thousand Marines and Seebees, she was repaired, refueled and flown out of South Field while the fighting was still going on.
Marine at a Japanese antiaircraft gun overlooking Motoyama No 1 airfield
South and Central Fields Iwo Jima 1945