Original Items: One-of-a-kind. This is an incredibly rare pair of TOP SECRET Beach Reconnaissance maps that were created in preparation for the invasion of Iwo Jima. One map is marked for the Southwestern coast of the island and the other map for the Southeastern beaches of Iwo Jima. Both were vital beachheads for the invasion. Both maps are in wonderful condition and give details of known enemy locations, entrenchments, fixed artillery positions, possible underground locations and defenses. These maps would were a vital tool needed by the landing craft operators charged with taking the waves of Marines to the fight. The maps also describe in detail known dangers of the water such as underwater terrain and rock formations to avoid.

Maps are marked:

TOP SECRET
COMUDT NO II-A
BEACH RECONNAISSANCE MAP
SOUTHWESTERN BEACHES IWO JIMA

TOP SECRET
COMUDT NO II-A
BEACH RECONNAISSANCE MAP
SOUTHEASTERN BEACHES IWO JIMA

Accompanying the maps is a July 1, 1944 Third Edition of “The Answer Book” which is a Navigational Workbook prepared and published by the US Naval Training Center. This book would be considered the “bible” of Naval navigation and navigation methods such as celestial navigation for means of travel by stars and under darken ship operations.

A wonderful grouping of items that come more than ready for further research and display.

Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the purpose of capturing the island with its two airfields: South Field and Central Field.

The Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified, with a dense network of bunkers, hidden artillery positions, and 18 km (11 mi) of tunnels.[e] The American ground forces were supported by extensive naval artillery and had complete air supremacy provided by U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators throughout the battle. The five-week battle saw some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the Pacific War.

The Japanese combat deaths numbered three times the number of American deaths, but uniquely among Pacific War Marine battles, the American total casualties (dead and wounded) exceeded those of the Japanese. Of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima at the beginning of the battle, only 216 were taken prisoner, some of whom were captured only because they had been knocked unconscious or otherwise disabled.[f] Most of the remainder were killed in action, but it has been estimated that as many as 3,000 continued to resist within the various cave systems for many days afterwards until they eventually succumbed to their injuries or surrendered weeks later. Despite the fighting and severe casualties on both sides, the American victory was assured from the start. Overwhelming American superiority in numbers and arms as well as air supremacy, coupled with the impossibility of Japanese retreat or reinforcement, sparse food and supplies, permitted no plausible circumstance in which the Japanese could have won the battle.

The action was controversial, with retired Chief of Naval Operations William V. Pratt stating that the island was useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base.[14] The Japanese continued to have early-warning radar from Rota island, which was never invaded and the captured air field was barely used. Experiences with previous Pacific island battles suggested that the island would be well defended and thus casualties would be significant. Joe Rosenthal's Associated Press photograph of the raising of the U.S. flag at the top of the 169 m (554 ft) Mount Suribachi by six U.S. Marines became a famous image of the battle and the American war effort in the Pacific.

History of Reconnaissance Maps:
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.

Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmishers, long-range reconnaissance patrol, U.S. Army Rangers, cavalry scouts, or military intelligence specialists), ships or submarines, crewed or uncrewed reconnaissance aircraft, satellites, or by setting up observation posts. Espionage is usually considered to be different from reconnaissance, as it is performed by non-uniformed personnel operating behind enemy lines.

Often called recce (British, Canadian and Australian English) or recon (American English), the word for this activity has at its root the associated verb reconnoiter or reconnoiter.

Before major military operations recon is a must and the maps created from these missions could mean life or death for the ground troops. Area reconnaissance refers to the observation, and information obtained, about a specified location and the area around it; it may be terrain-oriented and/or force-oriented. Ideally, a reconnaissance platoon, or team, would use surveillance or vantage (static) points around the objective to observe, and the surrounding area. This methodology focuses mainly prior to moving forces into or near a specified area; the military commander may utilize his reconnaissance assets to conduct an area reconnaissance to avoid being surprised by unsuitable terrain conditions, or most importantly, unexpected enemy forces. The area could be a town, ridge-line, woods, or another feature that friendly forces intend to occupy, pass through, or avoid.