After Action Report

[Jim Tarleton]

In a recent post, there was an assertion that snipers were seldom used in the WW2 Pacific theater, with the information originating from a Division Diary (????) concerning Iwo Jima. I decided to see if I could locate an Iwo Jima "After Action Report" (AAR) to clarify matters in my own mind.

For those unfamiliar with exactly what an AAR is, military units that engage in combat file an AAR detailing exactly what happened and who was involved. Many military honors originate from AAR's. You have squad AAR's, platoon AAR's, etc., depending on the size of the unit involved in the action. I decided to try to locate a regimental AAR for Iwo Jima because it would include Battalion Intelligence information. I finally located an Iwo Jima AAR for the 4th Marines. At this level and above, personal references don't exist. I offer it for your reading pleasure, and it is darned interesting reading.

Note that over half the regiment's sniper rifles (1903's with scopes) were lost in combat, and the number of snipers on Iwo Jima adhered to the T/O (there was no reduction in number of snipers).

Enjoy.

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