Radio Tokyo Reports on Iwo, as quoted in a U.S. Army intelligence bulletin

A boxed 'Brief' in a U.S. Army intelligence bulletin quotes a Radio Tokyo broadcast giving 32,900 Allied casualties on Iwo Jima up to 13 March 1945, a total said to include Chinese, Negro and Australian casualties. The quoted text gives one side's figure with no source, no basis for the count and no figure for Japanese losses, the missing-denominator tell of card stacking.

Date

April 6, 1945

Period

Second World War

Made by

Radio Tokyo (Japanese state broadcasting), as intercepted and quoted by Headquarters, United States Army Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas (Intelligence Bulletin No. 13)

Region

East Asia

Country

Empire of Japan

Medium

Document

Issuer type

State

Regime

Showa Japan

Leader

Hideki Tojo

Audience

Mixed

Purpose

Persuade or win support

Themes

War and the military, Media and information

Event

World War II

Techniques

Card stacking

Regime

Empire of Japan, 1937 to 1945

Leader

Hideki Tōjō

Source

Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are

Source

Internet Archive (US Army Combined Arms Research Library digitisation of USAFPOA Intelligence Bulletin No. 13, 6 April 1945), retrieved October 2, 2026

Rights

Public domain (U.S. Army work, declassified; Internet Archive PD Mark 1.0); quoted Radio Tokyo text
Headquarters, United States Army Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas, Intelligence Bulletin No. 13, 6 April 1945; digitised by the Combined Arms Research Library, Fort Leavenworth, via the Internet Archive

[page header] AMERICAN ESCAPE (CONT)

[box, BRIEF] RADIO TOKYO REPORTS ON IWO

Radio TOKYO reported that, "Since the enemy started landing on IWO JIMA, the Japanese forces have rendered him tremendous manpower losses. Enemy casualties up to 13 March are listed as 32,900, which also includes Chinese, Negroes and Australian casualties". (AAF/POA Intelligence Summary No. 185) (SECRET)

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