Volcano Islands Volcano Islands The or are a group of three Japanese islands south of the Bonin Islands that belong to the municipality of Ogasawara, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The islands are all active volcanoes lying atop an island arc that stretches south to the Marianas. They have an area of , and a population of 380. The Volcano Islands are: Farther north but in the same volcanic arc is: There is a Japan Self-Defense Forces air base on Iwo Jima with a staff of 380. It is located in the village of Minami (Iwo Jima village). Other than that, the islands are
Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands objective on the islands was the city of Port Blair. The garrison consisted of a 300-man Sikh militia with 23 British officers, augmented in January 1942 by a Gurkha detachment of 4/12th Frontier Force Regiment of the 16th Indian Infantry Brigade. Following the fall of Rangoon on March 8, however, the British recognized that Port Blair had become impossible to defend, and on March 10 the Gurkhas were withdrawn to the Arakan peninsula. The Japanese, seeking to secure their seaward flank, dispatched a force to seize the islands. The force was composed of the following units and ships: Distant Cover<br>