Japanese air attacks on the Mariana Islands and anti-aircraft guns shot down about 37 Japanese aircraft during these raids. After the Marianas began to come under attack, the United States military stepped up its raids on the Japanese-held islands which could be used to launch raids on the B-29 bases. Particular attention was given to Iwo Jima, as it was correctly assumed that the Japanese aircraft which attacked the Marianas were flying from Japan and staging through the island en route to their targets. Following the first raid against Saipan in November, XXI Bomber Command B-29s were dispatched against Iwo Jima's airfields on November 5 and 8.
McDonald Islands (volcano) of satellite imagery noted that an eruption took place on 12 July 2005 on the northwest shore of the island. The eruption may have added a small portion to the area of the island. In 2002 the Heard Island and McDonald Islands were declared a marine reserve; this was expanded in 2014. The islands are also recognised as a World Heritage Site. McDonald Islands (volcano) The McDonald Islands () are the peaks of a volcano in the southern Indian Ocean in the vicinity of Heard Island (). The islands are Australian external territory. Prior to 1992, the volcano had not