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.
30th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) retreat to the Waloe (in now Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary), but US troops have reached Waloe first, resulting in Japanese retreating to the west after a skirmish 27 June 1945. The scattered Japanese forces have largely survived in the mountains of the Central Mindanao until surrender of Japan 15 August 1945. Some detachments (approximately battalion-sized) of the "30th division" guarding airfields of Sarangani Bay on the far south of the island were eliminated in July 1945. Allentown, PA: 1981 30th Division (Imperial Japanese Army) The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .