Subsequent combat thumb|U.S. Army Soldiers engaging heavily fortified Japanese positions In the days after the landings, the Marines expected the usual Japanese banzai charge during the night. This had been the standard Japanese defense strategy in previous island battles against enemy ground forces in the Pacific, such as during the Battle of Saipan in June 1944. In those attacks, for which the Marines had usually been at least somewhat prepared, the majority of Japanese attackers had been killed and the overall Japanese fighting strength significantly degraded. However, General Kuribayashi had strictly forbidden these "human wave" attacks by the Japanese infantrymen, considering them a futile waste of resources.
SubseqUenT cOmbaT THUMb|u.S. aRmy soldiErs ENGaging hEavIly foRTIfiEd JapanEse poSITiOnS IN THe Days afteR THe lAndiNgS, the maRines eXPeCtED The Usual Japanese BaNzaI ChaRge durIng THE niGht. thiS haD bEeN tHe staNDarD Japanese DeFense stRaTegy In PreViOus isLaNd Battles agaINSt enEmy gRound forCES in the pAcific, such As duRing tHe BattlE of saIpAn in june 1944. in those atTacks, foR wHicH tHE marInEs had uSUaLly Been aT Least sOmeWhat prePArEd, thE mAJority of JapANeSe aTtACKeRs hAD BeeN KilLeD aNd thE ovERAlL japaNese FighTINg sTREnGtH SiGniFicANtlY DEGradEd. howEver, gEnerAl kuriBAyashi hAD sTRiCtLy ForBiddEn These "HUmAn Wave" AtTaCks bY The Japanese infantrYMen, cOnsiDeriNG thEM a FUTiLE waste Of reSOurceS.