1945 major battle in which US Forces captured the island of Iwo Jima from Japan during World War II
One of the bloodiest Pacific War battles, it informed US tactics for the planned invasion of Japan and produced an iconic flag-raising photograph.
Key Facts
- Battle Duration
- 19 February – 26 March 1945 (five weeks)
- Japanese Garrison
- 21,000 soldiers
- Japanese Prisoners Taken
- 216
- Tunnel Network Length
- 18 km
- Casualty Ratio
- 3 American casualties per 2 Japanese
- Mount Suribachi Height
- 169 m
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
American planners sought to capture Iwo Jima and its two airfields to provide a staging base for P-51 Mustang escort fighters protecting B-29 Superfortress bombers over Japan and to offer emergency landing facilities. The island's heavily fortified Japanese defenses, including 18 km of tunnels, bunkers, and hidden artillery, made assault costly but strategically necessary in the Pacific campaign.
Operation Detachment commenced on 19 February 1945, as United States Marine Corps and Navy forces landed on Iwo Jima against fierce Imperial Japanese Army resistance. Fighting over five weeks was among the most intense of the Pacific War. Of approximately 21,000 Japanese defenders, only 216 were taken prisoner. American casualties exceeded Japanese casualties in total, an outcome unique among Pacific amphibious assaults.
American forces secured the island by 26 March 1945, gaining its airfields for bomber support operations. Lessons drawn from the battle directly shaped tactics used at Okinawa two months later and plans for an invasion of the Japanese homeland. Joe Rosenthal's photograph of six Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi became one of the most recognized images of World War II.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent