IWO JIMA, JAPAN, 1945 Photos show Japanese soldiers who were killed during the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War. The fighting began on February 19, 1945, when US Marines landed on the small volcanic island, which was heavily fortified by Japanese forces.
Iwo Jima was strategically important to the United States because its airfields could support American bombers operating against Japan. Japanese troops defended the island from an extensive network of bunkers, tunnels and fortified positions, often fighting from underground.
After more than a month of intense combat, US forces captured the island on March 26, 1945. Around 21,000 Japanese soldiers were killed, with only a small number taken prisoner. The photographs show some of the dead Japanese defenders left behind after the fighting.
