The Battle for Iwo Jima The battle for control of the island of Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest battles in both Marine and American history, began February 19th, 1945 as part of the island-hopping campaign of the Pacific theater. Ultimately, 26,000 Marines would be wounded or slain - exceeding Union losses at the battle of Gettysburg. Beginning in the summer of 1944, long range American B-29's had been pounding the Japanese islands. However, because of the …showed first 75 words of 690 total…

…showed last 75 words of 690 total…place weeks before the battle ended on March 25th. In 36 days of combat, American forces sustained over 6,000 killed in action, and almost 20,000 presumed dead, wounded or missing. The Japanese suffered over 20,000 dead, with only 1,000 being taken prisoner. Iwo Jima proved itself an indispensable asset to the Pacific command. Before the end of the war, thousands of fighters took off from its runways, and this 'stepping stone' served as a staging ground for countless Allied advances.