OTD

February 19, 1945: US Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima, starting one of WWII's fiercest battles. The island was identified as an ideal base for air raids on Japan, but it was fortified by 21,000 Japanese troops.

The battle lasted five weeks, with the US facing strong resistance. Nearly 7,000 US soldiers were killed, and over 19,000 wounded, while Japanese forces suffered heavy losses, with only about 1,000 of the initial 21,000 defenders surviving.

The battle also produced one of the most famous photos of the war, “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal.