Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa
Allied forces engaged in two other significant battles before the conclusion of the war. The battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were two of the bloodiest battles fought during the war. Iwo Jima consisted of a small, volcanic island less than 700 miles from Japan.
Map and locations of Okinawa and Iwo-Jima, Japan.
The natural terrain of the island provided Japanese soldiers with numerous camouflaged positions from which to defend to the death. The battle was led by marines who fiercely fought Japanese resistance for nearly a month before seizing control of the island.
Soldiers storming the beaches of Iwo-Jima
U.S.S. New York during battle against Japan.
Between April and June of 1945, Allied forces were engaged in the Battle of Okinawa. Although the island was small in size, more warships and troops were deployed than had been utilized during the Battle of Normandy. Allied forces relied on over 1,000 naval vessels and almost 200,000 troops in order to secure a victory on the island. The stage was now set to invade Japan.