Importance: In this battle the U.S gained a foothold to bomb the mainland Japan
The goal of the United States was to capture the entire
island including its three airfields to provide a staging area for attacks on
the Japanese main island, the U.S was successful in that goal but at a heavy
cost because Iwo Jima was also the only battle by the U.S where the U.S
marine corps in which the overall American casualties exceeded those of the
Japanese. The battle of Iwo Jima was the location of the famous photo of the
raising of the flags on top of Mount Suribachi by U.S Marines.
Casualties:
22,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima at the beginning of the
battle, only 216 were taken prisoner
7,000 U.S. Marines were killed. Another 20,000 were wounded