On 19 February 1945 the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions landed on Iwo Jima, a small volcanic island between the American bomber bases in the Marianas and Japan. Soft ash and hidden Japanese guns turned the beaches into a killing ground, but about 30,000 Marines were ashore by nightfall. The battle lasted until 26 March.
Battle of Iwo Jima, 1945: the flag on Mount Suribachi
19 February to 26 March 1945 · 81 years ago
The US won Iwo Jima in 1945 after 36 days: nearly 7,000 Americans died and only 216 of 21,000 Japanese were captured. The flag, the map, was it worth it?
Read the full story of Battle of Iwo Jima, 1945: the flag on Mount Suribachi ›Battle of Mukden, 1905: the largest land battle of its age
19 February 1905 · 121 years ago
Russian and Japanese armies clashed around Mukden, now Shenyang in China, in the last major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War. It was the war's largest and most decisive battle, and the Japanese victory, with Tsushima at sea, settled the war in Japan's favor.
Read the full story of Battle of Mukden, 1905: the largest land battle of its age ›
