Io Jima 1945 [Paperback]

One of the bloodiest battles of the war in the Pacific.

Operation Detachment, the invasion of Iwo Jima, on February 19, 1945, was the first campaign on Japanese soil, and it resulted in some of the fiercest fighting of the Pacific campaign. United States Marines supported by the U.S. Navy and Air Force fought the Japanese both over and underground on the island of volcanic ash, in a battle which was immortalized by the raising of the Stars and Stripes above Mount Suribachi. It was a battle that the Japanese could not win, but they were determined to die trying; of the 18,000-strong garrison, only 200 were taken prisoner. The Americans lost more in the 35-day battle, but at the end they had possession of three airfields in range of the Japanese mainland.

This book gives a clear, concise account of those dramatic days in 1945, supported by a timeline of events and orders of battle. Over fifty photographs illustrate the events during this momentous battle.

• A best-selling series in the U.K., Battle Stories presents detailed profiles of the great battles that shaped modern history
• Dramatic illustrations, maps, and profiles of the battle's key figures
• Packed with fact boxes, this short introduction is the perfect was to explore these major battles
• Written by leading experts in world military history

The story of one of the most dramatic and important battles in the Second World Wars Pacific theatre is expertly related and explained by a leading historian, with detailed illustrations and supplementary facts.Andrew Rawson is a freelance writer who has written eight books for Pen and Swords Battleground Europe series and another three for its Images of War series, covering campaigns from the Napoleonic Wars, World War I, and World War II. He has also written three books for the History Press Handbook series,the British Army Handbook, 19141918, the Vietnam War Handbook & the Third Reich Handbook.