During the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific War, the bodies of many slain Japanese soldiers lay in trenches on a volcanic ash beach on March 1, 1945. Wrecked equipment was scattered around the Japanese soldiers on the beach and in the sea.

　　During the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific War, the bodies of many slain Japanese soldiers lay in trenches on a volcanic ash beach on March 1, 1945. Wrecked equipment was scattered around the Japanese soldiers on the beach and in the sea. American forces landed on Iwo Jima and, from the bridgehead, assaulted and swept through the Japanese garrison. The Americans deployed armored bulldozers to clear passages for tanks, and also deployed flame-throwing Zippo tanks to break up the Japanese positions.

　The American forces, unable to receive tank support due to the complicated terrain, attacked the Japanese positions one by one with flamethrowers, explosives, and bazookas. The Japanese forces opened fire from hidden tochkas and underground positions. The Americans suffered 512 casualties on February 26 and 792 on February 27, the worst casualties since the Iwo Jima landings, but could do little. 382 Highland, one of the main positions, was captured on March 2 with heavy casualties of about 610. The battlefield around the 382nd Highland was called the Meat Grinder.

　The most formidable Japanese defenses on Iwo Jima were not on the beaches, the summit of Mount Suribachi, or the plains leading to the airfield. It was in the foothills and knolls, in the crevices and caves, in the shrubby forests and rocky cliffs, in the humble climate that formed the backbone of the Japanese garrison's defensive line. The Japanese built a maze of disguised, heavily reinforced positions in the hills and valleys around the southern part of Iwo Jima. They ranged from shooting depressions and sandbag-laden caves to massive positions with reinforced concrete walls about 1.2 meters thick. It was very tough to strategically invade and get through.

　Shattered tree stumps, sharp rocks, outcroppings, canyons, and other crater-like black ash beaches shared the horror, confusion, and terror, both physical and emotional. Thousands of soldiers from both sides lost their lives in this chaotic and indescribable battlefield hell of Iwo Jima. American forces finally declared Iwo Jima safe on March 26 after the final Japanese banzai attack on troops and airmen near the beach. American forces took control of the ground on Iwo Jima on April 4. During the four weeks of fighting over tiny Iwo Jima (February 19 to March 26), American soldiers suffered approximately 25,851 casualties, of which 5,931 died. About 17,845 Japanese soldiers were killed in action, and about 1,033 were taken prisoner of war.