During the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific War, on 26 February 1945, an American soldier looks down on the scattered bodies of dead Japanese soldiers folded around a blasted gun emplacement in the vicinity of Motoyama Airfield.

　Two American soldiers looked down on dead Japanese soldiers folded around a blasted gun emplacement around Motoyama Airfield during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Pacific War on February 26, 1945.Starting on February 24, fierce fighting over Motoyama Airfield took place between American and Japanese forces in the western and southern areas throughout the day. After 9:00 a.m. on February 25, the U.S. forces, which had just landed on February 24, launched an attack to take complete control of Wonsan Airfield.

　By February 25, the U.S. forces reached the Motoyama Airfield runway, and the M4 Sherman medium tanks attacking the airfield perimeter at once, the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Japanese Army concentrated all its fire without the support of the Marines. The tanks were subjected to concentrated fire from the Army's field artillery and rapid-fire artillery, and three tanks were quickly destroyed and set ablaze. Against the invading M4 Sherman medium tanks, the 3rd Battalion of Japanese soldiers made a thinly veiled attack on the tanks with explosive mines. The Japanese soldiers' thinly-veiled attack on the tank caused the M4 Sherman tank to falter. Other U.S. tanks opened fire on the Japanese soldiers who were attacking the tanks. Japanese soldiers also launched a thinly veiled attack on other tanks, and on February 25 alone, nine M4 Sherman medium tanks were destroyed.

　However, the Japanese 3rd Battalion was also severely depleted, and on February 26, the Americans invaded Wonsan Airfield and the surrounding area with about one battalion of marines accompanied by tanks. The Japanese Army's mixed Army-Navy units destroyed three more M4 Sherman medium tanks. Despite the Japanese Army's valiant efforts, by the evening of February 26, most of Wonsan Airfield had been taken over by American forces. On February 27, the 3rd Battalion, 145th Infantry Regiment was ordered to withdraw. The battalion was awarded a letter of commendation for its outstanding achievements, and its successes reached the Emperor Showa's superior courtesy. The U.S. forces lost 33 M4 Sherman medium tanks in the fighting around Wonsan.