<Ul> <Li> Kantokuen </Li> <Li> Manchuria (1945) </Li> <Li> Mutanchiang </Li> <Li> Sakhalin Island </Li> <Li> Kuril Islands </Li> <Li> Shumshu </Li> </Ul> <Li> Manchuria (1945) </Li> <P> The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February--26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II . The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the goal of capturing the entire island, including the three Japanese - controlled airfields (including the South Field and the Central Field), to provide a staging area for attacks on the Japanese main islands . This five - week battle comprised some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the Pacific War of World War II . </P> <P> After the heavy losses incurred in the battle, the strategic value of the island became controversial . It was useless to the U.S. Army as a staging base and useless to the U.S. Navy as a fleet base . However, Navy Seabees rebuilt the landing strips, which were used as emergency landing strips for USAAF B - 29s . </P>

What was the importance of iwo jima to america