The Snapshots in Time Collection

U.S. Marines Use White Phosphorus Grenade to Clear Japanese Snipers from Ruined Building, Battle of Okinawa, 1945

U.S. Marines Use White Phosphorus Grenade to Clear Japanese Snipers from Ruined Building, Battle of Okinawa, 1945

U.S. Marines use a white phosphorus grenade to flush entrenched Japanese defenders from the ruins of a fortified building during the Battle of Okinawa, 1945. The brutal, close-quarters fighting across Okinawa's shattered towns and fortified terrain required Marines to systematically clear buildings, caves, and bunkers, often using grenades and flamethrowers against snipers hidden within the rubble. Project: 218500