A Marine flamethrower operator of the 6th Marine Division sends a jet of flame into a Japanese cave position during the Battle of Okinawa, 1945. Facing an enemy dug deep into the island's ridges and coral escarpments, Marine assault teams relied on flamethrowers and demolition charges - the so-called 'blowtorch and corkscrew' method - to root out fortified defenders. The scorched, stripped hillside reflects the intensity of the fighting that made Okinawa one of the costliest battles of the Pacific War. Project: 218500