noun
hand-to-hand combat; close-quarters fighting
Refers to intense, physical combat where soldiers engage directly with the enemy, often at very close range. Can also be used figuratively for a fierce, direct confrontation.
両軍は市街地で激しい肉弾戦を繰り広げた。
The two armies engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat in the urban area.
この試合はまさに肉弾
This match was truly a physical, close-quarters battle.
接近戦 means close-quarters combat in a broader sense, not necessarily implying physical contact. 肉弾戦 specifically suggests soldiers throwing themselves at the enemy.
Compound of 肉弾 (nikudan, 'human bullet', from 肉 'flesh' and 弾 'bullet') and 戦 (sen, 'war' or 'battle'). The term originally referred to suicidal charges where soldiers used their bodies as weapons, but now broadly means intense hand-to-hand combat.