The Most Brutal US Marine Assault in WW2
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- When US forces approached the tiny island of Peleliu inside the Japanese National Defense Zone in late-1944, the Imperial Japanese high command was determined to defend the small landmass at any cost. By then, the Empire was strictly on the defensive, as their forces had suffered blow after blow while they slowly retreated to their country.
A regiment of 10,000 men belonging to one of Japan's most experienced and capable regiments, the 14th Infantry Division, was sent to reinforce Peleliu. Their instructions were to hold the islands with their lives, and they were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to halt the American incursion.
Meanwhile, American forces composed of the 1st, 5th, and 7th Marine Regiments were ordered to take the island and capture its runway at all costs, as it was one of the most essential airstrips in Asia.
As the Americans landed in Peleliu expecting a weakened Japanese force, they had no idea that the enemy had reorganized and switched tactics entirely, turning into what became known as the bitterest fight for the Marines in World War 2...
- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -
An impressive review. My father was in the First Amphibious Tank Corps of the First Marines at Peleliu. He was, along with his cohorts, the first to hit the beach there. Then, after the airfield was secured, he left his tank and was sent to fight as an infantryman for the remainder of the campaign, until the Army relieved them. He would sometimes tell me when I was growing up about his experiences there and on Okinawa later. When I got older, I read several books on the battle and was able to plug in his stories to the descriptions in the books. It was an overwhelming emotional experience. I still cannot look at anything connected to the battle, including this video, without getting emotional. I am lucky to have ever been born. To those who say we shouldn't have dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they should read about the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa. Semper Fi.
My dad told me the same thing!
The desicion to drop the atomics saved millions of lives. Mostly Japanese.
Semper Fi
Oooh Rah!
@@billcorbell5362Oohrah to that
My great-uncle was a private in the 81st on Peleliu. My dad said he'd change the subject whenever someone asked him about what he did in WWII. I found out why only after his death in 1988. Stories like this confirmed it.
There is a great book called "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" by E.B. Sledge. It's a great book and will give you a really good idea of what they went through there, I recommend everyone read it frankly.
The 81st ID was a rock-solid combat unit. It fought with distinction on Peleliu and Anguar. I have walked the battlefield on Peleliu on numerous occasions. There is a terrain feature the 81st ID dubbed The China Wall. It has a nearly vertical face and numerous IJA cave defenses pockmark this key defensive position. The GIs built a Masada like ramp made from earth-filled sandbags to ascend and capture the ridge. The ramp is clearly visible today.
Maybe you should check out Victory at Peleliu. It's about the Wildcats on Peleliu.
@@BobTheBald2 excellent book, and I would add to that "Helmet for my Pillow" by Robert Leckie.
My dad and my uncle were both on Peleliu at the same time . Dad was in the 73 seabees and uncle Luster was a BAR man in the 81st wildcat division . They never talked much about the war till they were in their late 70s and early 80s then they began to share their memories of Peleliu with each other . That is when they found out that they were on the same island at the same time . Dad said when he was in the LST waiting to go ashore the ocean was red with the blood of the 1st Marine division . It was a sight that he never forgot , even with Alzheimer's . Uncle Luster was wounded on Peleliu and received a bronze star , a purple heart , and a silver star . Dad went to be with the Lord at 87 years of age and uncle Luster went to be with the Lord at 94 years of age .
My great-uncle Peebles was a Montford Point Marine and he fought in the Battle of Peleliu. And he told me fighting the Japanese that garrison Peleliu was like fighting other US Marines, that's how tough they were. And both sides seem to have a savage take-no-prisoner rule. My great-uncle said they found Marines with their manhood cut off and stuffed in her mouths. And also my great-uncle admitted they wasn't much on taking prisoners themselves.
I had no idea what the island fighting was actually like until I listened to supernova in the west on Dan Carlin's hardcore history. Like the stories of being in the foxholes at night getting sneak attacked by Japanese and hearing your buddies in the foxholes next to you getting their eyes gouged out and shit. Hearing about that stuff cured my depression over the woes of modernity real quick.
@@doodoo66 yea listening to Dakota Meyer USMC, Medal of Honor recipient describe the action that he won the award for is really eye opening, and this is coming from an Army vet lol. It's in the Joe Rogan episode that he was on.
@@renaissanceredneck3695 yeah dude. I grew up in a military family next to Elgin air Force Base in the panhandle. One of my friends older brother was a marine and got both his legs blown off by an IED. The stories that dude would tell us about being over there in the early days of the war were crazy. I def have a mad respect for the troops
Grandfather was in the Navy, he had some crazy photos. Japanese Navy crew didn't surrender either.
I mean if I saw my buddies junk cut off and crammed in his mouth I wouldn't be taking prisoners either, I'd be crucifying them if given the chance.
My Dad was in the 12th Defense Battalion and they got assigned to the 1st Marine Division shortly after Guadalcanal and fought with them at Cape Gloucester and then Peleliu. He would tell my brothers and I the funny stories but wouldn't talk about the horrors he must have seen. The casualties got so bad in some units that they started using the black service troops, which was probably the first integrated units in the Marines and Dad said they performed brilliantly and he had nothing but respect for them.
Pics or it didn't happen.
@@imablock16 you want his dad's war pictures? Or at least his dad's service pictures? Lol
I'm sure it would be a uniform picture or a picture behind lines...not many cameras back then let alone combat cameras.
Are you asking for a combat picture of his dad in battle?
Maybe you want a picture of some medal he could have gotten from the bsttle?
A picture of what exactly are you expecting as proof?
I could show you a old picture of some random guy and say ....see...war hero. Lol
My brother served in Iraq. I don't have any pictures of him in combat.
I got a good one wheres he looks beat and tired...but that doesn't really prove he fought on any battles does it?
Marine Divisions often had Battalion sized units assigned to them for the duration of a Battle. Like tank battalions and artillery battalions. The Divisions would be called something like 2nd Marine Division Reinforced. The Defense Battalions were usually brought in after the island was secure and the assaulting units were removed to take replacements and train them for the next landing.
So true. One caveat. The use of Segregated Black Marine Corps units was integrated into the operations plan. Most of the Segregated units were Ammunition Companies. These units usually landed in the 4th or 5th Waves. Understand that usually there was only a few minute interval between each wave landing on the beach. Photographs of D-Day on Peleliu clearly show the Black Marines assigned to the Ammunition Companies calmly performing their duties under murderous Japanese fire. The mission of the Ammunition Companies was to carry ammunition dumped on the beach to the assault Companies on the front lines. Of note the definition of front lines on D-Day on Peleliu was nebulous at best. IJA soldiers continued to resist heroically even when bypassed and surrounded. Every Marine on Peleliu fought equally heroically.
The First Marine Division saw a lot of combat and had taken so many casualties after the Guadalcanal campaign, that they were pulled back from the frontline and sent back to Pearl, for rest and replacements.
My dad died in 1954 when I was 5 and he was 39. He had been with 5th Marine Regiment on Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester; rifleman with 7th Marines on Peleliu (K-3-7). Looking back, filtering the family lore and yarns along with all the researched history of that battle in particular, I believe that Peleliu destroyed him spiritually. The poor man drank himself to death.
I had been an Army medic in Vietnam (68-69), so I have an idea of what the Marines went through in the Pacific. But Peleliu? I cannot comprehend the horror and terror of all those days and nights.
Your dad was one of those quiet HEROES
You have to go. Go to Peleliu. Make it a mission in your life. I spent 15 years on Saipan first running the Island's utility and then teaching and lecturing Chemistry. I hiked those battlefields at every opportunity. Although I had no family who fought there, the experience was transformative. A family emergency called me back. If not for that, I'd still be there.
I'm sorry for the loss of your Dad. I hope you have read Eugene Sledge's book, "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa." I also hope that you have watched "The Pacific" series as it goes in depth on the battle at Peleliu. Why was your dad transferred from the 5th Marine Regiment to the 7th Marine Regiment? I was an embedded intelligence contractor with 3rd Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment (3/7) in Sangin District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan for that regiment's deployment. I know exactly where (K-3-7) patrolled and fought against the Taliban. It gives me chills that your Dad served in (K-3-7) in the hellhole of Peleliu. May your Dad rest in peace. Semper Fi.
Sorry bout your Pa.
My Granddad was a Marine who served on Pelleilu. His stories from that island were horrific but fascinating. How he ever made it home is beyond me, I'm just lucky I exist with what he went through.
Channels like this keeps the memory of these sacrifices alive. Thank you for this content. Never forget
RIP TO ALL THE YOUNG BRAVE MEN WHO DIED TO KEEP US FREE AMEN 🙏
Qq⁰ppqaaa❤❤pppp😊@@kevinkranz9156
1❤q❤😊
Respect!!
Makes one's blood boil to hear John McCain get disrespected, like he was, by you know who.
My uncle Raymond Schmid fought with the 5th Marines alongside E.B. Sledge on Peleliu. Very badly wounded there, he died 20 years later of complications from his wounds, happily married with four children to a wartime Navy nurse. God bless all the men (my Dad, my uncles, so many more) and women on the home front who sacrificed so much for us in World War II.
My friend, George Head of Catonsville, MD, self published his book on Peleliu. It was an unheralded battle, but as vicious as any other fought by Marines in WWII. George was so respectful and deferential to me, an Army veteran of Vietnam. God rest his soul.
I'm from Catonsville. Never had heard of him but thank you for sharing this.
head, LOL
I knew several Marines who were there. MacArthur rejected the idea that this island was not necessary. Years later it has been pointed out it truly was not. This video is good but of course does not contain all the battle. The 1st MarDiv was considered combat ineffective after this. The Army relieved the Marines. Some Marines went back 50 years later, looked over some of the positions and saw "No wonder we could not take this position". The Division Band is used as stretcher bearers during battle. They were decimated. The aircraft took off, delivered their ordinance, landed without ever raising their landing gear.
For absolutely the best book of men in battle read: "With The Old Breed" by EB Sledge. Pelilieu & Okinawa.
Semper Fi
TOP
Here is a short video that explains the entire operation was unnecessary.
czcams.com/video/fgYnwxChEkM/video.html
I was going to recommed E. B. Sledge's book, but you beat me to it.
Semper Fi
Yeah. Sledgehammer went on to Okinawa after that.
Even still, it was Nimitz who chose it. He thought it could be a staging base for his intended invasion of Taiwan.
The HBO series " The Pacific" either directed or produced by Tom Hanks did as good a job as possible portraying the brutal fighting on Peleliu. Part of the series was inspired by a book by Eugene Sledge of the 1st Marine Division. Those of us who have never experienced combat can only imagine what it's like. The greatest respect is owned to those brave men.
The only way The Pacific's episode on the battle of Peleliu could be better is if it did two things, 1 include the Montford Point Marines and 2 ne more violent..
@@adameckard4591 well it was following specific characters not in montford
@@ziggy8805 you missed the point of my comment.
@@adameckard4591 what is your point? That that Monford Point Marines were or were not allowed to fight on the lines or are you trying to make another point.
My grandfather was a marine during World War II and took part in this battle. He also fought at Okinawa. He was unusually tall for that day and age let a group of savages. He and other tall/large marines accepted the Japanese surrender. He lost a lot of people and at one point his unit was cut off from all support for seven days. He later worked for Goodyear in Akron Ohio for about 45 years before retiring. That really was an amazing generation and I am grateful for the ones that served. Regardless of your race or age or gender I hope that all American citizens are proud to be one. God bless and keep the faith
Glad to read your family's history! Really grateful to hear your Grandfather's story and the fact that he past his patriotism down to you!
@@brettpettinger9200 thanks Brett. After his passing he had a scrapbook from his time overseas. In it included a Japanese flag with Japanese handwriting on it with blood splattering that he had taken during his time. God bless and keep the faith
My Uncle was in the 1st Marine Division. He arrived on Guadalcanal after the initial landings and was with them for the rest of the war. Where their home base was I'll have to look but until Okinawa they were only used in the South Pacific. Their home base was in Melbourne, Australia. Pearl Harbor was too far away to send them back there.
My father was in the 4th Marine Division in the Central Pacific. They made four landings and after each one they returned to Maui to take replacements and train until the next landing.
@@karlheinzvonkroemann2217 Melbourne was only after the canal. They went to pavuvu after Gloucester and peleliu.
What was his rank?
Appropriate to watch on Memorial Day weekend. 2,600 Marines were not recovered....heartbreaking. This was Hell on Earth.
My dad was a Sergeant in the 1st Marines at Peleliu and served under Chesty Puller. He told me stories that is the stuff of nightmares. When he was telling me about these horrors he would tear up and say......we were only kids ......he was 20 at the time. But you can only imagine what teenage boys and 20 somethings did to make light of the terrible situation that they found themselves in. He like all the rest of the Marines volunteered to fight in the closest place to hell on earth. The PTO didn’t have any locals with wine and food to hand out or women to fraternize with. They had Japanese ,coral rock and 115 degree heat. They didn’t have beautiful vistas to enjoy as a backdrop...’.’they had volcanic islands blown to smitherines with not a tree in sight for shade from the cruel wicked sun....and some asshole contaminated the water supply that they were to live off of and no clean water anywhere to be found. All of this while being shot at mortared and snuck up on at night ......many having their throat slit in their foxholes. I can’t help but think that after all he went through over there he fathered 5 children me being the youngest .’......he was 46 years old when I was born that I almost never existed......He told me these things when he and I were alone after my mother died....... and it scared the shit out of me......... I have many stories to share with those who would like to hear them. If anyone would like to hear them contact me on messenger and we will talk about meeting. I would really love to pass these stories down to the future generations before I get too old to remember them..........
Hero
Imagine not being able to have a clean water supply … pure hell
I would love to hear some stories. My grandfather was also a sergeant in the 1st marine division. He was wounded on peleliu. I can remember a few stories that he told me but he died before I was old enough to really appreciate the stories I could have heard. Im sure he thought I was too young to handle hearing about what he experienced.
Ever since I heard of peleliu 10 years ago I read everything I can get my hands on about it. I'm fascinated by it's obscurity even though it was so brutal. It's a lesson that absolutely needs to be remembered and passed on. My first thought on reading about it was "where the hell is peleliu and why haven't I heard about it yet?" I had to put the book down and find it on Google Earth before I could finish the book. Hit me up! I will definitely take you up on your offer, Sir!
Anyway to message you?
my second cousin died (gilbert amder) during this battle, he turned 20 two days earlier. He was a first generation American whos parents fled the communists when they took over Lattvia ended up being in the same division when i joined the USMC
The Latvian people are great
I knew a guy who fought there. He said it was way worse than Guadalcanal. On his best day he would have whooped ten of me. (maybe twenty) When I knew him the poor old guy could barely walk. Tough SOBS. Bless them all.
My great grandfather Guy was in this battle. He described it as, “ Hell. Complete and utter fu*king hell. No men, just bastards from the deepest depths of imagination fighting it out with everything in arms reach. I beat a Japanese man with a fallen comrade. It was hell. The ultimate test of survival.” He received a Purple Heart and lived very happily after the war till his passing in 2019.
Dark Docs and Mark Felton truly exciting history channels on YT. Amazing job
Mark Felton has great material, but his slow speech and sound of his voice bore me to death
@@PhoenixAscending That’s where the speed setting of YT comes in handy
If you like Mark Felton buy his books they are better than his videos
They're both pretty good. Felton hasn't made any mistakes that I've caught but Dark Docs has. Not to be too critical but both sites are worth watching tbh. (Felton has been at it a lot longer.)
Yes! very good honorable mentions.
The HBO series "The Pacific" did a frightening job of conveying the horrific, savage and animalistic battlefield that Peleliu was. A TV show..that I had difficulty in watching w/o turning away. And then you realize...it had to have been far far worse than any movie, TV show or even interview(s) with survivors could express. God bless our boys....those lost and those who had to bear the burden of living through it - and living with the memories forever.
My great grandpa and several great uncles were Marines during ww2 and Korea, many other family members were in the NAVY DURING WWII.
Many years ago when I started my law practice, on my first day, I met my neighbor who was a senior lawyer.I was surprised to see so many war souvenirs. He' told me that he had been a Marine at the Battle of Peleliu. I have never forgotten one story were he encountered a badly wounded Japanese soldier who had attempted suicide with three dud grenades. He motioned and showed the Japanese his grenade who nodded. He tossed the grenade to the dying soldier and took cover. BAM! It was over. What a waste of men and money.
What a wasteful man why didn't he just shoot him can you imagine if the roles were reversed what the Japanese would have done? I shudder to think.
Morbidly kind was that Marine, what a brutal battle. There would be no cowardly collaborating masked moron's amongst these men.
From Australia
Same thing was mentioned by a GI on an episode of an old history channel show called the lost evidence about peleliu.
sounds rather kind of him ! God Bless the USMC......
That's always the case
While my father served on Saipan, his younger brother a newly minted USMC 2nd Lt. invaded Peleliu. After six weeks of the bloody fighting, and the stateside death of his father, he accepted the offer to return home to run the family farm. He would never talk about Peleliu accept to my father. Thank you. Narragansett Bay
Bless your father and uncle's service. What town in RI was the family farm located?
@@gregclancyconstructioninc.5607 Greg: My fathers family were Tarheels from Wilson Co. NC. At the time of Saipan he had 14 yrs as a Pharmacist Mate. Leaving NC so as not to follow behind a pair of mules through cotton and tobacco fields. His little brother, stayed on the farm, attended NC State, earning a degree in Agronomy(?). As the oldest son, when grandpa passed, dad was told he had a pass home (see USS Sullivan's or Saving private Ryan). He refused and said his little brother should have the pass home, which probably saved his life. Dad completed 30 yrs., retiring in 1960 as a W-4 MSC. My older brother served on Essex carriers as an ABH, in Korea, my little brother in the AF, Vietnam era. As for me my Vietnam service was silent, USS Catfish, USS Diodon. Newport RI was my mothers home. Her forefathers arriving here in 1638 with 160 acre land grants from Chuck I. Newport was dad'd first and last duty station. jb
My father was on the sub chaser PC-589 at the north end of White Beach. They were a control ship for the landing craft. After the craft had gone ashore, the ship went north to a channel between Peleliu and an island. Japanese soldiers were trying to swim across the channel to reinforce Peleliu and the sailors were shooting them in the water.
I think you're referring to Ngesebus Island.
God bless all the heroric souls given, not lost, in this historic battle. Peace will eventually find us all. Anyone who has ever engaged in physical combat (no, virtual excluded) knows you walk a tightrope - the inexplicable effort required to defeat another human being in a fight to the death is beyond anyone and his words.
I'm a Veteran but I always make sure to point out non-combat veteran. We definitely do not deserve the same level of respect as those folks. All I did was help some planes get off the ground, and I was never in Iraq or Afghanistan. But I did serve in both areas temporarily in neighboring countries that were safer.
@@User31129 Both these posts are full of truth. I'm not qualified to converse with either of you about such matters. But Daniel I will say this: you made yourself available to face any number of horrific circumstances over which you had no control. That counts - to me anyway - as sticking your hide out there w/a risk of being wounded or killed. I do appreciate and respect the distinction you are making combat v non-combat.
If your sentiment were true it wouldn't be so eternally dangerous to all souls who encounter it.
With love, I apologize for doing this...
Not ALL will find peace. When we die, some go to Heaven and others go to Hell.
God is holy and you are a sinner like me. We all are sinners separated from a Holy God.
God sent His Son Jesus to pay for these sins on our behalf...IF ONE ASKS HIM PERSONALLY to be their substitute for sin payment God requires.
You may not like it= That doesn't matter when you die and don't get a 2nd chance does it?
Please friends. Choose Jesus. Read His Word in The Bible.
If Jesus tells you He never knew you when you die and casts you into Hell= You'll know you read this comment and ignored it= it'll be on you for saying "No!" to God.
Everyone should read “War is a Racket” by Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler. Two time Medal of Honor recipient and WW1 vet. This should clarify why we have endless wars and pandemics.
Exactly...
Lookup the "Knowing Better" video on Smedley here on CZcams
💯
@@User31129 I will.. also they’re is a video of him stating that he was recruited to lead a five thousand army coup ti take over the government. Unbelievable
Five hundred thousand former vets
My father was in a rifle platoon with Ray Davis battalion (1,1,1). He was wounded in D+4. Never would talk about it with us kids. That’s why I watched this. RIP Dad. Thank you for the video.
Hero
My dad was in the First of the First under ChestyPuller. I would imagine that they knew each other because there were hardly any of the First Marines left standing......
Best story from Dark Docs for the past little while. Four stars.
It was really good
The commanding officer of the 1st Marine Division refused reinforcements that the Army offered... He'd literally rather have many dead Marines than a shared victory with the Army. (I am a Marine Infantry veteran of Vietnam...) The island was the most hideous waste of splendid fighting Marines of the entire Pacific War. That division commander was never given the opportunity to be so profligate with Marine lives again... ... ... YP
My uncle was a lieutenant in the 323 of the 81st. He said at the officer's
Meeting before the battle the marine general said he didn't want any green army troops getting in the way. That changed. Also a soldier buried at the local cemetery was in the 321 Kia there.
@@craigholloway506 Indeed, the Army was at last permitted to land...far later than initial need. That battle was the Golgotha for the 1st Marine Division. Almost as bad... by the landing date, top Navy brass had already decided that the "critical need" was no longer there... if indeed it had ever been. YP
Rupertus was a real winner. He should have been relieved of his command during the battle.
And while it’s blasphemy to say this Lt Col Puller commanding the 1st Marine Regiment should have been relieved to. They both just fed Marines into a meat grinder. Even one of his peers Capt Pope MOH recipient said that Puller lacked the tactical abilities to command more then a platoon.
Hopefully that’s why those two were sent to Camp Lejeune after the battle and they didn’t command any more units during the war.
@@stevewilson7819 ... When the 1st Marine Division was assembled from parts (regulars and reservists) for Korea in 1950... a number of officers who served in WWII not keen to be assigned to Puller. Fortunately, his regiment at the Chosin essentially had to stay in place and hold open the South end of the MSR against hordes of attacking Chinese. What was required was discipline and nerves of steel. Puller was supremely qualified for *that* task and his men knew it. On Guadalcanal, he held like a rock against the Japanese.
.
When the Marine Corps committed to "Maneuver Warfare" (and no, that doesn't simply mean one fire team base of fire and other two try for the flanks...) some die-hard types talked the talk, but otherwise tried to drag their heels. Puller was as brave a Marine as ever trod leather...but the casualty rate of the 1st Marine Regiment on Peleliu was nothing to emulate. Still...more than a few of the die-hard types held Puller's "head as a battering ram" tactics as a kind of sterling role model. YP
@@stevewilson7819 I don’t know where puller was stationed but Rupertus, believe it or not was sent to the Basic School to be a combat instructor to officers. However he must have been bitter about peleliu because he died only five months later of a heart attack in march of 1945.
My dad fought on Peleliu. After 10 days of fighting he was wounded and evacuated to a hospital ship where his leg was amputated. Would never speak of what he saw and encountered on the island. He was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a second Purple Heart.
THIS USN Veteran of 20+ years, knows of the Battle of Peleliu.....and I Thanks EVERY Marine who Served!!!
Semper Fi Marines!!
84-05 Protecting Marines with NGFS!
Great work! This was one of your better episodes, and I truly enjoy them all. Thank you for the Content.
For those that question whether the Atomic bombs should have been used, take the ferocity and savagery of this battle and later Okinawa and scale up by a factor of several hundred
And most people also don’t realize that the Japanese savagery extended to ANY civilians in their way. The Japanese army committed war crimes in China when they killed 10k Chinese civilians every day. It’s frustrating when uninformed people like to bark about things they don’t fullly understand.
I don't think it's worthy to say it should or shouldn't have been done. With the end result of the non conditional surrender, I don't think it was necessary and neither was an invasion. The whole point was to end the war while punishing the guilty parties of Japan. That didn't really happen like it did at Nuremberg. But it did happen and I've said it many times. If I was Truman I'd done it just the same. But for all the many Americans who are practically proud of nuking cities, drink heavily.
My great uncle stormed some beaches in the pacific. When he came home, he never said even one word about it the rest of his life.
Quiet brave warriors
Great look at a fight that too few know about. I have one nitpick: 7:10 "casualty" means 'wounded and killed.' So, you would not say '200 casualties and 900 wounded,' you would correctly say '200 killed, and 900 wounded.'
Dark Docs might want to do a video on the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill on Okinawa, another of the too-numerous notable battles of US and IJ forces.
My dad served on saipan, when i asked him about it he just stared off into space and said it was horrible , he used his bayonet. You can bet i never talked back to my dad and the neighbors never bothered him .
Hero
Halsey suggested that the Peleliu invasion be trapped. He did not think the airfield was important, but was over-ruled by the Joint Chiefs. History has shown that Halsey was correct.
Thank you and four observations.
1) Prior to my mother’s passing I interviewed her about her life. In one of her life-phases she volunteered to serve in WW II as a nurse in the Eastern Theater. One of the questions asked was, ‘where were most of the wounds in the Allied Soldiers?’ She responded that, ‘they were in the back.’ By early 43 the Japanese had tactically learned to let the GIs pass by them and then open fire from simultaneously the back end of the allied formation and to the left and right of said formation. Consequently many GIs were either KIAs or WIAs at the onset of the engagement. This is why most injuries and deaths were from wounds in the backs.
2). Once, while on Field Maneuvers, I was an Army Infantry Officer, we were supplied with water , the only water we could get, which had been loaded into Water Buffaloes that were previously accidentally filled with fuel. It basically tore our insides up. Almost all Soldiers had to seek medical treatment upon the completion of the field maneuvers. This fact would have devastated these Marines.
3). From 1998-2000 I went through CGSC so as to complete one of the qualifications necessary for consideration to promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel. One of the many papers I researched and wrote was on the battle of Peleliu. I was completely stunned and on several occasions grew motionless as a result of reading about the horrors of that battle. In my judgement, the Battle of Peleliu is arguably the most difficult battle the American Military has been in.
4) I was a very troubled high school student and made the decision to attend a Military Boarding School run by Retired Marine Officers and Marine Drill Sargents. These Soldiers not only saved my life , but instilled in me the self-discipline necessary to be an effective Officer, and to live in a decent manner. I owe the Marines EVERYTHING!!!
I have.. lived on the Island of Saipan for the past 37 Years, I have travled to Guam, TInian, Rota and To Palau, and Peleliu and several other islands......... It is simply amazing the amount of History that is still in the Ground. My last construction job was to Oversee the REmovel of UXO and human remains with Archgeolists and UXO personnel. W e cleared 6 Bodies on one site, but with Thousands of UXO 6,867 mixed armament 8mm, 47 mm 88mm 98mm and larger many from the Big US ships which were duds,,,,,, Timers not set as it was found out later, These Islands are Beautiful and flurishing today........ snd have tours to many for the mentioned sites in this reel, the local people are warm and welcoming for visitors,
Just a shot in the dark , my cousin Larry Bacon lived on Saipan for years, he was a builder
@5:30, Rupertus DID say he expected the campaign to be done in three days. However, he did not think it would be an easy time. He was expecting it to be like the Battle of Tarawa (fought the previous November, by the 2nd Marine Division). He thought it would be a VERY savage fight, but one of short duration.
Nakagawa: IT'S OVER AMERICANS! I HAVE THE HIGH GROUND!
US Marines: YOU UNDERESTIMATE OUR POWER!
*Narrator: In truth.... they underestimated each other. *
Read "the old breed at peleliu and Okinawa" by Eugene Sledge
It's an amazing account of the fighting
Dr. Eugene B. Sledge was my Biology Professor at the University of Montevallo.
I have read his book many times. Dr. Sledge was a very brave man. 💖
SLEDGEHAMMER
Another book to read is called Battlefield Pacific by Sterling Mace. He was a rifleman in Sledges company. He fought on Peleliu and Okinawa as well
My grandfather fought in WW2 and Korea. He gave Japanese their props. One of the stories I heard was they were set up on one side of a creek with Japanese on the other. He said the Japanese were in a bad position for a week or so because not all of them had weapons and couldn't resupply apparently. The Japanese would still charge the creek nearly daily and my grandfather was shooting so much it was burning out the machine gun barrels and would start cooking off rounds. He said they would kill the guy in the front and the next guy behind him would pick up the weapon and grab the body to start dragging it. They did this over and over until they reached the creek and then they started throwing the bodies in the water to give them something run across like a makeshift bridge. Can't fake heart. I was little when he passed and wished I would have been old enough to know the info he had was priceless.
Read the book "With the Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge and his description of Peleliu, part of which made into the TV mini series "The Pacific" a real eye opener on how the projected 4 day take over turned into a 74 day meat grinder.
Probably the best first hand experience.....
Also, see the PBS Ken Burns documentary The War....Eugene Sledge is featured.
Meat grinder is an understatement
Both those mini series, The Pacific and Band of Brothers are some of the best film ever made.
It was bad. Really, really bad. Read: With The Old Breed. Made me cry.
I read it was a great book you picture all of it in your mind. Great and brave men.
Excellent, excellent book!
No big deal you ask them. Wild.
Imagine today’s generation 😂trying this 😮😮
@@maxcullen3427 yeah especially the ones that think male's can be females and have periods and have babys! WTFO
can you do more videos about the korean war. that one was such a brutal campaign and not many people know about what those guys had to endure
Bring those heroes home !!!
Some islands and country's would sink in the oceans if we dug up our war dead and brought them all home! But it's is a good thought! 👍
I worked with a man who's father was a Marine on Peleliu. He said the point was comprised of battled hardened men who liked killing. The unimaginable savagery turned farm boys and soda jockeys into possessed machines of death. They had no choice. History will remember them forever.
My Dad was a 5 foot 8 Inch ball of muscle. He said that his DI called him plowboy because of the scars on his hands from the straps of leather that guided the mule. He said that he challenged the DI to a fight the day he graduated from boot camp but could never seem to find him. They served together at Peleliu and even wound up in the same foxhole.....of course the hazing from boot camp had long been forgotten and he made his peace with Gunny.......
Rupertus refused to allow the army forces held in reserve to help. His ego caused thousands of casualties because he wanted the Marines to win the battle.
Salute to all those brave marines. This video almost brought me to tears imagining the horrors those men had to go through
I had a friend who had been a Marine and landed on several of those Islands in WWII. I was working with a company that trained Japanese Airline pilots. He told me that he had not met any Japanese since the War. He said, that if he did, he'd have to treat them kind of snotty.
This was a portent of things to come for the Americans. Their OWN experience PLUS those of their German allies, taught them how to combat American amphibious landings. Add to that the nature of their defenses and, one can draw parallels to the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and, the like. Brutal?? HA!!! That doesn't even begin to come close to describing the nature of the hellish horrors our warriors faced from then on!!!!
Imperial General Headquarters never developed an effective doctrine to counter amphibious landings. Prior to Peleliu IJA doctrine called for a crust defense on the beaches. Any enemy foothold was to be annihilated in massive night attacks. When this failed on Saipan and Guam, local commanders on other islands began to deviate from doctrine. Such was the case on Peleliu. This was the first battle in the Pacific that the IJA defenders did not try to win. Col Nakagawa knew he couldn't win. Accordingly, his goal was to fight defensively in depth to prolong the battle and inflict massive casualties on US forces. Variations of this tactic would be used on Iwo Jima, Luzon, and Okinawa. But each of these variations had unique characteristics that differed from the others. For example the IJA defended the beaches on Peleliu but not on Okinawa. However IGHQ in Tokyo never agreed to any changes to its doctrine. Thus for the defense of Kyushu the IJA planned to win the battle on the beaches and did not plan to conduct a defenses in depth.
they made them bloody and protracted but just like with the Germans the never defeated one single amphibious assault. So what is your point?
@@gruntforever7437 For someone who claims to be a grunt forever, the point is that the IJA never developed an effective doctrine to combat enemy amphibious landings. Quasi "successes" that resulted in prolonged battles were local initiatives that IGHQ usually disagreed with.
The HBO show simply named 'The Pacific' does such a good job of showing the sheer brutality of this battle and bringing it to life. I recommend anyone who hasn't seen it to go watch it if you're interested in world war II in general. It's like Band of Brothers but for the Pacific war
All that I can say is, I'm glad that I wasn't there. And I am a Marine (ret.)
“MILLER! WE HIT ANY RESISTANCE ON THE BEACH, GET ON THAT RADIO AND CALL FOR IMMEDIATE MISSILE SUPPORT!”
The most brutal Marine fight is any fight they're involved in lol.
Highly motivated and well trained Marines are a force to be reckoned with.
I've been a Marine. They'll tell you that they look forward to wars.
I read With the old breed when I was stationed in Japan by my sgts recommendation. I remember going to Guam and seeing the Japanese bunkers. How one Japanese soldier hit for like 17 years in Guam not knowing the war was over. They had to get the his old Commander to finally convince him that the war was over.
Great video. You can find more information about this battle -- which, as Dark Docs notes at the end, did not have to be fought -- in the books "Helmut for My Pillow" and "With the Old Breed," on which the HBO series "The Pacific" was based, and in William Manchester's "Goodbye, Darkness." These US Marines were remarkably couragous, and those that survived suffered significant PTSD (a term that wasn't around back then) after the war.
One of those few journalists who covered the invasion was the famous Australian combat cameraman Damien Parer who was killed by a Japanese sniper on the island.
Ernie Pyle, the great war correspondent was killed by a Japanese sniper on Ila Shima. A small island near Iwo Jima.
Your narrative is first class well done
The biggest reason that Peleliu isn't known is that none of the survivors (veterans) spoke of it. Namely my father who was one of them.
Awesome content since you have slowed down a bit. I really enjoy this content
My Great Uncle Roscoe Mills, USMC Platoon Sargeant. Killed in Action 9-17-44 Peliliu. Buried at sea. RIP 🇺🇸
Hero :(
How war exists still blows my mind
Unfortunately, it is the history of the human race. We always seem to find something to fight about.
I was stationed onboard the USS Peleliu (LHA-5) back in 95-97! I had no idea about it’s significance until today.
Thank you for your service!
Does the Ship have a Sister Ship ???
I’m surprised the history of Peleliu wasn’t told to the crew.
@@adapedneau1114 yes there are few other ships but I found out recently that the USS Peleliu was decommissioned. But yea there are other sister ships.
@@JJ-wk5wh Right! Everybody Who serves on that Vessel should have the battle of Peliliu committed to memory.
The term casualties includes both dead and wounded. This guy keeps saying X amount of casualties and X amount of injured/wounded.
He's just some goofball that was hired to read a script
2,600 marines MIA and still on that island 😔 that part hit man..
That would be quite a moment venturing into some of those blown up caves, to then find these brave men. Sometimes when you think "times are hard" you've gotta remind yourself that this, this is what hard is. Hot climate, war, not knowing what day could be your last. I'm grateful for our brave service men and women that fought for our liberation; so we could have a better chance at life ❤ God bless them,
when i was young i used to go exploring in those caves and bones were still in there. until now there is a team going around collecting and destroying the many unexploded ordinance scattered around the island.
I really doubt that number. 1544 KIA and 2600 MIA? The place isn't that big.
@@stanstenson8168 and as stated by reports and soldiers who fought, the vast majority of those tunnels had been blown closed and left unexplored.
Who knows how many US MIA they would find anywhere in that network down there.
@@TheMainMayn Why would Americans be in the caves? There is only one place where you could call it a tunnel network, and it's wide open. The rest are caves, most of them are natural. Some improved, some not. Peleliu doesn't have the tunnel networks like the later battles. I've been there quite a few times. There is just no way there is that many Americans there. Japanese, yes, way more.
"There are no more 1st Marines" quote from the battle of peleliu
What are you saying?
@@chriskeating5926 emphasising the brutality of this battle and somewhat of the entire pacific campaign for all combatants
@@chriskeating5926 He was saying they were so shot up and battle weary that they were no longer considered fit for combat. My father survived that hellhole and was in combat from d-day until the army finally relieved them after 5 weeks of continuous combat. The 1st marines were no longer a real fighting force.
@@bigfoot99 WOW , much REPECT TO OUR VETERANS
Those Like Me, who's Fathers Fought WWII....Truly Blessed, that we are Born.....Never take Life for Granted,,,,,Our Fathers Lived through this,,,,,
Wow, this is one of your best. Thank you.
Eugene Sledge's "With the old breed" is a great memoir of combat on Peleliu and Okinawa.
We Thank Him For His Service.
Awesome video! Thank you. Semper Fi.
I LOVE YOUR VIDS KEEP UP THE GODO WORK first
🏆
Your channel is amazing keep up the great work!
That bloke on the right 4:44 is surely duel wielding two Thompsons, now that’s a man I admire (really nearly everyone in this footage is worthy of admiration)
And it was all a BONEHEAD MISTAKE! The purpose of taking this island was to provide airbases to support an invasion of Mindanao, but by the time the Marines landed, the Mindanao operation had been CANCELLED in favor of taking Leyte, far out of range of Palau.
Proudly served with 1stBn 7th Marines, Suicide Charley Company 1990-1994. Peleliu is where our unit chose and has forever been recognized as Suicide Charley. Read our history. Only unit in the USMC authorized to carry two guidons. We were all taught of this battle, and it's bloody fighting. Thank you for the video, even without mention of 7th Marines. I was glad to hear stories of the other units involved there.
Unimaginable horror and hardship, hardly making a footnote in the pacific war.
Brave and good men’s sacrifices not acknowledged, so sad, so sad.
My grandfather was on a gun boat called LCI(G) 727 at that battle. He turned 21 there.
undertaking contested amphibious landings is one of the most difficult things a military can possibly do.. the united states conducted more then 10,thousand contested amphibious landings and or water/river crossing duuring the second world war
The U.S. military is literally in a leauge of its own.
Specially compared to china or russia
10000?? Bit of a stretch init!? On both points🤣
@@Free-Bodge79 no people think of D-day as an amphibious landings with thousands of people planes and ships taking a country....but people dont understand is that something as small as company can peform an amphibious landing on something as small as an island a as small as a few thousand square feet.. the Philippines was the location of the most and anphibious landings in a single campaign with literally dozens of landings perform to any number of the several hundred small island located in the philipines just by one company alone
@@SJstackinbodys yeah I see what you're getting at. Just think it's stretching the point a bit really .
@@Free-Bodge79 idk water crossimgs count and their os over 10,000 islands in the pacific alone
Then the Aleutian island chan the solomon slands the Philippines which aread made up of hundreds of islands pelalu which was made up of several islands the gilbert islands thats not even counting all the river crossings across europ and north african and more
@@SJstackinbodys speak clear English and explain what you’re talking about what is your point about them and their relation to the ETO! Are you talking about the entire war?
Great channel I’ve heard of few but u done super deep dive in such an important subject sadly kids nowadays wouldn’t know I’ve always had strange need for this subject thanks 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I played golf back in the 1980's with a man I only knew as Jack, who fought at Peleliu in the Marines. He was very resentful of MacArthur, telling me it was completely unnecessary and could have just been cut off. Instead, he was sent there to fight. He told me how BADLY he hated the Japanese - he considered them less than human. He said his arm once became so fatigued from throwing grenades that it felt like rubber. He told me about how the island looked like paradise as they approached it, but turned into the surface of the moon. How the Japanese went underground and how tough it was to force them out. He also told me about his Sergeant, who he felt was absolutely fearless, who would walk up and down above the trenches and yell to his men to shoot anything that moved, while bullets whizzed past him all around. I just couldn't believe the CRAZY stories. I would go on to serve in the Navy, and one of my civilian flight instructors flew missions during WW2 and told me why he had so many scars on his face. He had taken a "cold-cat-shot" in the Sea of Japan and was tossed into the water, only to be picked up after narrowly being missed by the ships screws. Absolutely incredible courage.
War is such a waste of human life and natural resources.
Yes but it's necessary sometimes.
@@KennyE0311 For sure.
But it makes money so it will still happen
Hell or not it's the reason we live in comforts although not every war is justified
Presentism is laughable like we wanted this war.
Awesome! The Pacific needs more recognition, keep it up!
2,600 troops lost in the caves during that battle.. SHEESH ! Hopefully they can bring the rest of those guys home 🙏🏾💯
General Rupertus had to be the true villain in this operation a lot of good Marines were killed and wounded because of this man's stubbornness to access the true nature of this battle but then again, he was offshore on a ship the entire operation.
They wasted the lives of those poor young men for what? A generals medals
Douglas MacArthur's massive ego?
My uncle James Mclane lost his leg on Peleliu he was part of the 1st marines , god bless all our fighting men.
A telling note; "fighting holes"- in the Corps the word "foxhole" was not to be used--I recall having that drilled in during "Basic Infantry Training" (BITS) and Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) while at Camp Pendleton in '68 prior to going to Viet Nam. Not to deny Capt. Pope his M.O.H., which I'm sure he deserved, but, if he did, so did the other 8 men that survived with him. Always the Officers that have that chest full of medals, while Enlisted men are fortunate to get a shower and a hot meal. Semper Fidelis! 👍
All those that gave their lives, are so pissed at what we have done to America 🇺🇸, disrespecting the American flag 🇺🇸, I want to thank all of those who served and gave up so much for my freedom, the men and women !!!!
I had an Uncle who served on a navy transport in WW2. He transported marines through out the various islands. He stated,” When the landing craft departed, they came back loaded with dead marines, it’s the worst I have seen “.
With The Old Breed.... Best book ever written about the experience of front lines Marines
My dad received a bronze star and purple heart trying to rescue a wounded soldier on Bloody Nose Ridge.
My father was in the battle on Pelelieu with the first Marines First Div. Company K. He spoke very little about his experiences. I know he said they lost many marines. He was very quiet. When that was over he was sent to Okinawa. After the peace treaty with Japan he was sent to China. Read The Old Breed.and China Marine both by Eugene Sludge . I am only child and lucky to be here.
This was much more enjoyable while narrated at ease.
Shout out to the US Army's 81st infantry division that fought on peleliu from 21st of September to the 27th of November. They started with the Marine Corp but ended the battle alone.
Fleet Admiral Nimitz was probably the best Navy man ever. He won the pacific ocean and owned it.
Do dusty gliess and wade mcclusky if you haven’t.
The only guys to hit two carriers @ midway.
This is why I promised veterans of WW2, not let this get out of hand again.. I promised them..no threat!! I'll protect all people. I'm a veteran, I'll do what my job requires.. God bless!!
Also, the European War witnessed a similar useless battle in The Hurtgen Forrest around the German/Belgian border ,where combined Nazi- German , and American forces combined suffered nearly 80 to A hundred thousand casualties.
The Hurtgen Forrest's could of been by passed and blockaded as the Americans pushed into Germany. But higher ups wanted to flush the Germans out in which some of the bitterest fighting happened in WW2. Only to have The Ardennes Counteroffensive to occur by mid- 12/1944 to early 2/1945 where nearly 20, 000 American troops died in one month about.
There's a movie about this called when trumpets fade. It's pretty good. I think you can watch it for free on you tube.
I salute all of these marines. Thank you for your service!
One of my Father's 13 bronze stars, he was a medic for the initial amphibious attack force.
Was you dad Desond Doss? lol
That’s a rack