Battle of Peleliu 1944 / Part 2 - A Horrible Place

[@BMF6889]

When I was attending the University of Alabama from 1964-68, I was a history major and was attending classes given by Professor Brown who happened to be retired Marine Corps Major General "Big Foot" Brown. This guy was an incredibly personality. He was about 6 foot 4 with a very deep gravely voice and he was an expert on Middle Eastern history for some reason. Since I had joined the Marine Corps' Platoon Leader's Class (PLC) to avoid being drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War, I visited his office to see if I could get his combat advice since he was involved in in Central America before WW II, he was in WW I, and he was at Peleliu in WW II in addition to many other battles. Peleliu was on of the most difficult battles in the Pacific at the time, I asked him for his advice if such a battle occurred in Vietnam. He laughed. And his gravely voice he said, "I was there when they were planning the invasion of Peleliu, and they asked me my opinion. I said, Hell, gas the entire island to kill everything and save Marine lives. They were shocked in horror that I would recommend such a thing. And so they decided to assault Peleliu with explosives, bullets, flamethrowers, and bayonets the more humane way and we lost thousands of lives." I never forgot that conversation and when I was a Marine platoon commander in Vietnam 1968-69 and I was in contact, I always called on artillery and close air support before trying to commit my Marines into a possible hand-to-hand combat scenario. Always try to overwhelm the enemy with any means of legal support before exposing Marines to lethal enemy fire. It didn't always happen, but I thank God for Marine artillery and Army, Navy, Air Force. and Marine air support that saved Marines from being killed. The nickname of how he got "Big Foot Brown" came when before WW I he was fighting Nicaraguan insurgents his boots rotted off and he requested a pair of new boots. The biplane that was to deliver the new boots only dropped one boot with a message that the size was so large that two boots wouldn't fit in the plane. The next day they dropped the other boot. Thus he was always referred to as "Big Foot Brown." What a character. He was severely wounded in WW I, and he always took pride that he fought in more wars than Marine Corps General Chesty Puller who was the most decorated Marine in history. In 1966 when I took his classes, he was very old but very alert. He did soon after I graduated in 1968. What a great Marine with so many stories. After WW II he ended up in China as the US force to keep Communist China from Nationalist China. During one of his "inspections" of the line between Communist and Nationalist China, the Communist tried to set up a roadblock. He ordered his driver to drive through it running over several Communist Chinese. He told me that no Communist was going to tell me where he could go according to the agreements at that time. It caused a minor international incident. At the end of his career in the Marine Corps, he was the commanding general during the nuclear bomb tests on US soldiers positioned miles away from the blast. No one was hurt by the blasts but it's uncertain how many may have been affected by the radiation. Back in the very early 50's those effects were not known. Anyway, General / Professor Brown told me just how horrible taking Peleliu was. It was total carnage, destruction, fog of war, and a fight to the death for every yard of progress. It was perhaps the most deadly battle for each yard gained in the war.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thanks for sharing this very interesting story.

[@Mrtotot]

Truly the golden generation. It blows my mind every time I think about what they went through in the pacific and prevailed, it's simply amazing.

[@kevinschmidt7209]

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[@danielhamilton4269]

My Dad was there-never talked about it until he was dying and I asked Him -HELL!

[@graemecouch5010]

Bless his Soul those poor Men ! 115f & 100% humidity & facing death !

[@MAOPals]

This KZbin channel is very under rated. Good historical narration along with historical and rare photos and videos. I noticed the last photo captured a group of Black Marines stuck on a beach. Very little is ever mentioned of them. Also the well detailed step by step coverage of battles that aren't well known deserves recognition.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thank you very much!

[@ralpharchbold2454]

Quite right .

[@ericeverett2353]

They’re graves registration. US army was segregated at that time

[@keltacuk8112]

This is a superb,historical account of a brutal campaign...It gives a glimpse of the pure hell these young men(boys)went through! I hope time never erases the deeds done in a far off land for all involved!

[@Chiller01]

Very helpful animated maps made the progress of this battle more understandable. The historical photos and videos were well timed and provided a feel for the desperation in this difficult fight.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thank you very much!

[@frankarnold571]

My Dad was on Peleliu in the 73rd Seabees and my uncle Luster in the 81 wildcat division.

[@barryrammer7906]

If dad us still around. Tell can do NMCB-1 thanks for his service.

[@AmBierce]

Thank you for covering K Company under Hunt. I found his book “Coral Comes High” detailing the battle at the Point.

[@guylelanglois6642]

It would be really interesting to read the Japanese version of these battles. The winners write the history books, though. Not a bad series. Might just subscribe

[@FromtheBattlefields]

"Not a bad" is good enough for me. Thanks!

[@paulnienhaus5359]

Excellent presentation. Very thorough! I personally think we could have bypassed Peleliu. What a shame. A horrible waste of experienced marines. I often think that, speaking of WW2, both the Russian-German War and the Pacific War with Japan and the Us, were race wars and particularly violent, civilians etc.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thanks!

[@mgway4661]

Chinese Japanese War as well

[@CFarnwide]

Thank you for the upload! I’d never heard of Col. Hanneken before. Sounds like a guy I should do a little research on!

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thank you for your comment! Col. Hanneken did some pretty interesting things before the second world war. It would be a nice topic for a video if I could find photos and video material from that period.

[@CFarnwide]

@@FromtheBattlefields just from doing a quick google search it sounds like he was a warrior through and through! I can see why you made a comparison to Chesty. 😎 Sincerely, thank you for mentioning him and piquing my curiosity!

[@jefesalsero]

How about "Gunny Haney"? GySgt. Elmo "Gunny" Haney was an NCO and one of the oldest in the 5th Marines. He was one of the marines to command Eugene Sledge's unit.

[@Mikehikes61]

I learned a couple of things I hadn’t known before, very well done, Thanks.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thank you very much!

[@jedisith85]

Another Amazing video! Thank you!

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thank you too!

[@BenMcneil-hk8xv]

I just found love letters from a Marine that was on Peleliu writing to his nurse soon to be wife as she heads to Philadelphia. I also have a promotion sheet where soldiers were being promoted to private. First class they were replacing kitchen staff, because two of them had been killed.

[@gus2600]

One wonders how much pressure Mac Arthur was putting on U.S. leaders to pull resources off this battle in order to allow him to take the Philippines . The leaders that told those marines what conditions they would face on Peleliu should have been force to go ashore and fight with them !

[@redaug4212]

Probably not enough to make a difference. Navy planners weren't expecting this kind of resistance in the first place, and made no provisions to prioritize Operation Stalemate over their support for the Army's invasion of Leyte. Which in retrospect makes sense considering the lack of strategy necessity of the Palau Islands campaign.

[@alexdelarge209]

End of the first day of fighting & you're less than a football field plus the end zones (450 meters) from the from the water!

[@TDog-ic7do]

I’ve read many books on this island battle and all I can come up with is why couldn’t we have skipped this island. It was a miserable, swamp, bug infested rock.

[@dennisdrury-rg8ms]

They did not use meters in 1944!

[@cab8866]

Programming proper name pronunciation of the islands would be nice.

[@scarletcrusade77]

Great video FTB! Also could you let me know what Japan unit was it holding the south and giving fire on the oncoming troops to Orange 3? I noticed on the front lines animation no unit seems to be there, is it a detachment from a unit on the right, if so which one and what strength did it have do you know?

[@FromtheBattlefields]

According to my sources, it was a Battalion from the 15th Regiment, 14th Infantry Division. And one more remark, the Japanese units are dancing freely on my map. That part shouldn't be taken seriously.

[@scarletcrusade77]

@@FromtheBattlefields Thanks for the info FTB!

[@jefesalsero]

@@FromtheBattlefields Sick sense of humor? Lol

[@MM22966]

That final photo at 17:04 intrigues me. There are at least four African-American servicemen in the pic, but to my knowledge neither the Marines nor the Navy (with the exception of cooks) were accepting them at this time. Are they some kind of Army attachment? Does anybody know where to find this photo, or further info on it?

[@MM22966]

Update: They ARE Marines, and probably from the 11th Marine Depot Company, volunteering to fight as infantry. Damn!

[@FromtheBattlefields]

The picture description says: D-day Peleliu, African Americans of one of the two units that supported the 7th Marines - the 16th Marine Field Depot or the 17th Naval Construction Battalion take a break in the 115 degree heat. If I'm not wrong, they also appear in one of the original videos taken during the battle.

[@georgeakchristensen5259]

How does anyone pronounce "Tarawa" as "Tawawa" ? Think about -- you have added an extra "wa' to the name.

[@stanstenson8168]

Hunt's point and the coral ridge are two different things.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Can you please tell me more about it? According to all my sources, "The Point" and the coral ridge are the same. I suppose it was a big defensive complex, much larger than one geographical point.

[@stanstenson8168]

@@FromtheBattlefields The Point is right on the waters edge. Hunt's Marines actually took it quickly. The problem was holding it. They had the ridge in front of them and they were the left flank. They are very close, but not the same obstacle. There was also a tank ditch there. You're right on the distance. But once you see it, they are two different fights. There are no tunnels there. Bunkers on the point, and one on the ridge, but it farther south, down by the Promatory, which also had bunkers. The coral ridge would be my guess maybe four meters high, at best, in places. I go with that because I know feet and yards. No way it is ten meters high.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

Thanks for clarifying this

[@stanstenson8168]

@@FromtheBattlefields No problem. I'll see if I can send you some pictures. I'm not sure I have any of the ridge, but I have some of Hunt's point.

[@FromtheBattlefields]

@@stanstenson8168 It would be great. In the next episode, I'm moving to the battle around the airfield and Bloody Nose Ridge.

[@holeshothunter5544]

a lecture with maps is something GIs must put up with. I am not so hindered. Bye

[@chrislouden7329]

The Marines bragged that they could take this island by themselves, army had to bail their asses out

[@ACERRUBRUM31]

The marines did most of the dirty work/ killing though, w/o necessities like the army had. It was tougher on the marines obviously. Regardless, men of the army/ marines were 20 times tougher than they are today. These guys didn’t have gore Tex, night vision, or specialists to hold soldiers hands when they get scared like today. Marines and Navy won the pacific war, not the army.

[@redaug4212]

@@ACERRUBRUM31 w/o necessities like the army had? Can you elaborate? By 1944 the Marines had all the support the Army had in the Pacific, if not more.

[@ACERRUBRUM31]

@@redaug4212 well, I think we could agree the marines did the brunt of the work to secure the beach fronts. They also were the ones to secure the airstrip. I believe that with temps above 100 degrees, and the lack of necessities like potable water played a huge role in casualties the marines faced. Unless of course, the ones that weren’t affected by oil in their drinking water, which was the case. The marines were the ones ending up in areas doing hand to hand combat, even throwing empty ammunition cases at the Japs out of desperation at some points. These guys were the ones who cut down the cave hidden Japs in half before the 81st was called in to help. The 81st showed up with tanks, fresh water, and the flame thrower option thrown from tanks, not back packs like the marines used. It’s important to note that the marines were the ones who did the dirty work in order for the 81st to even be allowed to set foot on Peleliu. Even with that, and the equipment the 81st had, it still took them a month of battle with the remaining hold outs to secure the island. I believe the marines bear the brunt of this victory, especially the numbers of 1st division men wiped out to near extinction. In the end, unfortunately, MacArthur didn’t need the island to advance to the mainland, or make his filmed “ return to the Philippines” he so needed for recognition. Gene Sledge has a book, highly recommended.

[@redaug4212]

@@ACERRUBRUM31 The tainted drinking water on Peleliu has been somewhat overstated by the popular narrative of the battle. Oil in the water was only an issue for the first few days of the invasion, with the Navy quickly bringing fruit and vegetable juice ashore, and engineers drilling wells after the beachhead was secure. Even with a large number of heat exhaustion cases, the majority of those afflicted with such non-battle casualties recovered within days and were sent back to their units, so it didn't have a serious impact on the fighting efficiency of the 1st Marine Division as a whole. As for support, the Marines had been using tanks since Guadalcanal. The 1st Tank Battalion, as well as the 3d Armored Amphibian Battalion equipped with both 37mm and flamethrower LVTs, were assigned to the 1st Marine Division for the duration of their deployment on Peleliu. When the 81st Inf Div took over, they only brought with them the 710th tank battalion (none of which had flamethrowers). So the Marines certainly were not underequipped compared to the Army, despite the typical assumption that the Marines always fight with less. There is no doubt that the Marines did most of the fighting on Peleliu, and I don't agree with OP's suggestion that the Marines were "bailed out", but to say that the Army had no part in winning the Pacific war is even more fictitious. For every Marine division in the Pacific theater, there were three more Army divisions. For every amphibious landing conducted by the Marines in the Pacific, there were three times as many Army landings. For every Japanese soldier killed by the Marines, there were four times as many Japanese soldiers killed by the Army. This is not to take anything away from what the Marines accomplished. This is just a reminder that the Marine Corps is a corps, and the Army is an army. The Army will always have a bigger role in any major conflict simply by way of size.

[@ACERRUBRUM31]

@@redaug4212 thank you for providing details to my generalized statement. I did actually read up on the details prior to commenting. I personally, have great admiration for all branches of service, and each branch’s significant history. For some reason, i overlooked your username, thinking it was the one who claimed the army “ bailed” them out. In fact it kind of ticked me off, knowing what happened to the marines and their sacrifices. To think these young men were the ages of my high school senior daughter, and to imagine her classmates and friends going through what these “ real patriots” endured at that age, gives me a feeling of sadness somehow. These young men had their entire lives ahead of them. I look at the faces of these kids on the landing boats, and they are just babies it seems. I must say, as a history buff, I had an incredible interest in ww2 Europe yet had not done any real research of the Pacific war. The actual battle of Peleliu, it’s story, and a few productions I watched, had an immense effect on me. It hit me pretty hard, to be honest. These kids lived through horror, constant feelings of terror especially at night, etc. it shook me up pretty bad, man. Broke my heart in some instances. Young men of this age today are for the most part, decent humans. They are skilled in technological areas I never thought possible when I was their age. They do have an advantage in that regard, but I’ll tell you, I’ve never ever ever seen a generation of young people feel so entitled in my life. Then to watch what those boys went through in the pacific, it makes me want to force every young person now, witness what happened to these marines on Peleliu. It might humble then a tad if only for awhile. All war is hell, but to me, there’s something about the battles of ww2 and how they were fought, the conditions, feet on the ground etc, that convinced me the young men of that generation are the best there ever will be. I mean ever. Thank you for your info, appreciate it