Stalemate

The Japanese unveiled a new defensive approach on Peleliu using well-entrenched positions, extensive caves, and natural barriers across the island. This was developed by Colonel Nakagawa, commander of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the 14th Infantry Division. Prior to the …

1944-09-20

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The Japanese unveiled a new defensive approach on Peleliu using well-entrenched positions, extensive caves, and natural barriers across the island. This was developed by Colonel Nakagawa, commander of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the 14th Infantry Division. Prior to the invasion of this strategic island, the defenders withheld all fire to mask their positions from US naval bombardment. This tactic continued on D-Day itself, allowing the three regiments (1st, 5th and 7th) of the 1st Marine Division to reach the beaches under very light fire. But progress inland was slow and with a terrible cost in lives. By the 20th, the 1/1st Marines had reached the base of Hill 154, a barren wail of coral infested with hidden defenders and protected from the overlook known as Suicide Ridge. Captain Everett Pope led C Company up that wall, fighting valiantly and managing to overtake the position. During the night, the Japanese assaulted the Marines on the hill repeatedly. In between charges, the Marines countered by tossing rocks (to sound like grenades landing) as well as some actual grenades from their dwindling supply. When the Marines finally ran out of ammunition, Captain Pope rallied the few remaining Marines around himself to all fight back the repeated charges with little more than their bare hands.

Peleliu, Palau

The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II by the United States military, was fought between the U.S. and Japan during the Mariana and Palau Campaign of World War II, from September to November 1944, on the island of Peleliu. U.S. Marines of theist Marine Division, and later soldiers of the U.S. Army's 8ist Infantry Division, fought to capture an airstrip on the small coral island of Peleliu. This battle was part of a larger offensive campaign known as Operation Forager, which ran from June to November 1944, in the Pacific Theater. Major General William Rupertus, commander of theist Marine Division, predicted the island would be secured within four days. However, after repeated Imperial Army defeats in previous island campaigns, Japan had developed new island-defense tactics and well-crafted fortifications that allowed stiff Resistance, extending the battle through more than two months. The heavily outnumbered Japanese defenders put up such stiff Resistance, often fighting to the death in the Emperor's name, that the island became known in Japanese as the "Emperor's Island." In the U.S., this was a controversial battle because of the island's negligible strategic value and the high casualty rate, which exceeded that of all other amphibious operations during the Pacific War. The National Museum of the Marine Corps called it "the bitterest battle of the war for the Marines".

Wikipedia: Battle of Peleliu

Japanese

U.S.