1st INE DIVISION'The Old Breed'Previous pages: IsrMarines push inland under fireafter landing on the white coral sands of Peleliu.US Army via Real War PhotosAcknowledgementsAuthor and Publisher acknowledge the help of anumber of people in the production of this book,including Teddy Nevill of TRH Pictures and LolitaChizmar of Real War Photos who supplied the bulkof the photos, Mark Franklin of Flatt Artt (mapsand drawings), Donald Sommerville (editor), TonyStocks of Compendium Design (design). Thanks toBob Aquilina of the Marine Historical Centre forthe information in the commanding generals tableon page 82.Firstpublished2002ISBN071102958XAll rightsreserved. No part of thisbookmay bereproducedor transmittedinany formor by anymeans, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying, recording orby anyinformationstorageandretrieval system, withoutpermissionfromthePublisherinwriting. CompendiumPublishing2002PublishedbyIan AllanPublishinganimprint of Ian AllanPublishingLtd, Hersham, Surrey KT 12 4RG.PrintedbyIan AllanPrintingLtd, Hersham, Surrey KT 12 4RG.Code: 020 I 1/A2BritishLibrary Cataloguing inPublicationDataACIPcataloguerecordfor thisbookisavailable fromtheBritishLibraryAbbreviations Det Detachment MC MotorcycleAA(A) Anti-aircraft DUKW amphibious vehicles Med Medium orartillery DZ Dropzone MedicalAB Airborne ea each MG Machine gunADC Aide de camp Engr Engineer Mor MortarAEF American ETO European Theatre Mot Inf Motorised infantryExpeditionary of Operations MP Military PoliceForce FA Field Artillery Mtrel MaterielAmb Ambulance FMF Field MarineForce OD Olive drabAmtrac Amphibious tractor gren Grenade QM QuartermasterArty Artillery HBT Herringbone twill Pfc/Pvt Private (first class)asst Assistant HMG HeavyMG PI PlatoonA/tk Anti-tank (.50 cal) PIR Parachute infantryATRl Anti-tank rocket Hy Heavy regimentlauncher (M6 Inf Infantry RA Royal ArtilleryBazooka) lCA landing craft RCT RegimentalBn Battalion assault Combat TeamBR British lCI landing craft Recce/Recon ReconnaissanceBrig Brigade infantry RHQ Regimental HQBty Battery lCM landing craft Sect Sectioncamo camouflage mechanised (T or Sf)Sgt (Technical orcal calibre lCT landing craft tank Staff/)SergeantCav Cavalry lCVP landing craft SHAEF SupremeHQ AlliedCC Combat Command vehicle and Powers inEuropeC-in-C Commander-in-Chief personnel Sig SignalsCG Commanding LMG lightMG (.30 cal) SP Self-propelledgeneral lST landing Ship Tank Tac TacticalCml Chemical It light Tk TankCO Commanding (1-/2-) It (First/Second) USAAF US Army AirForceofficer lieutenant USMC US Marine CorpsCol Column lVT (A) . landing Vehicle Veh VehicleCP Command post Tracked (Armored)Coy Company aka BuffaloDO Duplex drive lZ landing zone Dates(amphibious) Maint Maintenance 20/7/54 20 July 1954CONTENTSOrigins &History . . . . . . . . 6Ready for War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12In Action . . . . . . . . . . . 18Insignia, Clothing &Equipment . . ....... 66People ............................ 81Postwar ....................... 86Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Reference ..................92Index .......................... 96ORIGINS& HISTORY(Semper FidelisJMotto of the Marine Corps, adopted in1883. It is Latin for Always Faithful.Below: US troops of 7th Amphibious Force land onDutch New Guinea. In the landing craft is an M8howitzer motor carriage, the marriage of a 75mmpack howitzer in an open turret and anM5 light tank.Interestingly, the pairing of the M8 turret with theLVTbase to produce the LVT(A)-4(see page 42 top photo)provided amphibious forces with their most resilientlanding vehicle. Note the open driver's hatch in thehull front of the M8. Armour played a major role inthe Pacific and marine divisions had organic mobileartillery and tank units in their orders of battle.TRH/National ArchivesAt the end of June 1939, two months before Hitler's invasion of Polandled to the outbreakof World War II, theUS MarineCorpshad a strengthof just 19,432men of whom a mere4,840 were assigned to the Fleet MarineForce (FMF), an expeditionary organization of theUS Navy earmarked for full-scale overseas amphibious assault operations.The origins of theconcept dated back to the early interwar period, when the Marine Corps commandant wasMajor-General John Lejeune, astaunch advocate of the corps' use as an overseasexpeditionary force and aformer member of the 5thMarines.In 1923, he summeduphisbeliefs tostudents at theNaval War College: 'The maintenance, equipping, and trainingofits expeditionary forceso it will beininstant readiness to support the fleetin theevent ofwar, I deem tobe the most important Marine Corps duty in time of peace.' Lejeune andhisimmediatesuccessorsascommandant, Wendell Neville, BenFuller, andJohnRussell Jr.,facedanuphill struggle toachieve their aims. Amphibiouswarfaredoctrineswerepoorlyunderstood and their value unappreciated in the upper echelons of the US military.Appropriatefundswereeithernot forthcomingor toosmall for a meaningful expansionprogramme at a time of fiscal shortages.CREATING THE1ST MARINE DMSIONSome progress was made towards the end of Fuller's termas commandant. In December1933 the secretary of the navy approved his plan to redesignate the existingexpeditionary forces on theEast and West Coasts of the United States as theFME At thisstagetheFMFconsistedof the1st MarineBrigadeat Quantico, Virginia, andthe2ndMarineBrigadeat San Diego, California.The termbrigade was a misnomer as eachcontained little more than an under-strength infantry regiment with smallsupport units. Each brigade was alsoassistedby a Marine AircraftGroupand athird air unit, a scouting squadrondesignated VMS-3, was based on theVirginIslands. Theseforcescomprisedthewhole of theF M ~ but would form the basisfor future expansiononce World War II hadbroken out. There were also moves todevelop full-fledged operational techniquesfor amphibious warfare during this period.In January 1934 the Marine Corpspublishedthe TentativeManual forLandORIGINS &HISTORYOperations. Thiswaslater amendedandexpandedandwasjoined, in1938,by theUSNavy's Fleet Training Publication (FTP) 167, which unveiledthe amphibiouswarfareprocedures that wouldbecome standardin World War II.President Franklin Roosevelt's decision to declare a national emergency on8 September 1939, aweek after Hitler's invasionof Poland, and the subsequent need tostrength the defences of the United States led to asteady increasein the country's armedforces, includingtheFMF. By 1940 theFMFhadreacheda strengthof 9,749andwasgrowing steadily. The expansion programme was boosted in November by themobilization of the Organized Marine Corps Reserve, apool of some 5,200 mostlytrainedandexperiencedofficersandmen. Thosewhowereassignedtothe1stMarineBrigadewouldallow theprocessof expansiontodivisional strengthtobegin.Even asthebrigadewas undergoingexpansion, therewerepotential callson itsservices. Nazi Germany's lightning defeat ofFranceinJune 1940 and the creationof theVichyFrenchpuppet staterangalarmbellsin theRoosevelt administration, which fearedthat FrenchterritoriesintheNew Worldmight beusedbyHitler'sforcesasbasesfromwhere the UnitedStates couldbe threatened, possiblyby U-boat attacks onits merchantfleet.The chief concern was Martinique in theAntilles, the administrative centre ofFrance'sCaribbeanempire. Planswerelaidtooccupy theislandby force. Thedetailsofthe occupation operation werefinalized on 8July, andthe 1st Marine Brigade wasorderedtoprepare for embarkationat NewYork around a week later. Thelandings nevertookplaceas thestatusof Martiniquewas temporarilyresolved. However, tensionsroseonceagaininOctober andRooseveltordered a landingtobeprepared. Thecoreof theproposedoccupation force were the 2,800menof the1st Marine Brigade. Yet again, thecrisisdiedaway andthebrigadestooddowntofocusonitsexpansion.7Above: In 1939 fewer than 5,000 Marines wereassigned to the FMF - the expeditionaryorganization of theUS Navy earmarked for full-scaleoverseas amphibious assault operations.By the timethis photograph was taken,22 October 1944, thingshad changed considerably. Taken from 914m(3,000ft), it shows an attack that 1st Marine Divisiondid not take part in - the invasion of Leyte in thePhilippine Islands by Lt-Gen Walter Krueger's 200,000-strong Sixth Army - but it does exemplify the type ofoperation that the division took part in. In less thanfive yearsUS forces had gained experience of largeamphibious operations and had made the necessarychanges to the manpower of the marine divisions.Ontop of this, they had developed the ships, tactics andweaponry to accomplish amphibiOUS operationseffectively. Note the white circle in the centre of thepicture and compare it to the photograph at thebottom of page52.TRHIUSNavyBelow: World War I Marine recruitment poster byJames Montgomery Flagg. Born on18 June1877 inPelham Manor, New York, Flagg is best known for hisimage of Uncle Sam pointing out of the poster 'I WantYou forUS Army'that was used in both world wars. Infact Flagg, a commercial artist, created nearly 50works in support of theUS war effort during WorldWar I - including 'Tell that to the Marines!'depicting a suited New Yorker reacting to the headline,'Huns kill women and children!'. TRH PicturesSPEARHEAD: 1ST MARINE DIVISIONIn the late fall of 1940 Brigadier-General Holland Smith's 1st Marine Brigade movedfromQuanticotoGuantanamoBayinCuba. Itsunits, basedonthe5thMarines, theartilleryofthe1stBattalion, 11thMarines, andattachedsupport units, hadoutgrownQuanticoand the larger Guantanamobase was chosen for the ongoingexpansion of thebrigade to divisional strength.To provide aleavening of experienced menin the proposednew units, theexistingones were simply split in twoat the beginningof 1941. Toavoidhavingall thebest men siphoned off into one unit, leaving the worst in the other, Smithordered eachcommander todrawuplistsof equal lengthbut without includingthecommander or his executive officer. Each commanding officer and executive did not knowwhich of thelists he would take charge of until Hollandhadmadehis personal decision.Consequently, the 5thMarines was divided to form the core of the 7thMarines, while the2ndBattalion, 11thMarines, wasformedfromthepre-existing1st Battalion. A littlewhilelater, theprocesswasrepeatedbut thistimewiththreelistsfor eachunit andomitting the three most senior officers in each. Thus each unit provided athird of the menfor a new unit. The 5thand 7thMarines, for example, each surrenderedmen that formedthebasis of a new regiment, the 1st Marines, whichwas activated on 1 February 1941. On the 12th, thebrigade was formerly redesignated as the 1stMarine Division onboard the battleshipTexas whileits men were heading for the island of Culebra, partof PuertoRica, to take partinmanoeuvres.LINEAGE AND HONOURSThe units that made up the bulk of the new divisionhad seen service before in some form. The 1stMarine Regiment had had many guises, withseveral units having enjoyed the title,' often atsimilar times. However, the unit commonlyrecognized as the regiment's antecedent wasactivatedat Philadelphiaon 27 November 1913but initially bore the designation 2nd AdvanceBaseRegiment, a titlethat it held until 1July 1916,when it was redesignated the 1st Regiment ofMarines. InitsearlieryearstheunitwasprimarilyinvolvedintheCaribbeanandCentral America. InApril 1914, ittookpart intheoccupationof VeraCruz followingtheMexicangovernment'sarrestofUSsailors. During1915and1916,theregimentwas in action in Haiti against local rebelsthreateningthecountry's economyand extensiveUS business interests.The 1st Marines scored anotable victory over the local Cacos insurgents withthecaptureofFort Riviereon17November 1915.In April 1916, the regiment moved to theneighbouringDominican Republic, whereinternalunrest was again undermining US businessinterests. Nevertheless, as withotherUS units afterWorld War I, the 1st Marines had achequeredhistoryfor much of theinterwar era. Therewere8ORIGINS &HISTORYperiods of service followed by deactivation andreactivation. On 10July1930theregiment received itspermanent designation of 1st Marines as part of awholesale reordering of the Marine Corps but wasdisbandedon 1 November 1931, although a number of itstroopsjoinedthe 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, which wasrenamed the 1st Separate Training Battalion on1 November 1932. An actual 1st Marines would not appearagainuntil February 1941.The5thMarineRegiment,nicknamedas the 'FightingFifth', first sawserviceduringtheoccupationof VeraCruzinJuly1914but soonreturnedhometothePhiladelphiaNaval Yardandwas thendeactivated, withitsmensent toother units. US entry intoWorld War I led to avastexpansionprogrammeandtheregiment wasreactivatedshortlybeforethedeclarationof war on6 April 1917. Itsailed forEuropeontheUSSHendersononthe27thandformed part of the 4th Marine Brigade, whichwas attachedtotheSecondArmyof General JohnPershing'sAmericanExpeditionary Force (AEF).The regiment'sfirst main engagement came duringtheBattle ofBelleau WoodinJune1918. Taskedwithhelpingtoblunt a GermandriveonParisbyholdingthelineof theMarneRiver, the2ndDivision,commandedbyMajor-General Lejeuneandcontainingthe5th Marines, arrived in lateMaytofacemajorGermanforces and on 5JuneaFrench colonel suggestedretreating inthefaceofoverwhelmingodds. Thecommander of the5thMarines, Colonel Wendell Neville, gaveacurt reply to the suggestion: 'Retreat, hell. We just got here.' On the followingday the5thMarine Regiment attackedon the right towards the village ofTorcy andwas able totakeHill 142by 12.00hours, but theGermanshungontomanypositions. Thebattlefor the heavily defendedand shell-blastedwoodcontinued for thenext fewweeks. Themarineswerewithdrawnfromtheaction on the15thbut returnedtocompleteitsoccupationontheeveningof the 21st-22nd. The troops of the13,500-strong brigadehadsufferedsome5,700casualtiesduringthebattle,but hadbeenchristened'DevilDogs' by theGermansbecause of their fightingprowess.The marines continued to playa central rolein the AEF's campaigns on the WesternFront. InJulyandAugusttheregiment tookpart inthesuccessful AlliedAisne-Marnecounter-offensive, which eradicated abulge in the line between Soissons andReims. Theregimentnext participatedintheSt Mihiel offensive, the first large-scaleUS attack ofthewar,tothesouth-eastof Verdun. Infourdays, 12-16September, a largeGermansalient waseliminated. The 2ndDivision, part of theUSI Corps,wasstationedonthefar right of the bulge and made excellent progress, bypassing the supposedlyimpregnable high ground of Mont Sec as the Germans continued an ongoingwithdrawal. Theregiment'sfinal attacksof thewar wereduringtheMeuse-Argonneoperation launched on the 26th. After days of bitter fighting to break through successivelines of German defences the advance bogged down and had tobe reorganized. The 2ndDivision was moved to support the French Fourth Army during its attacks on theformidableMont Blanc position. The advance openedonthemorningof 1 October andthe5thMarinesstormedMontBlanc'sleft flank,overranmanyGermanpositionsandcompletedtheoccupationof thesupposedlyimpregnableareaon4October.Afteraspell inreserve, the 2ndDivisionreturned to the line on the 17th for the final stages ofthe offensive, adrive on Sedan. In the face of crumbling German resistance, the divisionstormed the Barricourt heights on 1 November, and the armistice followed 10 days later.9Above: German trench mortar captured by US Marinesof 2nd Battalion, 5th Regiment at Belleau Wood. The'Devil Dogs' are justly proud of this action, foralthough it is sometimes seen as 'an inconsequentialaffair'against the bigger canvas of World WarI, moreUSMC troops fell in the attack on Belleau Wood thanhad in combat in the whole of the unit's history up tillthen. The final cost was around half the Marine force.The action had stopped the German attack towardsParis and, quite possibly, saved the day for the Allies.In recognition of their prowess the wood was renamedBois de la Brigade de Marine. TRH PicturesRight: From the start of the campaign against theJapanese in the Pacific it was obvious that amphibiousoperations were going to require purpose-built vesselscapable of delivering large numbers of troops, theirequipment, transport, heavy weapons and logisticsupport to the battlefield, as well as providing thenecessary support for opposed landings. The UnitedStates embarked, therefore, on a massive buildingprogramme that saw large numbers of specializedships built, such as: LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) - had a crew of24-60 sailors and carried 200 soldiers, whodescended from ramps on each side. LCls came ina number of forms including LCI (L) - Large;LCI (R) - Rocket, that could fire as many as 6004.5in rockets on one run;LCI (G) - Gunship,armed with 40mm, 20mm and machine guns;LCI(M) - Mortar, that carried 3in and 6inmortars;LCI (D) - Demolition, that carriedfrogmento clear invasion beaches;LCI (FF) -Flotilla Flagship, carrying the command staff of anLCI flotilla. There were also smoke-laying LCls tohide the fleet from suicide pilots. LCS (Landing Craft Support) - modifiedgunships used for close inshore troop support andfighting.They carried3in, .sOin gun,twin 40mmguns and 20mm guns. Also LCS(L) (3) - LandingCraft Support (Large) (Mk 3) - 130 were builtduring WWI!. LCT (Landing Craft Tank) - built in two models,Mk 5with a bow ramp only and Mk 6with both abow and stern ramp. TheUS Navy's all purposegeneral duty vessel, as well as carrying tanks theywere used in many different roles and wereconverted and equipped with guns and rockets. LSM (Landing Ship Medium)and LSM(R)(Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)) - 558 werebuilt dUring World War II, the latter designed tosupport landings by prOViding close-in fire supportusing their primary battery of rocket launchers -eight to ten twin Sin rocket launchers, eachcapable of firing 30 rockets per minute. LST (Tank Landing Ship, one of which is picturedhere; see also exploded view on page 16) -designed to carry equipment, cargo and troopsdirectly onto the beachhead.1,051 of these shipswere laid down during WWII and many continuedto give service after the war. LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle or Personnel) - thesmall landing craft used along withLVTs andDUKWs at the sharp end of amphibiOUS landings.TRHIUSArmySPEARHEAD: 1ST MARINE DIVISIONThe 5thMarines were stationedin Germany after the war, returning to the United Statesin 1919. Aperiod of mixed fortunes followed, including deactivation, reactivation, homeserviceandactioninNicaragua.The7thMarineRegiment originatedon14 August 1917, whenit wasactivatedatPhiladelphia. It didnotseeserviceonthe WesternFrontbutwasdeployedtoaugmentthe garrison at GuantanamoBay. After two years of overseas service, it was deactivatedin 1919, but was againmobilizedbrieflyin1933. Servingonwarships off Cubaduringa periodof internal unrest, ittooknopart inoperationsasthesewerecontainedbymarineunitsalreadyontheground. Theregiment onceagainreturnedtotheUnitedStatesandwasdemobilizeduntil 1941.The 11thMarineRegimentwasestablishedasa light artilleryunit at QuanticoinJanuary1918, but served as an infantryunit inFranceduring World War I. Betweenthewarsitwasdecommissionedandreactivatedontwooccasions, seeingserviceinNicaragua. Itwasreactivatedin1940tobereadyfor actionasanartillery regiment.Theexpansionof theMarine Corps from1939 wasbasedon theneed to fulfilthreemissions. First, at least two divisionsandtwoair wings were neededfor the FMF.Second, newunits known as defencebattalionswere requiredto protect the largeroverseas bases, such as Guantanamo and various islands in the Pacific. Third,detachmentshadtoberaisedto guardUSbases and thewarships of the growingnavy.Thisvastexpansionprogrammerequiredtensof thousandsofnewrecruits,volunteerswhoneeded training. Theexisting facilities were far too smalltocope with the demandsplacedonthemandnewbaseshadtobe builtasspeedilyaspossible. On15February1941official authorizationwasgrantedtobuilt a newmarinebaseonthecoast ofNorthCarolina. Thelocation, theNewRiver areaof OnslowCounty, wasdeemedidealforamphibiouswarfaretrainingbutthe1st Division'sofficial historianalsoremarkedthat '[Itwas] 111,170acresof water, coastal swamp, andplain, theretoforeinhabitedlargelybysandflies, ticks, chiggers, andsnakes.' Extensiveplansforwhat wouldbedesignatedCampLejeuneweredrawnupbutwhenthebasewasactivatedon1 MayasMarineBarracks, NewRiver, itwaslittlemore than a vast tentedcamp.Elementsofthe1stMarineDivisionbeganarrivingat NewRivershortlyafteritsopening and over the following monthstookpart in various training programmes,includinga joint amphibiousexercisewiththe USArmy's 1st InfantryDivision. Thedivisionwas still not at full strengthbut shortages of instructors were overcome and thetrainingprogrammeexpandedfromthedangerouslyshortperiodof 24daysin1940to a morerealisticsevenweeks. By theendofNovember 1941theMarineCorpshada total strengthofsome 65,000meninbasesacrosstheUnitedStatesandoverseas;8,918oftheseformedthestill understrength1stMarineDivision. Thoughthesemenwere still training for combat, they wouldget ataste of thereal thingmuchsooner thananyone expected. On 7December, the Japanese attacked the naval base at PearlHarbor, precipitatingUSentryinto thewar.TheUnitedStatesdeclaredwar onJapanon 8 December 1941, butcoulddolittleto halt the lightning Japanese onslaught across the Pacific that immediately followed thestrikeagainst Pearl Harbor. Inrapidsuccessionover thefollowingsixmonthsUSandother Alliedbasesacrossthetheatrefell - HongKong, Malaya, theDutchEast IndiesandthePhilippines - astheJapanesestrovetopushever fartheracrossthe WestandSouth-west Pacifictoestablisha viabledefensiveperimeter. ByMay1942theyhadreachedtheBritishSolomonIslands protectoratein the South-westPacific, whichwereto be usedforfurther offensivestowardsNewGuineaandAustralia. However, theirplans for theattack onPortMoresby, thecapital of New Guinea, weredislocatedbyUSsuccesses at theBattleof theCoral Seaon 7-8May, althoughtheJapanesecontinuedtostrengthentheir positionsintheSolomons.10ORIGINS &HISTORY11READY FOR WARRight:Tractors pull I55mm towed artillery piecesfrom an LCT. TheUS Marine Corps artillery regimentswere equipped with a variety of I55mm guns - fromthe French-designed Schneider M1917 to the MIAI'Long Tom', TRHIUS Marine CorpsBelow right:LSTs at the beachhead: in the foregrounda jeep is manhandled off the ramp of LST-202. USMCvia Real War PhotosTARGETGUADALCANALThe USvictoryat theBattleof MidwayinearlyJune1942, inwhichtheImperialJapanese Navy lost four aircraft carriers, effectively stopped further Japaneseexpansionacross the South-west Pacific and theUS Joint Chiefs of Staff decided thata limitedcounter-offensivewas feasible. Thetarget chosenwasGuadalcanal, oneofthe Solomon Islands and within the sphere of operations of General DouglasMacArthur'sSouth-west Pacific Areacommand.Aerial reconnaissancehadindicatedthat the Japanese were building a major air baseon theisland fromwhere arenewedthrust southwardtowardsAustraliacouldbesupported. However, MacArthurlackedmanyof the resourcesto undertakean amphibiousassault and Guadalcanal wastransferredto Admiral Chester Nimitz'sPacificFleetandPacificOceanAreas. On25JuneNimitz ordered Vice-Admiral RichardGhormley, commander of theSouthPacificArea, toprepareanassaultonGuadalcanal. The operation, code-named Watchtower,was given aprovisional dateof 1August, leaving very littletimeto gather theresources for theoperation.Estimatessuggestedthatatleast a divisionofaround20,000menwasneededfor theinitial landing phase and onlythe 1st MarineDivision, which had begunarrivinginNew Zealandinmid-June, hadtheappropriate trainingastheother fivedivisionsinthetheatrewerefromtheUSArmy.Whenwordreachedthedivision'scommander,Major-General AlexanderVandegrift, hewas somewhat takenaback. Hisdivisionwas stillarrivinginNew Zealandandwasexpecting toundergo a further sixmonths of round-the-clock trainingbeforeenteringcombat. Many ofhis officersandnon-commissionedofficerswereveteransof earlier conflicts, but thegreater partofthe ordinary marines were newto war. Colonel Clifton Cates, the 1st Marines'commandingofficer, reckonedthat 90percent of hisregiment hadjoinedupafterPearl Harbor. Tomake matters worse, Vandegrift didnot evenhave the whole divisionwithhim.The 5thand part of the 11th Marines were present, but the 1st Marines andthe remainder of the 11th were still heading for New Zealand fromthe United States,whileColonel JamesWebb's 7th Marines, after abrief stay inAustralia, were onBritishSamoaundergoingjungleandamphibiouswarfaretraining. Themanpowershortagewas acuteand the 2ndand10thMarines, both fromthe 2ndDivision, weresent fromSanDiegotobolster Vandegrift'scommand. Other unitsweredrawnfromgarrisons in the Pacific- Lieutenant-Colonel Merritt Edson's 1st Raider BattalionbasedonNew Caledoniaand the 3rdDefense Battalionunder Colonel Robert Pepperstationedat Pearl Harbor. The1st MarineParachuteBattalionunder Major RobertWilliamswasalso attachedto the division.12Below: Atractor pulls l05mm ammunition from alanding craft. The beachhead, once secured, continuedto be ascene of frantic activity until airstrips inlandcould supplement the logistic effort. US Marine Corpsdivisions were always heavy on artillery and theworkhorses of the divisions at the start of the war werethe 75mm pack howitzer battalions. As the war wenton, however,l05mm howitzers replaced the 75s.TRHIUSArmySPEARHEAD: 1ST MARINE DIVISIONCOUNTDOWN TO WATCHTOWERApart from gathering the forces needed to bring the divisionup to strength, Vandegriftfacedtheproblemof organizingit for a combat operation. Hearguedfor a shortpostponement to Watchtower,statingthat his still-arrivingtroopshadtobecombatequipped and supplies loaded onto shipping in the correct order for acomplexoperationin little more than a month.The commander gained ashort breathingspace- Watchtower was postponed for aweek, until 7August. Nevertheless the pre-invasionwork carriedonat a breakneckpaceat Wellingtondockyard. A shortageofappropriateshipping meant that all of the2.5ton trucks belongingtodivision'smotor transport battalionand a battalion of 155mm howitzers fromColonel Pedro delValle's 11thMarineshadtobe temporarily left behind. Themarines themselves wererestricted to the absolute essentials - 60 days of supplies, enough ammunition for 10days of heavy combat and only the smallest amount of individual baggage aspracticable. The reloadingprocess was carried out until the very last possible momentbeforedepartureon22July.Watchtowerhadbeenconceivedandorderedinrapidsuccession; somemarinesprivately suggested it shouldhavebeenrenamedOperationShoestring. Workingto atight deadline, the division's preparationsandthe gatheringof the other elements oftheinvasionforcehadbeenhurried. Time topractise for the forthcomingamphibiousassault was equally short and took place at Koro, one of theFiji Islands and 1,800km(1,000miles)fromGuadalcanal, after thedivisionhadleft NewZealand. Thetroopcarriersand escortsarrivedat Korofromvariousdestinationson26Julyandthe14READY FOR WARtrainingthat wasaccomplishedwasrestrictedtodeployingthetransports' landingcraft as extensive coral reefs prevented any beach-landing exercises. Koro alsopermitted the commanders of the invasion force's various components tomeet for thefirst time. Vandegrift receivedsome goodnews, the 7thMarines onSamoa were beingprepared to embark at four days' notice to support Watchtower. Rear AdmiralRichmondTurner was confident his landing vessels and support warships could get the1st Divisionashore. However, Vice-Admiral FrankFletcher, overall commander of thetask force, also informedhim thathis carriers, Saratoga, Enterprise,andWasp, couldonlyprovideaircoverintheinvasionareafor twodaysduetothethreat posedbyJapanese land-based aircraft in the Solomons. Vandegrift protested that it would takea minimumof fourdaystodisembarkhiscommand. A compromisewasreached-Fletcher's carrierswouldremainonstation for 72hours.Thearmadadeparted Koro on 28July, attemptingtodeceivetheenemy byinitiallysailingona headingthat wouldtakeit toAustralia. At 12.00hourson5 August thevariousshipsturnednorthona paththat would leadthemtotheSolomons. Arriving undetected during the night of 6-7 August, the assaulttransports sailing throughSealark Channel split into twogroups. Transport DivisionX-Ray's15 vesselsmoved toward a point east of LungaPointon the northshore ofGuadalcanal,whiletheeightshipsof Transport Division Yokemade for theislandsof Florida, Gavutu, Tanambogoand Tulagi. Operation Watchtower was only a matterof brief hours away. Vandegrift, thefirst general tocommandamarinedivisionoutsidethecontinental United States, was poised to begin thefirst USgroundoffensiveof thewar.15THE INFANTRYMAN'SCREED'MY RIFLE'The Japanese surprise attack onPearlHarbor prompted WilliamRupertus, oneof the 1st Division's senior officers atthe time andlater its commander, tocompose 'My Rifle', whichis still inuseto the present day.THISISMY RIFLETherearemanylikeit but thisoneismine.My rifleis my best friend.It is my life.I must master it as I master my life.My rifle, without me, isuseless.Without my rifle, I amuseless.I must firemy rifle true.I must shoot straighter thanany enemywhois trying to kill me.>1must shoot him beforehe shoots me.I wilL ..My rifle and myself know what counts inwar is not theroundswefire, thenoise of our burst, nor the smoke wemake.We know that it is the hits that count.We will hit. ..My rifleishuman, evenasI,because itis my life.Thus, I will learn it as a brother.f will learn its weakness, its strength, itsparts,itsaccessories, itssightsandits barrel.I will keep my rifle clean and ready, evenas I amdean andready.We will become part of eachother.We will ...Before god I swear this creed.My rifleand myself are the defenders ofmy country.We are masters of our enemy.Weare saviors of my life.So beit until victoryisAmerica'sandthereis no enemy, but Peace.SPEARHEAD: 1ST MARINE DIVISION1ST MARINEDIVISIONMAIN WARTIMEUNITSGUADALCANAL NEW BRITAIN PELELIU OKINAWAINFANTRYINFANTRYINFANTRY INFANTRY1st Marine1st Marine1st Marine 1st Marine5thMarine5thMarine5thMarine 5thMarine7thMarine7th Marine7th Marine 7thMarinelater 164th Inf Regt, US ArmyARTILLERYARTILLERY ARTILLERYARTILLERY11th Marine11th Marine 11th Marine11th Marine 3rd and 8th Battalion III PhibcorpsARMOURArtillery (155mm) ARMOURARMOUR1st Tank Battalion12th AM Battalion 1st Tank Battalion1st Tank BattalionENGINEERSARMOUR ENGINEERSENGINEERS17th Marine Regiment1st Tank Battalion 1st Engineer Battalion1st Engineer Battalion1st Engineer Battalion,1st Pioneer Battalion1st Pioneer Battalion2nd Pioneer Battalion,ENGINEERS 145th Naval Construction19th Naval Construction1st Engineer Battalion BattalionOTHER TROOPSBattalion1st Pioneer BattalionDivisional HQ Battalion 33rd and 73rdNaval Construction OTHER TROOPS1st Service BattalionOTHER TROOPSBattalions Divisional HQ Battalion1st Special Weapons BattalionDivisional HQ Battalion1st Service Battalion1st Parachute Battalion1st Service BattalionOTHER TROOPS 1st Motor Transport Battalion1st Amtrac Battalion1st Special Weapons BattalionDivisional HQ Battalion 1st Medical Battalion1st Medical Battalion1st Motor Transport Battalion1st Service Battalion 3rd (Armored), 1st and 8th Amtrac1st and 2nd Raider Battalions1st Amtrac Battalion1st Motor Transport Battalion Battalions5th(Det A), 3rdand 9thDefense1st Medical Battalion3rd (Armored), 1st, 6th and 8thBattalions12th Defense BattalionAmtrac Battalions1st AviationEngineer Battalion 1st Medical Battalion3rd Barrage Balloon Squadron 16th FieldDepotInner dooracts as rampLANDING SHIP TANK (LST)EXPLODED VIEWVents carry off exhaustgases from tank hold/ Booby hatchTraffic-control boothOfficers quarters, messandgalley in deck houseRamp well above waterlineprevents floodingin case - ~ ~ , ~ ~ (>~of leaks in front door Rack andpinion drive - ~ ~ ~ _ 'against geared quadrants -operates doorsSignal mast/ Welin-type davits/ Wheel house and chart roomRemoveable stanchionsElevator handles deck cargoQuarters for combat personelFueloil tanksAA gunsSockets for amidship ventswhennecessary to makeroom for some types of cargoShip's crewquartered aft16READY FOR WARMAINCOMPONENTSOF A MARINE DIVISION 1942DivisionHQIr------r--'- - - , . . . - - - - ~ r - - - - - - . - - I ----IOther 1 x Tank 3 x Marine 1 x Marine 1 x US Navy 1 x Marinesupporting Battalion Regiments Regiment Coast Defense Regimenttroops (Infantry) (Engineer) Battalion (Artillery)1st Bn 2ndBn 3rdBn 1st Bn 2ndBn 3rdBn 4thBn12 x 155mm, 12 x 105mm,III36 x 75mmgunsIfJHQ Coy ACoy BCoy CCoy HQ Coy DCoy ECoy FCoy HQ Coy GCoy HCoy I Coy1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon 60mm Mortars MGs1st Rifle Squad 2nd RifleSquad 3rd Rifle Squad1st Fire Team 2ndFire Team 3rdFire TeamFire TeamLeader BAR Man Assistant BAR Man17RiflemanIN ACTIONRight: 75mm MIAI pack howitzer on Tulagi. Thecrew has placed the gun in a capturedJapaneseemplacement; note the camouflage paint appliedirregularly to the sandbags. The11th MarineRegiment was the1st Division's artillery unit; the10th Marines was attached to 2nd Marine Division.Tulagi (see map below right) was an island across theSkylark Channel from Guadalcanal.USMC via Real War PhotosBelow right: Map of the operations on Guadalcanal,August 1942-February 1943.The 7August amphibious assault on Guadalcanal by the 1st Marine Division wasspearheadedby Colonel LeRoy Hunt's 5thMarines andCliftonCates' 1st Marines, whichwere to land close to theTenaruRiver and thenpush inland over the Ilu River to take theairfield. The11thMarines, the3rdDefenseBattalion, andvarious supportunits weretofollowon and helpsecurethe beachhead. Some32kmaway (20miles) acrosstheSkylarkChannel Brigadier WilliamRupertus, thedivision'sassistant commander, hadchargeof theforces earmarkedfor Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo- the1st RaiderBattalion, the2ndBattalion,5thMarines,andthe1st ParachuteBattalion. Thebulk ofthe 2ndMarines actedas afloatingreserve, althoughCompany Awas to reconnoitre theadjacent FloridaIsland.Thepreliminarybombardment of theGuadalcanal beachesopenedat 06.13hoursand28minuteslaterTurner, commander of theassault fleet, gavetheorder:'Landthelandingforce.' Hunt's5thMarineswerethefirst ashore,at 09.09onRedBeach. Mostpresenthadexpected thelanding tobeopposedby Guadalcanal's 2,571-strongenemygarrison, butmost of itsmen, mainlyKoreanlabourers workingonthe airfield,had fledduring the previous week's preliminary attacks by B-17 FlyingFortresses, or scatteredonspyingtheinvasionfleet. Hunt'smensurgedinland, cuttingthroughthickjungleandwading theIlu.The1st Marinesmade similar rapidprogress towardthe airfield, aidedby a bridgespeedily thrownacross thelIuby the accompanyingengineers.By the followingday, themarineshadoverruntheairfield, establisheda defensiveperimeter, andsupplieswerecomingashoreinsuchquantitiesthatthelandingbeachbecamea hugedisorganizeddump. Vandegrift's command consisted of 10,900 men on Guadalcanal and some6,100on Tulagi. NoJapaneseresistancehad yetbeenencounteredonGuadalcanal, butenemyaircraft hadalreadypenetratedtheUSfighterscreentodamagea number ofvesselsandsinkthedestroyer Jervisandduringthenightof 8-9AugusttheImperialJapaneseNavy inflicted a severeandsignificant defeaton Turner'scoveringforceat theBattle of SavoIslandThe landings on the other islands hadbeen opposed, however. On Tulagi, Edson's 1stRaider BattalionandLieutenant-Colonel HaroldRosecrans' 2ndBattalion, 5thMarines,landedontheisland'ssouthcoast andthenstruckinlandtogaina dominant ridge.Pocketsofresistanceweresteadilyneutralizedandbynightfall theJapanesehadbeenconfinedtoa ravineonthesoutherntipof Tulagi. The2nd Marineshadsuffered56casualties and the 1st Raider Battalionhad 99 men killed or woundedon the 7th. Duringthenight a seriesofJapanesecounter-attackswerebeatenoffandonthemorningof8August, Edson's and Rosecrans' units, aided by the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines,mopped uptheremaining enemy. The USassault on Gavutu and Tanambogo, smallislands connectedby acauseway, also met resistance. The 1st Parachute Battalionlanded18o MILES 10I I I Io KILOMETRES 20.1/7 Feb 19438I Japanese forces\ withdraw,,,\CapeEsperanc\ TENARO October," Japanese reserves" land""" ,,17 Jan 1943, ,Japanese Seventeenth',Army begins withdrawal "from the Matanikau ,""23/26 Oct,Maruyama1s attackrepulsedN\ataniKau0740/1200 TULAGI2 Marine Regt plus 1 Para BtnStrong resistance overcome7 August 1942US 1 Marine Div(Vandegrift)0909,5 Marine Regt landsunopposed1 Marine Regt follows12/14 Sept,Kawaguchisuffersheavy losses atBloody RidgeaNight 7/8 Sept,Marine raidersattack JapanesebaseGuadalcanalAMERICAN ATTACKS- - - - 4 . ~ JAPANESE COUNTERATTACKS~ - - - - - - - AND WITHDRAWALS------------. US DEFENCE PERIMETER 9 AUGUST-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.. US POSITIONS 23 OCTOBEREARLY DECEMBER, 1 MARINE DIV RELIEVED BY 25 INF, 2 MARINE AND AMERICAL DIVS (XIV CORPS [PATCH])19SPEARHEAD: 1ST MARINE DIVISIONTop: Troops leave Guadalcanal on foot and by truckafter months of bitter fighting. USMC via RealWar PhotosAbove: Asniper climbs apalm tree. USMC via RealWar PhotosAbove right: Manning a 50-cal Mgun. This water-cooled O.5in M2 machine gun is mounted on an M2tripod mounting.Note the gunner's support curlingaround his back. USMC via Real War PhotosRight: Divisional artillery in the form of a French155mm on Guadalcanal.USMC via Real War Photos20IN ACTION1st MARINE DIVISION(REINFORCED) AT GUADALCANAL AUGUST-DECEMBER19425th Battalion3rd Battalion3rd Battalion3rd Battalion4th BattalionMaj WilliamP. l. Thyson, Jr. (12 October)Maj WilliamK. Enright (13-23October)Maj WilliamP. l. Thyson,Hr. (24-30 October)Maj WilliamK. Enright (from 31October)2nd Battalion Lt-Col HaroldE. Rosecrans (WIA 11 September)Capt JosephJ.Dudkowski (11-17September)Lt-Col Walker A. Reves (18-24 September)Capt JosephJ. Dudkowski(25-30 September)Maj DavidS. McDougal (1 October-WIA 8 October)Maj WilliamJ.Piper, Jr. (8-11October)MajLewisW. Walt (from 12 October)Lt-Col Frederick C. Biebush (to 21September)MajRobertO. Bowen(from 22September)7th Marine (18 September-5 January)CO ColJames B. Webb (to 19 September)Col Amor leR. Sims (from 20 September)1st Battalion Lt-Col Lewis B. Puller (WIA 8 November)Maj JohnE. Weber (9-17November)Lt-CollewisB. Puller (from 18 November)2nd Battalion It-Col HermanH. Hanneken (to 17 November)Maj Odell M. Conoley (18-28 November)It-Col HermanH. Hanneken (from 29 November)It-Col EdwinJ.Farrell(to 21September)Lt-Col WilliamR. Williams (from 24 September)11th Marine (7 August-22December)CO Brig-GenPedro A. del Valle1st Battalion Lt-Col JosephR. Knowlan (to18 October)It-Col Manly LCurry (18 Odober-27November)Lt-