US Marine Corps Tanks of World War II by Steven J. Zaloga

Author:Steven J. Zaloga
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: US Marine Corps Tanks of World War II
ISBN: 9781780960326
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2011-12-11T16:00:00+00:00

An M4A2of C Company 1st Tank Battalion, carrying Marine riflemen forward from the beachhead on Peleliu during the fighting in September 1944. (NARA)

OPERATION STALEMATE: PELELIU, SEPTEMBER 1944

One of the most controversial Central Pacific campaigns was the decision to assault the Palau islands. Peleliu was another fortified crag grimly reminiscent of Tarawa but larger and more densely fortified. The 1st Marine Division landed on September 15, 1944. Every one of the first tanks that the Marine 1st Tank Battalion put ashore in the fourth wave was hit by Japanese gunfire. The most dramatic moment came that afternoon when the tank company of the Japanese 14th Infantry Division with about 15 Type 95 Ha-go light tanks charged across the island’s airstrip in a vain attempt to push the Marines back into the sea. Given the Marines’ firepower, this charge was suicidal. The Ha-gos had 55-gallon drums lashed to the sides and rears containing bunched-up Japanese infantry. The attack quickly melted under a barrage of fire from bazookas, .50 cal machine guns, 37mm antitank guns, 75mm SPMs, three M4A2 medium tanks, and naval gunfire. The Marine tankers were bewildered when their AP ammunition seemed to have no effect on the Ha-gos. In fact, it was penetrating on one side, and passing clear through the other. The gunners switched to high explosive, which blew the small tanks apart. The Marines later found it difficult to determine how many tanks had actually been used in the attack. The 1st Tank Battalion had a modest number of flamethrower tanks equipped with the E4-5 auxiliary flamethrower. However, the most effective flame weapon was the Navy Mark I (E14-7R2) flamethrower mounted on six converted LVT-4 amtracs, which had a 100-yard range and a much larger 200-gallon tank. Although these flamethrower amtracs proved useful, they were very lightly armored and not durable enough. The Marines concluded that a tank-mounted equivalent was still needed because of the better armor protection it offered.

M4A3 MEDIUM TANK, COMPANY B, MARINE 4TH TANK BATTALION, IWO JIMA, FEBRUARY 1945

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