Why did the marines fight in the pacific. Answer (1 of 4): This question has been asked and answered many times. Mar 24, 2025 · The fighting was fierce and close-quarters—with iconic events like the flag-raising on Mount Suribachi which became an iconic moment for the war and American morale. The European theater was fought over a large landmass, while the Pacific theater was fought on small islands, and over a broad ocean. Photo from Naval History and Heritage Command. From my understanding of the Pacific War, the Japanese were at their best against American forces when they were in entrenched defences, but in any other situation they always seemed to do rather poorly. Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers fly over an atoll in the Pacific during the island-hopping campaign. Just curious why Marines weren't used. The Marines did not concede any key terrain, and at 10 p. As Japanese strongholds were isolated, defenders were left to weaken from starvation and disease. Shortly after the United States entered World War II, the Allies agreed that the European Theater would have priority in the war over the Pacific Theater. This was not the case. Feb 24, 2024 · The Pacific Theater: A Brutal Conflict The Pacific Theater of WWII was characterized by intense fighting, harsh conditions, and fierce loyalty to one’s country. lost the carrier Yorktown and the destroyer Hammann, while the carriers Enterprise and Hornet (under the command of Raymond Spruance during the battle) survived the fighting without damage. The Marine Corps' war was in the Pacific and all war plans regarding the employment of Marines reflected that. Jul 20, 2025 · Pacific War, major theater of World War II that covered a large portion of the Pacific Ocean, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, with engagements occurring as far south as northern Australia and as far north as the Aleutian Islands. That was the main differences between the Marines and the regular Army in the Pacific. Marines and Soldiers made their way to the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Especially in the Pacific, where there were US Army, Marines, Australians, and New Zealanders all fighting under the same command at points. Jun 3, 2011 · Marines made their mark during the Second World War with their acts of bravery throughout the Pacific front against the Japanese empire. While a few different strategies were considered, the strategy that eventually shaped the fighting had really been decided on by the mid-30s. 1 day ago · Battle of Guadalcanal (August 1942–February 1943), series of World War II land and sea clashes between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific. Eisenhower barred Marines from landing at Normandy. I've heard that this was due to the large number of banzai charges that the Japanese did, suicide on defeat, fighting to the death etc. During the campaign, the joint force lost 1,592 personnel killed in action with another 4,183 wounded along with I've been reading a bunch of World War Two history, and one thing I've noticed is that in every most of the battles fought the JaPanera would suffer casualties 3:1 in favor of the Americans or English or whomever they were fighting. The basic problem in many of the answers given is that an assumption is made that the World War II U. Tenth Army's grinding offensive against the Japanese defenses cen-tered on Shun Castle in southern Okinawa. Marines, who specialize in amphibious assaults. Many suffered lasting effects from the shock and trauma and had trouble readjusting to life back home after facing the horrors of combat. S. Aug 19, 2023 · There was also fighting on Tinian (from which the nuclear raids were later launched) and Guam in the Marianas. Securing this vantage point allowed the U. Aug 17, 2023 · Since providing logistical support to ground forces required safe waterways, and the seas were teeming with enemy vessels, soldiers and Marines fighting ashore frequently found themselves without adequate food, water, and ammunition. Over the next several weeks, ferocious Japanese Sep 10, 2018 · On April 1, 1945, the Battle of Okinawa began as U. The Beachhead on Tarawa It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region. and Canadian armies. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had Why did Marshall want to exclude Marines from the ETO? Marshall had been disgruntled with how Marine Corps "Devil Dogs" had grabbed headlines during WWI, obscuring what he felt were the far larger contributions of the Army. The Battles American forces first landed on the Solomon Islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida on the morning of August 7,1942. Soldiers and Marines washing themselves and their vehicles at Lunga River, Guadalcanal. When Germany and Italy declared war on the United States days later, America found itself in a global war. Is one used more than So, with that all in mind: What symbols are acceptable for doing this? Are there patterns or specific methods for this? (Specific patterns for certain words) Other rules that may pertain to the situation. Securing Luzon, the largest of the Philippine Islands, received priority following a forceful submission by General Douglas MacArthur, Southwest Yes, though not in quite the same way. Aug 14, 2014 · The Northern Pacific was entirely handled by the U. (US Navy) Instead, the answer to the Pacific question was to grab a few key bases and then use air power and submarines to cut off the other Aug 11, 2023 · So indisputably, the Army, by design, did most of the planning, the supplying, the transporting, the engineering, the fighting, and the dying to win World War II in the Asia-Pacific. Nov 7, 2013 · 1) Please tell me why is it like that. Some misinformation here. Operation Iceberg, the campaign to We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. The U. Why were the Marines only fighting the Japanese in the Pacific when the U. For instance at the very first amphibious landings by the US in the war at Guadalcanal by the end involved more Army formations the Marines. Photo: Marine Corps History Division/Wikimedia Commons It had been a remarkable six months of war in three dimensions, with air, land and sea forces all engaged. During the two decades before World War II, the Marine Corps began to develop in earnest the doctrine, equipment, and organization needed for amphibious warfare. On December 7, 1941, Japan staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, severely damaging the US Pacific Fleet. The first combat we see in The Pacific is August 42' and they kept fighting until September 45'. For the United States, Guadalcanal was a turning point in their effort to push the Japanese out of the South Pacific. It shows just what the American forces – in particular, US Marines – faced while fighting against the Japanese and their arduous overseas service. Thomas Smith Jr. Ironically, the Marine role in Europe was greater in World War I, where they received so much praise that the next generation of Generals maintained a grudge against the Marine Corps. The Battle of Midway, along with the Guadalcanal campaign, is widely considered a turning point in the Pacific War. The Battle of Tarawa was fought between the United States and Japan at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands (now the Republic of Kiribati), and was part of Operation Galvanic, the U. Re-formed in 1940 as a full-fledged artillery unit, 11th Marines joined 1st Marine Division. Why did the Battle of Iwo Jima happen? The battle was part of a broader U. Why did the Marines choose the Navajo language as opposed to the Cherokee language or some other language? The Navajo language was chosen by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy because they were having all the problems with the Japanese in the Pacific. As of November 30, 1941, the Marine Corps had multiplied its numbers to 65,881, of which 29,532 were in the Fleet Marine Force—a massive expansion, but hardly enough to deal with the Japanese onslaught to come. Saipan Jan 10, 2023 · Marines prepare to leave after months of fighting. As night fell on the first day, the Japanese defenders kept up sporadic harassing fire but did not launch an attack on the Marines clinging to their beachhead and the territory won in the day's hard fighting. US military leaders had been thinking about what a war with Japan would look like since the Russo-Japanese war. Jan 14, 2022 · While General Issue Joe stormed Normandy with an M1 Garand, the Marines in the pacific were armed with all manner of unique weapons that could meet their needs, if not as well as the standard-issue gear Soldiers received in World War II’s other theater. Why was the US so committed to wresting it from Japanese control? The Marines did not concede any key terrain, and at 10 p. strategy in World War II to secure a critical air base in the central Pacific. Using numbers taken from Wikipedia, Japanese killed are often 5-10 times higher than U. This was the U. Edit: "Casualties" -> "Killed" to fix Jun 6, 2012 · Notably absent were the U. Amphibious tractors, known as LVTs (Landing Vehicle Tracked), played a crucial but limited role in the invasion of Tarawa. For example, I read that during the battle for Iwo Jima the Japanese suffered 20,000 killed, while the marines lost about 7000. 1stMarDiv (Almost) Takes Peleliu More than 30,000 Marines served in France and more than a third were killed or wounded in six months of intense fighting. The main forces on Guadalcanal met little resistance on their way inland to secure the airfield at Lunga Point, which was soon renamed Henderson Field after Loy Henderson, an The Marines were purposely excluded from Europe during World War II and did not play major roles in the largest amphibious invasions in this country's history. Jan 22, 2009 · The US Marines did not produce mechanized infantry during the war, that was in opposition to their mission as assault units. m. For example, did Marines really resent Gen. So before modern standing armies were a thing, historically you needed an experienced field army to perform smaller military operations and to be the first fighting force for a larger conflict. The Marines' experiences in 1942 and 1943 had shown that the LVTs were especially suited to driving over the coral reefs of the pacific Islands, and could land supplies at times when small boats and other watercraft could not. As a result of the day’s fighting, the initial waves established a beach head with depth allowing the landing of artillery and logistic support ashore. In the Pacific War, Saltines were NOT considered valuable unless troops had been starved for months. Marines and Army troops, supported by a massive fleet, invade Saipan in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific. So generally the US marines are more like an Expeditionary force or a rapid deployment force more than just amphibious fighting force. It was also the first time in the Pacific War that the United States had faced Just ask the US Marines who landed on the South Pacific island of Guadalcanal in August 1942. All 6 Marine divisions wound up in the Pacific, along with 22 Army divisions, though several of those were just arriving in the summer of 1945 and several more on deck that had previously served in Europe. ” Therefore it is a matter of pride to the Corps that Marines freely share their battle experiences with future generations of Devil Dogs through professional writings, and that later generations add to and improve upon these techniques. Marine Corps, which had only 6 Divisions. and Japanese forces on Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands. Learn more about the significance of the Battle of Okinawa in this article. The scene in "The Pacific" is designed to show just how desperate Robert Leckie and the 1st Marines were for food. On September 15 Here are six reasons why the battle is so important to Marines: 1. ]" is a question form in English: Why is the sky blue? Why is it that children require so much attention? Why is it [or some thing] like that? From " Why King George of England May Have to Lose His Beard: How the Game of 'Beaver' Which All England Is Playing Is So Threatening the Proper Reverence for the Throne That Banishment of the Royal Whiskers Seems Imperative," in the Washington [D. fleet achieve sea control. Americans faced even worse on Okinawa, the natural springboard for an invasion of Japan’s home islands. For example, pro-B cells develop into pre-B cells, which eventually develop Nov 22, 2011 · Why is Filipino spelled with an F? Philippines is spelled with a Ph. Naval power and naval air power played a significant role. Explore a timeline of the Pacific theater, from the invasion of Saipan in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific to the formal Japanese surrender on the U. Aug 6, 2019 · The fighting in the Pacific Theater was wrought with the same hatred, nationalism, and war criminality that raged across Europe. Jun 4, 2004 · Consequently, the Marines were ordered to “stand down. The Pacific and European theaters are two different wars under the same umbrella of "World War 2". Missouri in Tokyo Bay. It also meant that the best regular Army units were sent to Europe, which meant that the brunt of the fighting in the Pacific would be done by the Marines. In fact, the Pacific theater was as much a naval war as it was a land war. Feb 7, 2025 · As a historical footnote, the leathernecks of 51st Defense Bn did fire eleven 155 mm rounds to ward off a rumored Japanese submarine near Nanomea Island in the Pacific. The Pacific island of Iwo Jima was the scene of some of the most savage fighting of WW2. [grammatically incorrect unless the punctuation is changed. Oct 22, 2020 · The first plan they came up with would have required additional forces drawn from efforts in Europe. On the small islands such as Iwo Jima and Peleliu, why did the Allied Force opt for an invasion instead of placing a naval blockade/bombardments for weeks until the Imperial Japanese Army was too weak to mount much resistance? Considering the U. It Was the First Invasion of the Japanese Home Islands The Japanese Empire controlled many islands in the Pacific area. Dec 10, 2023 · Get an answer for 'What challenges did the U. So how and why did Marine aviation in the Pacific only infrequently support Marines ashore—and more often supported the fleet instead? For the film, see Battle of Okinawa (film). The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific Theater of World War II. In Okinawa’s craggy southern reaches, US Apr 1, 2024 · The Marines fought to control Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima for several important reasons: Suribachi, a volcanic mountain located on Iwo Jima, offered a crucial high ground that gave the Marines a commanding view of the surrounding areas. Marines fighting in World War II (1939-45) landed on Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands of the western Pacific. face fighting in the Pacific compared to Europe during World War II?' and find homework help for other World War II questions at eNotes. The Pacific doesn't focus on the same Marines all the way through. W. At what point during the Pacific theater do I come to the realization that the Japanese just do not surrender? Do I even try to take them as prisoners or is that foolish? Apart from doctirne/capabilities, The Marines were part of the US Navy and could be weilded/deployed as such. Trace the course of the war from Pearl Harbor to the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. The USMC utilized tanks as was theorized prewar by the US Army, as vehicle to fight infantry, mainly because the Japanese never really produced, in large numbers, a tank capable of adequately fighting the M4. By excluding Marines, Marshall was trying to prevent the Leathernecks stealing the spotlight again. It was then, on 20 November 1943, that landings were made in the Gilberts, on Makin and Tarawa, with the Marines at the latter place becoming engaged in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. WORLD WAR II IN THE PACIFIC Guadalcanal was the first major American Pacific campaign in World War II and the first time 1st Marine Division conducted combat operations as a division. Oct 1, 2023 · The Pacific, the sister series to Band of Brothers, followed several Marines through World War II, drawing on their memoirs. Marine Corps Navajo Code Talkers’ role in World War II. MacArthur as much as characters (in an admittedly fictional book) seem to? Given that they're sort of apples and oranges, why the animosity? Do Marines think they're a lot better than regular Army grunts? Have they historically felt kinship with Rangers or other elite members of the Army? Reply reply Nov 18, 2009 · On September 15, 1944, U. Marine Corps had the same worldwide amphibious commitment it has today. Perhaps it was for its raw barbarism that the Pacific War is often skimmed over in history class. Oct 4, 2023 · The Pacific (2010) is one of the most realistic depictions of the fighting that occurred in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. This situation is not typical for the Pacific War, it's an unusual circumstance of the Guadalcanal campaign. Feb 1, 2023 · Critics say a plan to dump all the Marines' battle tanks to prepare for a Pacific war makes little sense. There were plenty of instances in WW2 where marine or army units were subordinated to the other for an operation. ] Times (October 22, 1922): Possible Duplicate: Where does the use of “why” as an interjection come from? This is a common English phrase that I'm sure everyone has heard before. 2829 The initial invasion of Okinawa on 1 April 1945 was the largest amphibious The 1st Marines landed on the island of Guadalcanal, part of the Solomon Islands, on 7 August 1942 and would fight in the Battle of Guadalcanal until relieved on 8 December 1942. Please tell me: Why is it like that? The question: "Why is [etc. A photo of Marines raising the American flag atop Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi became one of the Pacific War’s iconic images. They fought different people in different locations with different challenges. Dont they go through a much more grueling bootcamp and have more of an alignment with the navy? Or is the Marine bootcamp being so much more difficult something that started in the 1970s? Reason I say this is I know if someone gets out of the navy, airforce or army and wants to go into the marines, they have to go through marine bootcamp, but marines dont Why did the Pacific land battles of WWII often have such lopsided casualty numbers? Was it more to do with Japanese vs Allied ground tactics, differences in materiel logistics, or general strategy? Also, were Japanese officials aware of this imbalance and how (if at all) did they try to change? Archived post. The soldiers and marines who served in the Pacific endured unimaginable physical and psychological suffering at the hands of the enemy and because of the environmental conditions on the Pacific islands. invasion of the Gilberts. Nov 16, 2010 · Why would it be strange to shorten this? It is common to shorten the official name of a country — most people don't even know the official names for the various countries. Army fought in mostly Europe against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy? Some U. Reply reply GhanjRho • Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19–March 16, 1945), World War II battle fought between the United States and Japan over a strategically important island some 760 miles (1,220 km) south of Tokyo. During World War II the June 15, 1944 U. As the Pacific was very much the "Navy's War", the Navy were keen to keep as many of their resources in the Pacific as possible, including their marines. Nov 7, 2021 · During the second World War and after, the Marine Corps has received admiration and attention for its role in the Pacific, but the Army carried out a huge number of invasions and performed the 2-front War of WW2 The European and Pacific theaters were vastly different, and required entirely different methods of fighting. However, I'm wondering how true these claims are, as well as if there were any other reasons for why that might be. For example, the official name of Mexico is "los Estados Unidos Mexicanos", which means "the Mexican United States"; nobody is surprised that it is referred to as "Mexico". Nov 20, 2024 · Despite these challenges, the Marines eventually breached the seawall and pushed forward, but the brutal fighting around it highlighted the ferocity of the battle and the grim realities of amphibious warfare. However, it's also a common idiom, and I am In biological vocabulary, sometimes both pre- and pro- are used as prefixes to indicate something earlier in a sequence. Why did these unique weapons enter service at all? Apr 10, 2024 · World War II’s Unbreakable Code: How Did the Navajo Code Talkers Win the Pacific? Imagine a code spoken in an unwritten language while fighting. However, other black Marines in the notfor-combat service support troops were again and again on the front lines and on invasion beaches to assist the assault forces. heavy bombers in range of mainland Japan. I don't know why, but it seems to me that Bob would sound a bit strange if he said, "Why is it that you have to get going?" in that situation. C. Sep 2, 2015 · But another year and a half elapsed before American forces began an offensive against Japanese positions in the Central Pacific. The Battle of Okinawa (Japanese: 沖縄戦, Hepburn: Okinawa-sen), codenamed Operation Iceberg, 27: 17 was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by the United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army. Japanese troops finally evacuated the island on February 8, 1943. Assuming the US had naval superiority (because they were able to bombard the Island for days), why didn’t they just “besiege” the island. Some have said that it's because in Filipino, Philippines starts with F; but if this is so, why did we only change the beginning May 8, 2020 · Which one is correct and used universally? I don’t owe you an explanation as to why I knocked the glass over. After some fierce fighting, the US Marines cleared Tulagi and Florida by August 9. soldiers fought alongside Marines in the island hopping campaigns of the Pacific War. Japanese soldiers faced formidable opponents in the form of the United States Marines, who were known for their tenacity, discipline, and determination on the battlefield. Marines and soldiers would continue to work together throughout the Pacific War. Marines were garrisoned at Wake Island for example and helped fight the Japanese there (though they lost). This new strategy turned the vast Pacific distances into an American ally, and the United States used it to leapfrog across the Pacific. Yet fighting on tiny islands did offer one major logistical advantage: the fire support of offshore ships. In 1945, US forces bounded forward in the central Pacific as combat reached ever bloodier crescendos. Feb 18, 2025 · The Battle of Iwo Jima was difficult and strategically important, putting U. I don’t owe you an explanation of why I knocked the glass over. Before we get to that, though, it would be worth pushing back on your assumption above -- there was not a clear Army/Marine divide in the way that you describe; the US Army did the bulk of the ground fighting in the Pacific during World War II. Jun 6, 2012 · Notably absent were the U. military to better monitor Japanese troop movements and coordinate their own operations. However, I find it puzzling Apr 29, 2018 · My question is: is there flexibility in how one can punctuate the phrase "Why not?" The answer may seem obvious at firstit is a question after all. killed. The landing was a colossal improvisation, concocted on the fly to take advantage of a recent dramatic turn in the Pacific war. Marines are fond of saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know. secutive week of frontal assault as part of the U. It was fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943, and involved major land and naval battles on and surrounding the island of Guadalcanal The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, [37] was the theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies in East and Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and Oceania. The capture of Okinawa was seen as a precursor to an invasion of the Japanese home islands. Army, which had 6 Corps and 21 Divisions, and the U. S Gov knew what fighting the Japanese was like. On Iwo Jima, Marines achieved a costly victory as they grappled with tenacious Japanese defenders dug into the island’s volcanic terrain. on July 27, 1953, the lengthy truce negotiated at Panmunjom finally went into effect, ending three years of fighting in Korea. In World War II, Marine aviation served as a land-based component of fleet aviation, fighting for air superiority and striking Japanese ships and bases to help the U. explains why at National Review. With the counterattack defeated, the 5th Marines moved north halfway up the airfield and settled in for the night. At surface level this doesn't make much sense, by the time the US got into the war Japan had been fighting in China for years while the US had to - as was tradition - build a whole new army Why didn't the US use any Marines in the D-Day landings in Normandy, when they already had experience with amphibious landings under fire from the Pacific war? Archived post. Nevertheless, because the Marine Corps was part of the naval establishment, it had responsibility also for furnishing men to parts I’m a marine fighting in the Pacific during WW2. ” Though little-known outside of special-operations circles, Marines did however play a few combat roles in the invasion. In the various battles for New Conclusions While the series The Pacific had its detractors, it did garner considerable viewership for HBO, as well as greater recognition for the Marines who later wrote of the exploits of their units. The Battle of The Battle of Iwo Jima (硫黄島の戦い, Iōtō no Tatakai,[8][9] Iōjima no Tatakai[10]; 19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. Marines trained the soldiers who would participate in the raids and even rode along as observers, but Gen. There were literally just as many Soldiers fighting and dying in the Pacific as Marines. Also in June 1944 Marines landed on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. That, of course, didn’t fly with politicians. Along with the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal marked a turning point in favor of the Allies in the Pacific War. So there were a hell of a lot more soldiers to fight a global war than there were marines so send around. The fighting over the next two months resulted in about 8,000 US casualties. Jun 26, 2024 · Background Operation Detachment, the amphibious assault on Iwo Jima, had its genesis in the 29 September–1 October 1944 strategic planning conference of senior Pacific theater commanders and Joint Chiefs of Staff representatives in San Francisco. Nov 7, 2021 · In the Pacific theater during World War II, the American land war was fought primarily by the Army, though popular memory has focused almost exclusively on the comparatively smaller Marine The soldiers and marines who served in the Pacific endured unimaginable physical and psychological suffering at the hands of the enemy and because of the environmental conditions on the Pacific islands. There was naval war in the European theater, but this Aug 15, 2024 · But the Marines of the division were headed into a battle unlike anything they had experienced in the South Pacific—and with a Commanding General that did not comprehend the type of battle in which they were about to engage. War in the Pacific continued between Japan and the Allied powers throughout World War Two. In the Pacific Ocean theater, Japanese forces fought primarily against the United States Navy, the U. June 19, 1944 Japan's counterattack results in the greatest 6 days ago · Battle of Okinawa (April 1–June 21, 1945), World War II battle fought between U. coxgf omsq qzzyv zfcn hry tcsio rcwvlc une ingrpq iuzqx