History of U.S. Marine Corps
Operations in World War II

Volume V:
Victory and Occupation

by
Benis M. Frank and Henry I. Saw, Jr.

Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
1968

. . . For Those Who Served

Contents

PART I: Prologue to the End
Chapter Page
1. Strategic Background 3
2. The Japanese Situation 14
3. Marine Corps Order of Battle 23
PART II: Okinawa
1. The Target and the Enemy 31
2. Project ICEBERG 57
3. Assault Preparations 83
4. The First Days Ashore 109
5. Phase I Continued 157
6. The Defense Stiffens 188
7. Forging Ahead 214
8. Reduction of the Shuri Bastion 244
9. Breakout to the South 288
10. Battle's End 325
11. ICEBERG Dissolves 367
PART III: The End of the War
1. Future Operations 397
2. The Closing Days 410
3. Return to the Islands 449
PART IV: Occupation of Japan
1. Initial Planning and Operations 475
2. Kyushu Deployment to December 1945 497
3. Last Months in Japan 510
PART V: North China Marines
1. Background for Military Assistance 521
2. Ashore in North China 537
3. An Extended Stay 571
4. Abortive Peace Mission 594
5. Withdrawal of the 1st Marine Division 615
6. Withdrawal 635
PART VI: Conclusion
1. Amphibious Doctrine in World War II 653
2. A Final Accounting 677
 
Appendices
A. Marine POWs 731
B. Bibliographical Notes 790
C. Guide to Abbreviations 804
D. Military Map Symbols 810
E. Chronology 811
F. Fleet Marine Force Status--30 April 1945 819
G. Fleet Marine Force Status--31 October 1946 835
H. Table of Organization G-100--Marine Division 840
I. Comparison of Organization--Marine Division 843
J. Comparison of Equipment--Marine Division 847
K. World War II Development of the Marine Infantry Regiment 849
L. Marine Task Organization and Command List 852
M. Marine Casualties 884
N. Unit Citations 885
 
Index 893

Illustrations

  Page
Admiral Nimitz Briefs the President at Pearl Harbor 10
Combined Chiefs of Staff Meet at Quebec 10
Thirty-second Army Officers Sit For a Portrait 42
North Bank of the Bishi Gawa 42
Landing Craft Form Up For the Run to Kerama Retto Beaches 101
155mm Guns of the 420th Field Artillery Group on Keise Shima 101
Main Batteries of USS Tennessee Hurl Tons of Explosives 110
Aerial View of the Hagushi Anchorage 110
Bewildered Civilians 124
Two Marines Safeguard a Young Okinawan 124
Heavy Undergrowth on the Ishikawa Isthmus 133
Grinning Troops of the 29th Marines Heading For Chuta 133
Japanese 105mm Gun Captured on Yae Take 137
Suicide Boats Found at Unten Ko 137
USS Enterprise Is Hit By a Kamikaze 156
Tracers Fill the Sky 156
Yellow Beach 3 on L Plus 2 161
Causeways Relieve Logistical Problems 161
Marine Reconnaissance Personnel Prepare Rubber Boats 165
Dominating Ie Shima is Iegusugu Yama 165
Marine Rocket Launchers in Support of the Drive South 170
Awacha Pocket 170
Sugar Loaf Hill 246
Tanks Evacuate the Wounded 246
Wana Ridge 258
105mm Howitzer of the 15th Marines 258
Aerial View of Shuri on 28 April 279
Shuri, One Month Later 279
Corkscrew 285
Blowtorch 285
Air Delivery Section Marines 294
VMTB-232 TBM Drops Supplies 294
6th Division Marines Land on Oroku Peninsula 317
Final Sweep of Oroku Peninsula 317
Marine Casualties Are Evacuated by Spotter Plane 336
8th Marines Landing on Iheya Shima 336
Marine Tanks Shelling Positions in the South 355
Cooperative Prisoners 355
Men of the Tenth Army Pay Homage 366
Surrender of All Japanese Forces in the Ryukyus 366
VMF(CVS)-511 Corsair Ready to be Launched 420
An Explosion Rips the Critically Damaged Franklin 420
Among the Few Marines Present At the Surrender Ceremony 440
Corsairs and Hellcats Fly in Formation Over Tokyo Bay 440
To The Colors 458
Fleet Landing Force Personnel Are Transferred 480
Members of the Yokosuka Occupation Force 486
General Clement Looks Over Yokosuka Naval Base 486
The "New" 4th Marines Passes in Review 491
26th Marines Moves Into Sasebo 491
Battered Buddhist Figures 504
More Than 200 Japanese Planes Are Destroyed 504
1st Marine Division Troops Landing at Taku 554
Tientsin Citizens Welcome First Marines To Return 554
Navy Carrier Planes in a "Show of Force" 562
Repatriated Japanese Soldiers Salute American Flag 562
Arrow Directs Corsairs to Village 587
Communist Mine Damages Roadbed 587
Chinese Nationalist Sentries 646
A Portion of the Marines Remaining in Tsingtao 646
North China Marines 735
POW Quarters at Fengt'ai 735
Shadow of a B-29 on a Supply Drop 784
American and British POWs 784

Maps

349
No.   Page
1. Nansei Shoto 33
2. Okinawa Shima 35
3. Japanese Defensive Positions 52
4. ICEBERG Scheme of Maneuver 59
5. Seizure of Kerama Retto 105
6. Landing Plan 113
7. Severing the Island 119
8. 6th Marine Division Progress, Motobu Peninsula, 14 April 1945 143
9. 6th Marine Division Progress, Motobu Peninsula, 15-16 April 1945 147
10. 6th Marine Division Progress, Motobu Peninsula, 17-23 April 1945 153
11. Reconnaissance and Capture of the Eastern Islands 163
12. Assault and Capture of Ie Shima 168
13. 1st Marine Division Advances 200
14. Dakeshi-Wana 215
15. Capture of Naha 255
16. Thirty-second Army Dispositions 291
17. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 4-6 June 1945 301
18. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 7-9 June 1945 312
19. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 10-11 June 1945 319
20. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 12-14 June 1945 322
21. Seizure of Kunishi Ridge 334
22. Outlying Islands 349
23. End of Organized Resistance 359
24. Scheme of Maneuver, Operation OLYMPIC 405
25. Marine Surrender and Occupation Duties 451
26. Operations BLACKLIST, CAMPUS-BELEASGUER 477
27. Yokosuka Occupation 482
28. Maximum Deployment of VAC 494
29. VAC Deployment, 8 December 1945 513
30. 2d Marine Division Deployment 515
31. Typical Deployment of a Marine Regiment 57
32. China, 1945 523
33. North China 538
34. Hopeh Deployment 549
35. Anping Ambush 611
36. Attack on Hsin Ho 626
 
I. 14th IIB Defensive Dispositions Map Section
II. 6th Marine Division Progress in Northern Okinawa Map Section
III. XXIV Corps Progress, 5-30 April 1945 Map Section
IV. Japanese Counteroffensive and Tenth Army Progress, 5-21 May 1945 Map Section
V. Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill, 13-15 May 1945 Map Section
VI. Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill, 16-17 May 1945 Map Section
VII. Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill, 18-19 May 1945 Map Section
VIII. Tenth Army Progress, 21-31 May 1945 Map Section
IX. Breakout to the South, 1-12 June 1945 Map Section
X. Tenth Army Progress, 14-21 June 1945 Map Section
XI. Significant Marine Corps Activities in World War II Map Section

Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation