In September of 1944, U.S. forces fought the costly and questionable Battle of Peleliu to secure MacArthur's left flank on his eventual push to the Philippines. This bloody confrontation has long been regarded as the Pacific War's “forgotten battle”, and argued by some as one that should never have been fought. U.S. military leaders and intelligence forecasted a battle of mere days. However, this strategic failure turned into the Pacific War's bloodiest and most savage fighting until Okinawa, lasting over 74 days. Peleliu was the first major shift in Japanese strategy that brilliantly utilized terrain in their "honeycomb system". No more contested enemy landings at the water's edge, no more wild banzai attacks. Japanese defenders would rain heavy mortar and artillery fire on the beaches from entrenched positions within the island. Then, as Americans penetrated deeper into the island they would find carefully prepared network of caves, tunnels, and pillboxes for the purpose of killing as many Americans as possible.

Contents of this Video:

00:00 Island of Carnage: Battle of Peleliu
01:10 No More than Four Days
03:21 Honeycomb System
05:28 The Point
08:25 The Airfield
10:49 Inch by Inch
15:33 At What Cost?

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The Militology Channel does it's best to produce historically accurate content for history enthusiasts. All content is carefully researched and sources shared. Images and footage of the actual events may not be 100% accurate due to availability, but we do our best. Some images and footage may be used for dramatic effect, but the narrative content adheres to historical accuracy based on available sources. Please reach out with any concerns around historical accuracy so we can incorporate feedback. We also want to hear your constructive interpretation of historical events in our video comments.

Contact:
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Script Author:
Dejan Milivojevic

Sources:
Gayle, Gordon D. Bloody Beaches: The Marines at Peleliu. DIANE Publishing, 1996.
Hallas, James H. The Devil’s Anvil: The Assault on Peleliu. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994.
Hough, Frank O. The Assault on Peleliu. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.
Moran, Jim. Battle of Peleliu, 1944: Three Days That Turned Into Three Months. Frontline Books, 2021.
Moran, Jim, and Gordon L. Rottman. Peleliu 1944: The Forgotten Corner of Hell. Osprey Publishing, 2002.
Murray, Stephen C. The Battle Over Peleliu: Islander, Japanese, and American Memories of War. University of Alabama Press, 2016.
Peto, George, and Peter Margaritis. 22 on Peleliu: Four Pacific Campaigns with the Corps : The Memoirs of an Old Breed Marine. Casemate, 2017.
Ross, Bill D. Peleliu: Tragic Triumph : The Untold Story of the Pacific War’s Forgotten Battle. Random House (NY), 1991.
Ross, Bill D. Special Piece of Hell: The Untold Story of Peleliu - The Pacific War’s Forgotten Battle. St Martins Press, 1993.
Sledge, E.B. With the Old Breed. Presidio Press, 2007.

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