Fatal Pride at Peleliu: One of the Costliest Amphibious Attacks in History
General William Rupertus’s proud 1st Marine Division charged ashore at Peleliu on September 15, 1944, expecting to cakewalk to victory.
Here's What You Need to Know: The marines performed with a gallantry that was nearly superhuman.
Inside the shabby tent that served as his command post on Peleliu, a despondent Maj. Gen. William Rupertus sat on his bunk, slumped over with his head in his hands. As commander of the 1st Marine Division, he had expected to take the little coral-reefed island in the Palau chain in a mere three days’ time. He had even been foolish enough to communicate that optimistic expectation during a pre-invasion speech to his men. However, when his three regiments stormed ashore on September 15, 1944, they found a much different situation awaiting them than the one the general had described.