The debate continues.
Here s What You Need to Know: Over time, the invasion of Peleliu itself was called into question.
If Peleliu was one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Pacific Theater, it was also one of the least known until recently. There are many reasons for this. The Peleliu invasion took place in the fall of 1944, when the war grew in such intensity that stories competed for newspaper space. In Europe, eyes were riveted on Operation Market-Garden, the abortive Allied airborne offensive into Holland. Allied armies were sweeping to the very borders of the Third Reich, and there was talk the war in Europe would be over by Christmas.
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.