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

464 Pages·1989·29.157 MB·English

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History of the Marine
Worid War
Operations in II:
Peari Hari)or to Guadalcanal,
Volume
I
U.S Marine Corps
m
pcN^ 1231m

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
Headquarters United'States Marine Corps
Washington, DC 20380-0001
16 August 1989
FOREWORD
PURPOSE
1.
Fleet Marine Force Reference Publications (FMFRP) 12-34-1 to 12-34-V, History ofthe U.S. Marine
Corps Operations in World War II, Volumes I-V, are published to ensure the retention and dissem-
ination of useful information learned in World War 11 by the U.S. Marine Corps. This information
is not meant to be doctrinal or to be published in Fleet Marine Force manuals. FMFRPs in the 12
Series are a special category: reprints of historical works which are not available elsewhere.
SCOPE
2.
This set of reference publications was written by the historical branch of the U.S. Marine Corps. They
provide the reader with a detailed knowledge of U.S. Marine Corps World War II operations, tactics,
and organization throughout the span of World War II. From Pearl Harbor to the occupation of Ja-
pan, these volumes are an excellent study of the U.S. Marine Corps during one of its finest hours.
Written with appropriate historical judgement and critical analysis, many lessons observed in these
volumes are still applicable to theaters of operation throughout the Orient. These publications stand
as valuable sources of information for all Marines involved in contemporary warfare and for those
who have an interest in World War II and U.S. Marine Corps history.
CERTIFICATION
3.
Reviewed and approved this date.
BY DIRECTION OF THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS
M. P. SULLIVAN
Major General, U.S. Marine Corps
Deputy Commander for Warfighting
Marine Corps Combat Development Command
Quantico, Virginia
DISTRIBUTION: "TJ2"

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v. I
Harbor
Pearl
Guadalcanal
to
HISTORY OF MARINE CORPS
U. S.
OPERATIONS IN WORLD WAR
II
VOLUME
^::^ I
by
LIEUTENANT COLONEL FRANK O. HOUGH, USMCR
MAJOR VERLE E. LUDWIG, USMC
HENRY I. SHAW, JR.
Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps
^AMESCABSONBRECENRIIKIELBRAET
MlEAJIN^INGAJIDEDUCATION CENTER
CORPS COMBAT DEVELOPMENTOOMMAWD
COAUnOO.VA
22134-6050
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 58-60002
Foreword
With the recent completion of our historical monograph project, the
Marine Corps historical program entered a new phase. This book is the first
of a projected five-volume series covering completely, and we hope definitively,
thehistory ofMarineoperations in WorldWarII.
The fifteen historical monographs published over a period of eight years
have served to spotlight the high points in this broad field. The basic research
which underlay their preparation will be utilized again in this project. But a
monograph by its very nature aims at a limited objective, and in its concentra-
tion on a single battle or campaign necessarily ignores many related subjects.
All too often it has been difficult to avoid conveying the impression that the
specific operation under discussion was taking place in a vacuum. Thus, while
much valuable history has been written, the story as a whole remains untold.
This lack the present project aims to rectify. The story of individual
battles or campaigns, now isolated between the covers of separate publications,
will be largely rewritten and woven together in an attempt to show events in
proper relation to each other and in correct perspective to the war as a whole.
In addition, new material, especially from Japanese sources, which has become
available since the writing of the monographs, willbe integrated intothestory.
Only when the broad picture is available can the significance of the Marine
Corps' contribution to the final victory in the Pacific be fairly evaluated.
Now a word about Volume I which sketches briefly the developmentof the
Marine Corps' amphibious mission from its inception andthen carries thestory
of World War II through Guadalcanal. As logistical officer of the 1st Marine
Division, I was privileged to take part in this, our first effort to strike back
at the Japanese. Looking rearward from the vantage point of later years
when our materiel superiority was overwhelming, it isdifficultto visualize those
lean first months in the Pacific when there was never enough of anything, and
Allied strategy of giving top priority to Europe meant that there would not
be for some time to come. Thus our initial offensive quickly and richly earned
the nickname "Operation Shoestring." But the shoestring held during those
early critical days when its holding appeared highly questionable; and when
it did, the ultimate outcome of the war in the Pacific ceased to remain in doubt.
R. McC. PATE
GENERAL, U. 8. MARINE CORPS
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS