History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II
Volume 5: Victory and Occupation
by
Benis M. Frank,
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 1: Strategic Background
Chapter 2: The Japanese Situation
Chapter 3: Marine Corps Order of Battle
Part II: Okinawa
Chapter 1: The Target and the Enemy
Chapter 3: Assault Preparations
Chapter 4: The First Days Ashore
Chapter 6: The Defense Stiffens
Chapter 8: Reduction of the Shuri Bastion
Chapter 9: Breakout to the South
Part III: The End of the War
Chapter 3: Return to the Islands
Part IV: Occupation of Japan
Chapter 1: Initial Planning and Operations
Chapter 2: Kyushu Deployment to December 1945
Chapter 3: Last Months in Japan
Part V: North China Marines
Chapter 1: Background for Military Assistance
Chapter 2: Ashore in North China
Chapter 4: Abortive Peace Mission
Chapter 5: Withdrawal of the 1st Marine Division
Part VI: Conclusion
Chapter 1: Amphibious Doctrine in World War II
Appendices
Appendix B: Bibliographical Notes
Appendix C: Guide to Abbreviations
Appendix D: Military Map Symbols
Appendix F: Fleet Marine Force Status—30 April 1945
Appendix G: Fleet Marine Force Status—31 October 1946
Appendix H: Table of Organization G-100—Marine Division
Appendix I: Comparison of Organization—Marine Division
Appendix J: Comparison of Equipment—Marine Division
Appendix K: World War II Development of the Marine Infantry Regiment
Appendix L: Marine Task Organization and Command List
I. 14th IIB Defensive Dispositions
II. 6th Marine Division Progress in Northern Okinawa
III. XXIV Corps Progress, 5–30 April 1945
IV. Japanese Counteroffensive and Tenth Army Progress, 5–21 May 1945
V. Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill, 13–15 May 1945
VI. Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill, 16–17 May 1945
VII. Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill, 18–19 May 1945
VIII. Tenth Army Progress, 21–31 May 1945
IX. Breakout to the South, 1–12 June 1945
X. Tenth Army Progress, 14–21 June 1945
XI. Significant Marine Corps Activities in World War II
Inline Maps
1. Nansei Shoto
2. Okinawa Shima
3. Japanese Defensive Positions
4. ICEBERG Scheme of Maneuver
5. Seizure of Kerama Retto
6. Landing Plan
7. Severing the Island
8. 6th Marine Division Progress, Motobu Peninsula, 14 April 1945
9. 6th Marine Division Progress, Motobu Peninsula, 15–16 April 1945
10. 6th Marine Division Progress, Motobu Peninsula, 17–23 April 1945
11. Reconnaissance and Capture of the Eastern Islands
12. Assault and Capture of Ie Shima
13. 1st Marine Division Advances
14. Dakeshi–Wana
15. Capture of Naha
16. Thirty-second Army Dispositions
17. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 4–6 June 1945
18. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 7–9 June 1945
19. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 10–11 June 1945
20. Battle for Oroku Peninsula, 12–14 June 1945
21. Seizure of Kunishi Ridge
22. Outlying Islands
23. End of Organized Resistance
24. Scheme of Maneuver, Operation OLYMPIC
25. Marine Surrender and Occupation Duties
26. Operations BLACKLIST, CAMPUS-BELEAGUER
27. Yokosuka Occupation
28. Maximum Deployment of VAC
29. VAC Deployment, 8 December 1945
30. 2nd Marine Division Deployment
31. Typical Deployment of a Marine Regiment
32. China, 1945
33. North China
34. Hopeh Deployment
35. Anping Ambush
36. Attack on Hsin Ho
Illustrations
Admiral Nimitz Briefs the President at Pearl Harbor—Combined Chiefs of Staff Meet at Quebec—Thirty-second Army Officers Sit For a Portrait—North Bank of the Bishi Gawa—Landing Craft Form Up For the Run to Kerama Retto Beaches—155-mm Guns of the 420th Field Artillery Group on Keise Shima—Main Batteries of USS Tennessee Hurl Tons of Explosives—Aerial View of the Hagushi Anchorage—Bewildered Civilians—Two Marines Safeguard a Young Okinawan—Heavy Undergrowth on the Ishikawa Isthmus—Grinning Troops of the 29th Marines Heading For Chuta—Japanese 105-mm Gun Captured on Yae Take—Suicide Boats Found at Unten Ko—USS Enterprise Is Hit By a Kamikaze—Tracers Fill the Sky—Yellow Beach 3 on L Plus 2—Causeways Relieve Logistical Problems—Marine Reconnaissance Personnel Prepare Rubber Boats—Dominating Ie Shima is Iegusugu Yama—Marine Rocket Launchers in Support of the Drive South—Awacha Pocket—Sugar Loaf Hill—Tanks Evacuate the Wounded—Wana Ridge—105-mm Howitzer of the 15th Marines—Aerial View of Shuri on 28 April—Shuri, One Month Later—Corkscrew—Blowtorch—Air Delivery Section Marines—VMTB-232 TBM Drops Supplies—6th Division Marines Land on Oroku Peninsula—Final Sweep of Oroku Peninsula—Marine Casualties Are Evacuated by Spotter Plane—8th Marines Landing on Iheya Shima—Marine Tanks Shelling Positions in the South—Cooperative Prisoners—Men of the Tenth Army Pay Homage—Surrender of All Japanese Forces in the Ryukyus—VMF(CVS)-511 Corsair Ready to be Launched—An Explosion Rips the Critically Damaged Franklin—Among the Few Marines Present At the Surrender Ceremony—Corsairs and Hellcats Fly in Formation Over Tokyo Bay—To The Colors—Fleet Landing Force Personnel Are Transferred—Members of the Yokosuka Occupation Force—General Clement Looks Over Yokosuka Naval Base—The “New” 4th Marines Passes in Review—26th Marines Moves Into Sasebo—Battered Buddhist Figures—More Than 200 Japanese Planes Are Destroyed—1st Marine Division Troops Landing at Taku—Tientsin Citizens Welcome First Marines To Return—Navy Carrier Planes in a “Show of Force”—Repatriated Japanese Soldiers Salute American Flag—Arrow Directs Corsairs to Village—Communist Mine Damages Roadbed—Chinese Nationalist Sentries—A Portion of the Marines Remaining in Tsingtao—North China Marines—POW Quarters at Fengt’ai—Shadow of a B-29 on a Supply Drop—American and British POWs