Last Man Standing: The 1st Marine Regiment on Peleliu, September 15-21, 1944

Description

The battle for Peleliu island marks the peak of the fiercest, most ferocious fighting in the Pacific War. Japanese tactics had changed, from the banzai charge - terrifying, but easy to wipe out - to dogged, dug-in, fight to the last man endurance resistance, and the Marines and soldiers of 1st marine Regiment bore the full brunt of this. From their DUKW's being destroyed by accurate enemy fire on the amphibious landing, to cave fighting, to being decimated at the battle of Bloody Nose Ridge - where repeated charges failed to shift the entrenched Japanese soldiers - this was a war of endurance, and the Marines suffered 56 per cent casualties in a mere ten days against the dug-in Japanese.Rounding up the enemy soldiers after this ferocious combat was over took a further six weeks, with more sporadic, intense fighting, and some ultra-nationalist Japanese soldiers hid for a further three years. Drawing extensively on personal interviews and many never-before published sources, this book gives a new and harrowing vision of what really happened at Peleliu. Recreating the battle as it was experienced by the men and their officers, Camp draws the reader into the brutality of combat against an implacable foe, the actions of legendary 'Chesty' Puller, and the sheer courage of Marines joined against seemingly impossible odds.

Dick Camp is vice president of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, and a noted historian. His previous books include Leatherneck Legends, Iwo Jima Reckon.

"World War II""Recreates, in horrific detail, life and death on the Pacific hellhole."