September 15th, 1944 – The Battle of Peleliu

Conflict: World War II

Combatants: Americans vs. Japanese

Location: Palau Islands

Outcome: American victory

On this day in 1944, the Battle of Peleliu began when General William Rupertus' 1st Division Marines landed on the shores of that island. The Japanese defenders under General Sadae Inoue fiercely resisted. The battle would stretch on for over two months before the Americans declared victory. Some Japanese remained in hiding until 1947.

First wave of LVTs moves toward the invasion beaches - Peleliu by unknown phototgrapher

Points of Interest:

• The soldiers and Marines suffered a nearly 40% casualty rate in the amphibious attack on Peleliu; the most costly in American history.

• Over 13,000 Japanese would be killed in the Battle of Peleliu and Sadae Inoue was taken prisoner.

William H. Rupertus by a US Marine Corps photographer

Inoue, Sadae by an unknown photographer

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Sources:

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Gailey, Harry A.. (1995). The War in the Pacific. Novato, CA: Presidio Press.