Osprey Battle Orders 8 : US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1944-1945

In late 1944 the US Marine Corps prepared for the toughest battles of the war. It had grown to 35,598 officers, 5,384 officer candidates, and 366,353 enlisted Marines, totalling 431,573 personnel, and now comprised of two amphibious corps, six divisions, twenty six non-divisional artillery battalions, and numerous support and service units. Following on from Battle Orders 1 : US Marine Corps (1) : Pacific Theater of Operations 1941-1943 and Battle Orders 7 : US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1943-1944, this book examines the continuing development of the Corps' organization, its training, tactics, weaponry, and command structure. It details the formation of the 5th and 6th Marine Divisions and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, and examines the Corps' performance in the brutal battles on Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, and its deployment as an occupation force. Text by Gordon Rottman.

Contents

• Introduction
• Combat Mission
• Unit Organization
• Tactics
• Weapons and Equipment
• Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence
• Combat Operations
• Reduction and Occupation Duty
• Chronology
• Bibliography
• Abbreviations and Linear Measurements
• Index