# Battle of Peleliu order of battle

On 15 September 1944, United States Marine Corps forces landed on the southwestern shore of the island of Peleliu in the Palau island chain, 470 nautical miles due east of the Philippine island of Mindanao. This action, called Operation Stalemate II by American planners, was a phase in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Whether possession of the island was necessary for the Allied cause has been the source of much controversy.
Peleliu was the least-known island that the US invaded in the Pacific Theatre. Pre-war maps were sorely lacking and the results of photoreconnaissance were poor. Thus, the Marines were completely unprepared for the hard, sharp surface of blistering hot bare coral over much of the landing area.
Defeating the entrenched Japanese forces turned out to be far more arduous than anticipated. Two regiments of Army troops were unexpectedly needed to finish conquest of the island. Peleliu was finally declared secure on 15 November 1944.

## US Command Structure
### Naval

The roles of Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA) and Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), were both exercised by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from his headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Since the Palaus lie in the Southwest Pacific, their capture was the responsibility of the U.S. Third Fleet, led by Admiral William F. Halsey from aboard his flagship, fast battleship New Jersey.
The ships and embarked troops of Operation Stalemate II, were under the overall command of Rear Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson aboard amphibious command ship Mount Olympus.

### Ground Troops

Marine Corps planning for Stalemate II was conducted by Major General Julian C. Smith. However, because the III Amphibious Corps was still struggling with the capture of Guam, operational command for the Palaus was turned over to Major General Roy S. Geiger.
III Marine Amphibious Corps (Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger, USMC)
    Peleliu landing, 15 Sep: 1st Marine Division (Maj. Gen. William H. Rupertus, USMC)
    Angaur landing, 17 Sep: 81st Infantry ("Wildcat") Division (Maj. Gen. Paul J. Mueller, USA)

## US Forces
### Capture of Peleliu

    III Marine Amphibious Corps
    Major General Roy S. Geiger, USMC
          1st Marine Division
          Major General William H. Rupertus
          Asst. Div. Cmdr.: Brig. Gen. Oliver P. Smith
             Chief of Staff: Col. John T. Selden
             CO HQ Battalion: Col. Joseph F. Hankins (KIA 3 Oct), Lt. Col. Austin C. Shofner
             Personnel officer (G-1): Maj. William E. Benedict (to 23 Sep), Lt. Col. Harold O. Deakin
             Intelligence officer (G-2): Lt. Col. John W. Scott Jr.
             Operations officer (G-3): Lt. Col. Lewis J. Fields
             Logistics officer (G-4): Lt. Col. Harvey C. Tschirgi
             Left sector (White Beaches 1 & 2)
                1st Marine Regiment
                Colonel Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
                Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Richard P. Ross Jr.
                   1st Battalion (Maj. Raymond G. Davis)
                   2nd Battalion (Lt. Col. Russell E. Honsowetz)
                   3rd Battalion (Lt. Col. Stephen V. Sabol)
                   Co. A of the following:
                      1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Pioneer Battalion, 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Tank Battalion
             Center sector (Orange Beaches 1 & 2)
                5th Marine Regiment
                Colonel Harold D. "Bucky" Harris
                Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Lewis W. Walt
                   1st Battalion (Lt. Col. Robert W. Boyd)
                   2nd Battalion (Maj. Gordon D. Gayle)
                   3rd Battalion (Lt. Col. Austin C. Shofner (to 15 Sep), Maj. John C. Gustafson)
                   Co. B of the following:
                      1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Pioneer Battalion, 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Tank Battalion (reduced)
             Right sector (Orange Beach 3)
                7th Marine Regiment
                Colonel Herman H. "Hard-Headed" Hanneken
                Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Norman Hussa
                   1st Battalion (Lt. Col. John J. Gormley)
                   2nd Battalion (Lt. Col. Spenser S. Berger)
                   3rd Battalion (Maj. Edward H. Hurst)
                   Co. C of the following:
                      1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Pioneer Battalion, 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Tank Battalion (reduced)
             Landed after First Waves on D-Day
                11th Marine Regiment (Artillery)
                Colonel William H. Harrison
                Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Edison L. Lyman
                   1st Battalion (Lt. Col. Richard W. Wallace)
                   2nd Battalion (Lt. Col. Noah P. Wood, Jr.)
                   3rd Battalion (Lt. Col. Charles M. Nees)
                   4th Battalion (Lt. Col. Louie C.Reinberg)
             Other units
                12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
                1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion
                3rd Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion
                4th, 5th, 6th Marine War Dog Platoons
                UDT 6 and UDT 7

### Capture of Angaur

    81st Infantry ("Wildcat") Division (Army)
    Major General Paul J. Mueller
    Conquest of Angaur, 17 - 20 Sep
       321st Infantry Regiment (also landed on Peleliu, 23 Sep)
       323rd Infantry Regiment (also landed on Peleliu, 15 Oct)

## Japanese forces

Palau District Group Lieutenant General Inoue Sadao (HQ on Koror Island) Vice Admiral Yoshioka Ito Major General Kenjiro Murai
    14th Division (Lt. Gen. Sadao)
    Peleliu Sector Unit (Lt. Col. Kunio Nakagawa)
       2nd Infantry Regiment, Reinforced
          2nd Bttn. / 2nd Infantry Regiment
          3rd Bttn. / 2nd Infantry Regiment
          3rd Bttn. / 15th Infantry Regiment
          346th Bttn. / 53rd Independent Mixed Brigade