Hitting The Beaches
Subtitle: The First Armored Amphibian Battalion In World War II, 1943 1945: Kwajalein, Guam, Okinawa
By: compiled and edited by Dale L. Barker.
Contributors: Barker, Dale L.; First Armored Amphibian Battalion (Association)
Publisher: First Armored Amphibian Battalion
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Atlanta, Ga. (2609 Flemington Rd., Atlanta 30345)
Language: eng
Number of pages: 430
Subjects: United States. Marine Corps. Armored Amphibian Battalion, 1st -- History; World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories -- United States; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Kwajalein Island (Marshall Islands); World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Guam; World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Japan -- Okinawa Island; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 429-430).
At head of title: The United States Marine Corps.
Table of contents: title: CONTENTS; title: Collaborators on this volume viii; title: Acknowledgements ix; title: Foreword: Lt. General Louis Metzger xi; title: Preface xiv; title: Chapter 1. Background: The War, the Weapon, the Men 1; title: The war in the Central Pacific. The Japanese foe. Amphibian tractors. Amphibian tanks: the LVTA-l, the LVTA-4. The men. The schools. Jacques' Farm. Camp Pendleton. Movie making.; title: Chapter 2. The Boat Basin 22; title: Building a battalion. Training in the amtanks. Amtanks and the LST. Other training. Camp life & liberty. The Tarawa draft. Preparing for departure.; title: Chapter 3. The San Clemente Maneuvers 38; title: Chapter 4. San Diego to Kwajalein 47; title: Early days at sea. The storm. Kauai. Approach to Kwajalein.; title: Chapter 5. Kwajalein: The First Test 61; title: The Central Pacific offensive. Pre-invasion strategy. The battle plan. D-Day: the Ivan and Jacob landings, the Allen and Albert landings. D+l: Roi and Namur. Mopping up and shipping out. Assessment.; title: Chapter 6. Kwajalein to Guadalcanal 96; title: The ships. Kwajalein to Funafuti. Funafuti. Funafuti to Guadalcanal.; title: Chapter 7. Guadalcanal the First Time 103; title: Building Camp McCartney. Kavieng bypassed. Rebuilding the Battalion. Training and work. Camp life. Preparing for combat. Maneuvers.; title: Chapter 8. Guadalcanal to Guam 150; title: Guadalcanal to Kwajalein. Kwajalein to the Marianas. In reserve off Saipan. The Marianas to Eniwetok. Eniwetok. Approach to Guam.; title: Chapter 9. The Liberation of Guam 169; title: The battle plan. W-Day: The Agat landing. W-Day: the Asan landing. The Orote Peninsula mission. Cabras, Agana, other missions. Last days on Guam. Assessment; title: Chapter 10. Guam to Guadalcanal 233; title: Chapter 11. Guadalcanal the Second Time 237; title: The 3d Armored. New men. Camp life. The LVTA-4s. Artillery training. Preparation for combat. Maneuvers.; title: Chapter 12. Guadalcanal to Okinawa 267; title: Guadalcanal to Ulithl Staging at Ulithu Ulithi to Okinawa.; title: Chapter 13. Okinawa: The Landing and First Days Ashore 275; title: Okinawa and the war. The battle plan. L-Day: the landing. On the beach and beyond. Artillery work and beach defense. Kamikazes. Day two through day five.; title: Chapter 14. Okinawa: Northern Operations 297; title: North to Yabu. Yabu. Early amtank patrols. The Yae Take operation. Reconnoitering offshore islands. Last days at Yabu.; title: Chapter 15. Okinawa: Southern Operations 321; title: From Yabu to Brown Beach. The Brown Beach operations. The battle for Naha-the Asa Kawa estuary, south of the Asa Kawa, closing in on Naha. The Chichi Jim a interlude. The battle for Oroku Peninsula— Naha, Oroku Peninsula, Senaga Shima. South to the end— beach defense and a desperate enemy, last battles, patrols inland, to the end. Disengagement and departure. Assessment.; title: Chapter 16. Saipan and Wars End 369; title: History & description. From Okinawa to Saipan. Camp life. Around the Island. Victory. Postwar Saipan. The Typhoon. The point system.; title: Last Days and Departure.; title: Chapter 18. The Journey Home 392; title: To San Diego on the Griggs. Camp Pendleton. Other journeys home.; title: Troop trains and homecoming.; title: Chapter 19. Parade Rest 403; title: After the LVTA-4. The years after. The reunions. The Guam celebration. The spirit lives on.; title: Glossary 413; title: Battalion roster 417; title: Bibliography 429