Post by kanowarrior on Feb 14, 2012 13:02:53 GMT -5
By the summer of 1944, the Palau Islands were occupied by approximately 30,000 Japanese troops, with about 11,000 men on Peleliu, made up of the 14th Infantry Division, and Korean and Okinawan laborers. Colonel Kunio Nakagawa—commander of the Division's 2nd Regiment—led the preparations for the island's defense.
After their losses in the Solomons, Gilberts, Marshalls and Marianas, the Imperial Army assembled a research team to develop a new island defense strategy. The team chose to abandon the early beach-based perimeter defense tactics and reckless Banzai attacks. The new strategy was only to disrupt the landings, to form a "honeycomb" system of fortified positions inland, replace the fruitless banzai attacks with coordinated counterattacks, and draw the Americans into a bloody war of attrition to wear them down and force them to commit ever more resources to the attack. Colonel Nakagawa concentrated his defenses inland. Using the rough terrain to his advantage, he constructed a system of heavily fortified bunkers, caves, and underground positions.
Japanese fortifications.
The majority of Nakagawa's defenses were based at Peleliu's highest point, Umurbrogol mountain, a collection of hills and steep ridges. Located at the center of Peleliu, Umurbrogol looked over a large portion of the island, including the crucial airfield. The Umurbrogol contained some 500 limestone caves, connected by tunnels. Many of these were former mine shafts that were turned into defense positions. Engineers added sliding steel armor doors with multiple openings to serve both artillery and machine guns.
The Japanese army dug and blasted other positions throughout Umurbrogol, armed with 81 mm (3.19 in) and 150 mm (5.9 in) mortars, and 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons, and backed by a light tank unit and an anti-aircraft detachment. The cave entrances were built slanted as a defense against grenade and flamethrower attacks. The caves and bunkers were connected to a vast system throughout central Peleliu, which allowed the Japanese to evacuate or reoccupy positions as needed, and to take advantage of shrinking interior lines.
The Japanese also used the beach terrain to their advantage. The northern end of the landing beaches faced a 30 ft (9.1 m) coral promontory which overlooked the beaches from a small peninsula, a spot later known to the Americans simply as "The Point". Holes were blasted into the ridge to accommodate a 47 mm (1.85 in) gun, and six 20 mm cannons. The positions were then sealed shut, leaving just a small firing slit to assault the beaches. Similar positions were crafted along the 2 mi (3.2 km) stretch of landing beaches.
The Japanese covered the beaches with thousands of obstacles for the landing craft, principally mines and a large number of heavy artillery shells, buried with the fuses exposed to explode on being run over. A battalion was placed along the beach to defend against the landing, but the defenses were meant simply to delay the American advance. The invaders eventually would be led inland to be mauled along the fortified ridges and hills.
After their losses in the Solomons, Gilberts, Marshalls and Marianas, the Imperial Army assembled a research team to develop a new island defense strategy. The team chose to abandon the early beach-based perimeter defense tactics and reckless Banzai attacks. The new strategy was only to disrupt the landings, to form a "honeycomb" system of fortified positions inland, replace the fruitless banzai attacks with coordinated counterattacks, and draw the Americans into a bloody war of attrition to wear them down and force them to commit ever more resources to the attack. Colonel Nakagawa concentrated his defenses inland. Using the rough terrain to his advantage, he constructed a system of heavily fortified bunkers, caves, and underground positions.
Japanese fortifications.
The majority of Nakagawa's defenses were based at Peleliu's highest point, Umurbrogol mountain, a collection of hills and steep ridges. Located at the center of Peleliu, Umurbrogol looked over a large portion of the island, including the crucial airfield. The Umurbrogol contained some 500 limestone caves, connected by tunnels. Many of these were former mine shafts that were turned into defense positions. Engineers added sliding steel armor doors with multiple openings to serve both artillery and machine guns.
The Japanese army dug and blasted other positions throughout Umurbrogol, armed with 81 mm (3.19 in) and 150 mm (5.9 in) mortars, and 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons, and backed by a light tank unit and an anti-aircraft detachment. The cave entrances were built slanted as a defense against grenade and flamethrower attacks. The caves and bunkers were connected to a vast system throughout central Peleliu, which allowed the Japanese to evacuate or reoccupy positions as needed, and to take advantage of shrinking interior lines.
The Japanese also used the beach terrain to their advantage. The northern end of the landing beaches faced a 30 ft (9.1 m) coral promontory which overlooked the beaches from a small peninsula, a spot later known to the Americans simply as "The Point". Holes were blasted into the ridge to accommodate a 47 mm (1.85 in) gun, and six 20 mm cannons. The positions were then sealed shut, leaving just a small firing slit to assault the beaches. Similar positions were crafted along the 2 mi (3.2 km) stretch of landing beaches.
The Japanese covered the beaches with thousands of obstacles for the landing craft, principally mines and a large number of heavy artillery shells, buried with the fuses exposed to explode on being run over. A battalion was placed along the beach to defend against the landing, but the defenses were meant simply to delay the American advance. The invaders eventually would be led inland to be mauled along the fortified ridges and hills.
