The hard-hitting history of the Pacific War's 'forgotten battle' of
Peleliu – a story of intelligence failings and impossible bravery.
In late 1944, as a precursor to the invasion of the Philippines, U.S.
military analysts decided to seize the small island of Peleliu to
ensure that the Japanese airfield there could not threaten the
invasion forces. This important new book explores the dramatic story
of this 'forgotten' battle and the campaign's strategic failings.
Bitter Peleliu reveals how U.S. intelligence officers failed to detect
the complex network of caves, tunnels, and pillboxes hidden inside the
island's coral ridges. More importantly, they did not discern – nor
could they before it happened – that the defense of Peleliu would
represent a tectonic shift in Japanese strategy. No more contested
enemy landings at the water's edge, no more wild banzai attacks. Now,
invaders would be raked on the beaches by mortar and artillery fire.
Then, as the enemy penetrated deeper into the Japanese defensive
systems, he would find himself on ground carefully prepared for the
purpose of killing as many Americans as possible. For the
battle-hardened 1st Marine Division Peleliu was a hornets' nest like
no other. Yet thanks to pre-invasion over-confidence on the part of
commanders, 30 of the 36 news correspondents accredited for the
campaign had left prior to D-Day. Bitter Peleliu reveals the full
horror of this 74-day battle, a battle that thanks to the reduced
media presence has never garnered the type of attention it deserves.
Pacific War historian Joseph Wheelan dissects the American
intelligence and strategic failings, analyses the shift in Japanese
tactics, and recreates the Marines' horrific experiences on the worst
of the Pacific battlegrounds. This book is a brilliant, compelling
read on a forgotten battle.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781472849472
Publisert
2022
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Osprey Publishing
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter