When you have resolved to fight a battle, collect your whole strength. Dispense with nothing. A single battalion sometimes decides the day. - Napoleon

Almost forgotten by history and certainly neglected by past miniatures rules, the Pacific theater in World War Two offers numerous unique opportunities for miniature wargaming. One example took place during the Palaus campaign of September-October 1944 at Angaur Island.

Angaur was the scene of tenuous, hard fought battles between the US Army's 81st Infantry Division and a single-though heavily reinforced-battalion of Japanese infantry. Anguar was the first combat experience for the "Wildcats" of the 81st Division.

INVADING THE PALAUS

In September of 1944, the United State's III Amphibious Corp launched its assault against the Palaus Islands. The original goal of the operation was to provide airfields and a safe anchorage from which the Caroline islands could be attacked. Using the Palaus as a steppingstone to the Philippines became an additional objective. D-day was set for September 15, 1944. Two islands were chosen as targets-Peleliu and Angaur. Peleliu was the objective of the 1st Marine Division, Angaur was the objective of the Army's 81st Infantry Division, once the landing and occupation of Peleliu was successful. The landing on Angaur would be the 81st Infantry's first combat action of the war.

Angaur Island, part of the Palaus group in Micronesia, is a small heavily forested island. Angaur's area of roughly 11 square kilometers contains a diverse mix of terrain-from coral reefs on the south and west, a rough coastal plain composed of forests, coral outcroppings and swamp, culminating in the caldera formation of Lake Salome atop the northwestern mountain top. Before and during the war Angaur's main industry was an open pit phosphate mine and processing plant connected by a series of narrow gauge railroads that dissected the island. For identification purposes the US troops soon assigned the separate rail lines the names of major American railroads-Southern, Milwaukee, Northern, Western, etc.

The invasion of the Palaus began on Peleliu at 0530 hours on September 15th. A general bombardment by the Western Fire Support Group was followed by intense attack by aircraft of Task Group 38.4. At 0832 the first wave of troops from the 1st Marine division landed from LVTs and DUKWs, while LCI gunboats and rocket craft provided supporting fire. Japanese resistance was moderate from the start but stiffened all day.

Communications between the landed regiments to 1st Marine HQ offshore were disjointed and provided inaccurate reports as to the tenacity of the Japanese defenders. This lack of accurate intelligence led the III Amphibious Corp staff to authorize the assault on Angaur Island to proceed as planned.

ISLAND
17 September 1944

The invasion of Angaur Island began in the predawn hours of September 17. The Angaur Attack Group, consisting of the battleships Pennsylvania and Tennessee, four light cruisers, 5 destroyers and a handful of LCI gunboats, laid down a preliminary barrage, and aircraft from TG 38.4 as well as a task group of escort carriers, strafed the beaches and bombed any targets missed by the naval bombardment.

DEFENSIVE PREPARATIONS ON ANGAUR

The Imperial Japanese Army's Angaur Sector Unit (ASU), consisted of a heavily reinforced infantry battalion. From the outset, the Japanese never believed they could hold the island against a determined attack. Instead, Major Goto, commander of the ASU, had orders to conduct a delaying defense, and force the US to commit assets that would otherwise be used against Japanese forces on Peleliu. This marked a change in Japanese combat operations to date. Previously, the US Army's Handbook on Japanese Military Forces characterized Japanese defensive tactics as "a system of surprise, maneuver, and counterattack."

In the past this strategy had resulted in such defeats as the battle of the Tenaru River at Guadalcanal, the pointless counterattacks at Makin Atoll, and the futile banzai charge of the aptly named Massacre Bay, on Attu Island, in Alaska. Instead of an all or nothing counter attack, the ASU would use its excellent defensive positions to delay the U.S. capture of Angaur as long as possible. The ASU's defenses were mostly along the southeast coast of Angaur, though many were heavily damaged by the pre-invasion bombardments. The Angaur campaign would provide a preview of future operations in the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. \

CAMPAIGN SYNOPSIS

Day 1 (17 Sep 1944) At 0530 hours a naval task group built around the battleships Pennsylvania and Tennessee began a pre-landing bombardment that lasted for three hours. At 0800 hours the first landing wave headed for the beach. At 0830 the LVT's of the Army's 726th and 776th amphibious tractor battalions landed the 1/321st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) and 1/322nd RCT of the 81st Infantry Division.

The Japanese, confused by a feint landing by the 323rd RCT to the west and pinned by the naval bombardment were unable to mount an effective response. The biggest difficulty faced by the US forces were the terrain, which slowed the expected advance, and a beachhead congested by few exits and swamped LCVP's. By the evening, the 321st and 322nd had fallen short of reaching the landing day objectives. Though the regiments were out of position, they occupied good night positions to face the expected Japanese counter attack. Allied planners had come to expect the Japanese to launch powerful, though suicidal banzai attacks against their positions. However, ASU implemented its new strategy, tested for the first time in the Palaus, of conducting a delaying defense. Major Goto, the Japanese commander on Angaur, ordered the withdrawal of most troops into the extensive defenses in northwest hills.

Day 2 (18 September 1944): The 81st division had plans for a limited offensive on the 18th. After a three hour air and naval bombardment, the 322nd RCT was to seize all of northern Angaur, while the 321st advanced to and held the previous days objectives. Upon reaching those objectives the 321st would halt and act as a pivot on which the 322nd would wheel through northwest Angaur into the town of Saipan. The American plans were thrown off by several small, yet effective Japanese attacks. These attacks caused the attack to be postponed two hours while the US forces regrouped.

Around noon six US Navy fighters accidentally strafed and bombed the front lines of the 3/322nd RCT, killing seven and wounding forty six others. In an attempt to lessen the troops fear of friendly fire from air attack, General Muller, the commander of the 81st Infantry ordered all further airstrikes canceled until further notice, though the psychological damage was not undone for several days.

Again, the physical geography of Angaur proved to be a tougher opponent than the Japanese army. The extremely rough terrain coupled with the high temperatures slowed the American advance for the day to 300-1, 000 yards along the start line. The units advancing along the north coast beach were unable to find a route up the cliffs onto the north slopes of the hills, so they returned to their start lines.

The night of September 18-19th saw small attacks against the 3/322nd RCT. About 2030 hours shells from the 316th field artillery battalion landed in the lines of the 2nd/321st, heightening the U.S. troops concern about problems with "friendly fire".

Day 3 (19 September 1944): The third day of the campaign marked the occupation of most of Anguar Island. The 3rd/322nd attacked from the phosphate plant and seized all of Saipan town by noon. The 2nd/321st RCT, supporting the 3/322nd RCT pushed across the center of the island, through the middle village and linked up with the 3/22nd. With most Japanese troops located in the Northwest hills opposition to these attacks was minimal, and losses were light.

US troops spent the afternoon of the 19th occupying southern Angaur. After a brief respite to reorganize and rest the troops the 2/321st RCT, now supported by the 3/322nd RCT, advance south from Saipan town, halting at the edge of the large mangrove swamp. 2 companies of the 710th tank battalion carrying infantry of the 2/321st RCT conducted a recon in force of southern Angaur. This force followed by the 2/321st drove through the Japanese defenses in the south, encountering little opposition. The Japanese apparently thought it better to let the US tanks drive through than to incur the superior firepower the tanks provided. Further east, the 3rd/321st formed into two columns, one advancing down the coast, the other along the roadbed of the "Southern" railroad. The coastal column encountered sporadic machine-gun and mortar fire from Japanese unable to retire on the first day of the campaign, while the inland column's progress was halted by a pair of 75mm gun emplacements. Only the tanks of the 710th Tank Battalion silenced the guns and allowed the advance to continue.

Day 4 (20 September 1944): The occupation of southern Angaur was almost complete. At 0800 hours the 2nd/321st RCT, with two companies of the 710th Tank Battalion attached, pushed south. These units rapidly advanced to the southwestern tip of Anguar, securing it by 1100 hours. The rest of the 20th was spent mopping up isolated pockets of Japanese attempting to escape to the Northwestern hills.

Meanwhile, the 322nd RCT spent the 20th probing and attacking the Northwestern hills. Shrine

Hill and Lighthouse Hill quickly fell to troops of the 2/322nd RCT (minus Company G). By afternoon, the battalion was on the southwest face of Lake Salome bowl, a position which offered considerable tactical advantages to the Japanese defenders. Small arms, machine-gun and mortar fire lashed the battalion, forcing its withdrawal to a line from Shrine Hill to the reverse slope of Lighthouse Hill.

G Company 2/322nd RCT -supported by a platoon of 75 mm self-propelled guns from the regimental cannon company-advanced upon the railroad cut (soon to be known as Bloody Gulch) that ran into Lake Salome bowl. The infantry gained the rim on both sides of the cut while the SP guns drove through the cut into the bowl. The SP guns were soon damaged by a combination of mines, AT fire and small arms. G company withdrew down the hill back toward the rest of the 2/322nd. During the night a battery of 155mm howitzers and a battalion of 105mm field artillery shelled the area of Lake Salome.

Day 5 (21 September 1944): The 21st marked the reduction of the effort to occupy Angaur Island. On nearby Peleliu, the 1st Marine division was bogged down and engaging heavily dug in Japanese troops. Casualties were high and reinforcements needed. At noon on the 21st General Mueller gave orders for the entire 321st RCT to disengage and prepare for transfer to Peleliu. Admiral William Halsey in the battleship New Jersey arrived in the Palaus to see first hand how the battles on Angaur and more importantly Peleliu were proceeding. The 323rd RCT, previously the III amphibious corps floating reserve , along with the navy's Western Fire Support Group, were detached for the invasion and occupation of Ulithi, future site of the US Navy's famous fleet base and aircraft carrier "Murders Row". Only the 322nd RCT, along with the divisional artillery and the 710th Tank Bn. remained to complete the occupation of Angaur.

The 1st and 2nd battalions 322nd RCT supported by tanks attacked the Japanese positions around the Lake Salome bowl. The 3/322nd covered the flank of the 2nd battalion and guarded the approaches to the landing beaches. The attack was preceded by an hour of concentrated artillery barrage, strafing attacks by navy fighter-bombers and a further half hour of artillery. The US troops fully expected the artillery to eliminate the Japanese positions.

However, the Japanese were determined to defend the approaches to the bowl. In contrast to the previous day, G company, 2/322nd could not regain their position at the top of the rim. By 0900 the entire attack had bogged down under a hail of mortar, small arm and machine gun fire. The US called in artillery and mortar fire to further soften up the defenders. At 0945 the advance resumed, the 2/322nd gained the top of the rim on both sides of Bloody Gulch. After clearing the wrecked SP guns from the railroad cut exit, 8 M-4 tanks with G company in support moved through Bloody Gulch. Once in the bowl the attack stopped again. The tanks were confined to the railroad beds, making coordinated armor-infantry attacks impossible. Given their untenable position the troops fell back down the hill to their start lines.

Day 6 (22 September 1944): At 0730 hours on the 26th, the attack resumed. The 1st battalion, starting from the west coast of Angaur, attempted to advance up the cliffs and attack the bowl from the west. The 2nd battalion tried a repeat of the previous days assault up the defile, with nearly the same results. About 1300 hours its troops pushed into the bowl, advancing 250 yards and cleared much of the lake shore. Again, however, the troops were withdrawn from the untenable position on the exposed bowl floor, returning to the high ground near Bloody Gulch. During the retirement another M4 tank was disable by either mines or an unexploded artillery shell

Still expecting the last gasp, all or nothing banzai charge, the 322nd spent the night waiting. The night passed uneventfully, the expected attack never materializing.

Day 7 (23 September 1944) Operations on the 23rd began at 0730. The 2nd battalion, reinforced with three companies of the 1st battalion attacked the bowl from the south again. Heavy Japanese fire pinned down and stalled the attack. Ammunition ran short and the 1st battalion ran out of ammunition for its 81mm mortars. Again, a general withdrawal to the railroad cut was ordered.

Day 8 (24 September 1944)In light of the failure of the previous days attacks, a change in tactics was tried. The morning was spent broadcasting propaganda in an effort to prod the Japanese to surrender. Only two soldiers did so. The remainder of the 24th was used in an artillery barrage by both 105mm battalions and the 155mm battalion. The bombardment lasted throughout the afternoon and evening and into the night.

Day 9 (25 September 1944) On the 25th the 3/322nd moved to along the northern beaches to the north tip of Angaur. The battalion searched in vain to located a route up the cliffs and into the bowl. Further reconnaissance led Col. Wilson, commander of the 322nd RCT, to abandon any attack from the north beach and order the 3/322nd back to its starting points. A new axis of attack had been selected starting from the end of the Milwaukee railroad and running south-southwest into Lake Salome. This attack would be supplied along a road to be built by Company B, 306th Engineers.

Day 10 (26 September 1944): The 3/322nd attacked up the slope and gained the rim around noon. From there the battalion worked its way down to the floor of the bowl, advancing under fire from small arms, machine guns and mortars. A heavy cross fire ensued causing heavy casualties and forcing them back to the eastern base of the rim wall Overall the offensive of the 26th was positive, as the Japanese force had been split although the leading companies of the 3rd battalion suffered around 40 percent casualties.

Day 11 (27 September 1944) The 322nd RCT continued to reduced the Lake Salome pocket. At this point the campaign was effectively over. The Japanese were isolated and running short of supplies. The battle became a infantry slugging match, with minor gains and reverses on both sides. Each enemy position, of which there were many, had to be eliminated one by one. This seesawing battle continued until 21 October 1944 when the last remnants of resistance were eliminated on Angaur.

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