Over-all ground command of the STALEMATE II operation was vested in Major General Julian C. Smith, Commander, Expeditionary Troops, Third Fleet. Direct command of Western Task Force (Southern Palaus) was exercised by III Amphibious Corps (Major General Roy S. Geiger), major components of which were 1st Marine Division (Peleliu) and 81st Infantry Division (Angaur). Corps troops committed, including garrison units in assault, were operationally attached to the 1st Marine Division and distributed throughout the various task units as indicated below. The addition of 10,994 Corps to the 17,490 organic to the 1st Division brought the total in assault on Peleliu to 28,484.
Task Organization-1st Marine Division
MajGen William H. Rupertus, Commanding
Combat Team 1 ("Spitfire")--Col Lewis B. Puller
1st Marines
Combat Team 5 ("Lone Wolf")--Col Harold D. Harris
Co A 1st Tk Bn
Co A 1st Engr Bn
Co A 1st Pion Bn
1st Plat 1st MP Co
Co A 1st Med Bn
1st Plat Ord Co 1st Serv Bn
Det S&S Co 1st Serv Bn
Det 4th JASCO5th Marines
Combat Team 7 ("Mustang")--Col Herman H. Hanneken
Co B 1st Tk Bn (less 1st & 4th Plats)
Co B 1st Engr Bn
Co B 1st Pion Bn
2d Plat 1st MP Co
Co B 1st Med Bn
2d Plat Ord Co 1st Serv Bn
Det S&S Co 1st Serv Bn
Det 4th JASCO7th Marines (less 2d Bn)
Armd Amph Trac Group--LtCol Kimber H. Boyer
1st & 4th Plats Co B 1st Tk Bn
Co C 1st Engr Bn (less 2d Plat)
Co C 1st Pion Bn
3d Plat 1st MP Co
Co C 1st Med Bn
Det 4th JASCO3d Armd Amph Trac Bn (Prov)
Amph Trans Group--Maj Albert F. Reutlinger1st Amph Trac Bn
Arty Group--Col William H. Harrison
6th Amph Trac Bn (Prov)
454th Dukw Co (U.S. Army)
456th Dukw Co (U.S. Army)
8th Amph Trac Bn (less Dets)11th Marines
AA Group--LtCol Merlyn D. Holmes
3d Bn III PhibCorps Arty (155mm How)
8th Bn III PhibCorps Arty (155mm Gun) (less Btry G)12th AAA Bn
Engr Group--Col Francis I. Fenton
1st Engr Bn (less Cos A, B, & C)
Shore Party Group--LtCol Robert G. Ballance
33d Nav Const Bn
73d Nav Const Bn1st Pion Bn (less Cos A, B, & C)
Serv Group--Col John Kaluf
Garrison Beach Party
1st MT Bn (less Dets)1st Serv Bn (less Dets)
Res Group--LtCol Spencer S. Berger
16th Fld Depot
Corps Air Del Sect
Det 1st MT Bn2d Bn 7th Mar
Med Group--Comdr (MC) Emil E. Napp
1st Tk Bn (less Cos A, B, and tanks of Co C)
Reconn Co Div Hq Bn
4th JASCO (less Dets)
2d Plat Co C 1st Engr Bn
Det Co D 1st Med Bn1st Md Bn (less Cos A, B, C, & Det Co D)
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTONThe President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the
FIRST MARINE DIVISION (REINFORCED) consisting of FIRST Marine Division; First Amphibian Tractor Battalion, FMF; U.S. Navy Flame Thrower Unit Attached; Sixth Amphibian Tractor Battalion (Provisional), FMF; Third Armored Amphibian Battalion (Provisional), FMF; Detachment Eighth Amphibian Tractor Battalion, FMF; 454th Amphibian Truck Company, U.S. Army; 456th Amphibian Truck Company, U.S. Army; Fourth Joint Assault Signal Company, FMF; Fifth Separate Wire Platoon, FMF; Sixth Separate Wire Platoon, FMF,
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
"For extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces at Peleliu and Ngesebus from September 15 to 29, 1944. Landing over a treacherous coral reef against hostile mortar and artillery fire, the FIRST Marine Division, Reinforced, seized a narrow, heavily mined beachhead and advanced foot by foot in the face of relentless enfilade fire through rain-forests and mangrove swamps toward the air strip, the key to the enemy defenses of the southern Palaus. Opposed all the way by thoroughly disciplined, veteran Japanese troops heavily entrenched in caves and in reinforced concrete pillboxes which honeycombed the high ground throughout the island, the officers and men of the Division fought with undiminished spirit and courage despite heavy losses, exhausting heat and difficult terrain, seizing and holding a highly strategic air and land base for future operations in the Western Pacific. By their individual acts of heroism, their aggressiveness and their fortitude, the men of the FIRST Marine Division, Reinforced, upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
For the President,
John L. Sullivan
Secretary of the Navy
Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Jerry Holden for the HyperWar Foundation