Tanks on Peleliu: The M4 Medium Tank in the Pacific
Abstract
Combat operations in the Pacific Theater during World War II presented unique challenges to the United States Marine Corps. The complexity of routing Japanese forces from the many, and heavily defended, islands of the Western Pacific required a specialized force trained and equipped in the employment of amphibious operations. However, existing amphibious doctrine developed between the 1920s and 1930s failed to fully address the evolving tactics of island defense employed by the Japanese Imperial Army. Additionally, amphibious doctrine lagged behind in light of new advancements in equipment such as the fielding of the M4 median tank (Sherman). The Sherman had seen little action in the Pacific up to 1944, but was fielded at a critical time when Japanese island defense tactics had significantly matured. The amphibious assaults of 1944 and 1945 were much different than the unopposed landings in earlier years. Moreover, the Marine crews who served on the Sherman faced additional challenges as they adjusted from operating the M2/3 light tank (Stewart) to the heavier M4. Although most commonly studied and debated for its strategic significance, the battle of Peleliu offers a unique examination of the employment of the M4 Sherman tank in relation to the challenges of amphibious operations and Japanese island defense tactics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 09, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1181105
Entities
People
- Christopher D. Quinlan
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College