Palau: The Fight for Bloody Nose Ridge

This is another in the Crusade in the Pacific series.

Late summer, 1944. The Americans are “firmly established” in the Marianas.

The Palau islands.

MacArthur felt that Palau had to be seized.

Halsey felt that taking Palau was not necessary.

Carrier planes attack Japanese shipping near the Philippines.

Then the video talks about the war production capabilities of the U.S.

Then it talks about service men on home on leave getting some R&R.

Rockets are prepared for the ship-borne launcher.

The largest number of Japanese troops were on a northern island.

More troops and an airstrip were here.

The bottom island had the fewest troops defending it.

Sept. 15, the invasion begins.

Then it talks about the underwater demolition teams and how they helped prepare an invasion.

Another view of a rocket launcher.

The assault forces come under bombardment even before they reach the beach.

The fighting was quite vicious.

Then it talks about the high casualties the Marines took.

The Army invaded Anguar island on Sept. 17th. The island was taken on the 20th.

Then, as usual, an airstrip is constructed on the island.

Then the video goes back to talking about Bloody Nose Ridge, and how touch a fight it was.

Aerial attacks would be called in on enemy positions.

Napalm was also used.

Another nearby island is taken to stop Japanese artillery.

A few Japanese surrendered, but not many.

Sometimes cave entrances were sealed up with Japanese still inside. Over 1600 U.S. soldiers died in the campaign to take the islands.

Am American bomber on a mission has its left wing shot off.

The more islands taken, the more airfields made. The more airfields made, the further the reach of U.S. air power.

This allowed U.S. bombers to begin attacking Japanese positions in the Philippines.

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