101 Battles Flashcards
(12 cards)
Battle of Belleu Wood
06June1918
Crushed a German offensive.
French renamed the woods “The Wood of the Brigade of Marines”.
Germans evaluated marines as “stormtroops” (highest rating on enemy fighting scale).
Germans called them Teufelhunden meaning Devil Dogs.
Battle of Guadalcanal
07AUG1942
1st MARDIV landed in Solomon Islands.
Launched first US land offensive of WW2.
First combat test of new amphibious doctrine.
Provided base to launch further invasions of Japanese held islands.
Landings continued to New Georgia, Bougainville, Choiseul.
Battle of Tarawa
Gilbert islands first in line of advance in Central Pacific.
Objective was Tarawa Atoll and Betio island.
Japanese commander of Betio proclaimed it would take a million Americans 100 years to conquer.
20NOV1943 Marines conquered Betio in 76 hours.
Many died due to the reef making ships offload far away from the shore.
Battle of Mariana Islands
Marines invaded for air fields and naval bases.
Landings on Saipan, Guam, and Tinian achieved this.
June and July 1943 Lieutenant General Holland M “Howlin Mad” Smith led a combined invasion force that totaled over 136k.
Greatest number of troops under Marine command in field.
Battle of Okinawa
01APR1945 - 22JUN1945
Marines took part of last and largest battle of the Pacific.
Involved 287k troops.
Secured vital air bases for invasion of Japan mainland.
End of 82 day campaign, Japan suffered 77k casualties. Allied received 65k including 14k dead.
23 medals of honor were awarded.
Battle of Iwo Jima
19FEB1945
Largest and bloodiest all-marine battle in history.
Marines suffered 23,300 casualties.
Iwo Jima increased the air support and bombing operations against the Japanese home islands.
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz said “Amkng the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”
June 2007 Japan changed name from Iwo Jima to Iwo To.
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
November 1950
During Korean War, marines were cut off by Chinese forces. Despite facing 10 divisions, marines smashed 7 as they left Chosin Reservoir.
Marines brought out all gear, wounded and dead.
Battle of Hue City
During Tet in January 1968, communist forces launched an attack by putting troops in with the civilians.
Division sized unit of NVA occupied Hue City and the Citadel.
First time fighting in built up places since Korean War.
Fighting was house to house and progress measured in yards.
City secured on 25 Feb 1968.
First Battle of Fallujah
Codenamed Operation Vigilant Resolve.
Unsuccessful attempt by US to capture city of Fallujah, Iraq.
04Apr2004, 1st Battalion Fifth marine regiment attacked city’s industrial center.
2nd Battalion 1st Marines pushed through northwestern urban district.
By April 10 3/4 and 2/2 were committed to still raging conflict.
2nd Battle of Fallujah
2 distinct operations (Al-Fajir and Phantom Fury) took place on 07 Nov 2004.
Operation Al-Fajir (The Dawn) major success for the Iraqi Government and coalition forces.
Attack included 9 US Army and Marine battalions, 6 Iraqi Battalions, and aviation from all of the military services.
Assault force included 12000 troops.
Keys to success were complementary war fighting capabilities, single chain of command, advances in technology, and unifying vision of liberated an oppressed city.
Operation Phantom Fury joint US, Iraqi, and British offensive led by US marines against Iraqi insurgency stronghold.
Attack took place 07 Nov 2004, employed Regimental Combat Teams, 1 and 7 attacking south into the city.
Army supported by Mechanized Infantryand Calvary Units.
Fighting was house by house and rooftop to rooftop.
Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Khanjar American led offensive against the Taliban in Helmand 02 July 2009.
4000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade with 650 Afghan army soldiers took part in the offensive.
Largest marine offensive since the battle of Fallujah.
Biggest offensive airlift by marines since Vietnam.
Units involved are 2/8, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and 1/5.
Battle of Mariah
Operation Moshtarak (together) February 2010.
Reclaimed Marjah together with thousands of Afghan National Security Forces.
Improved geo-political landscape of Southwestern Afghanistan.
