Marsh Is.#495 U.S. Lands on Peleliu - 1994 Imperforate Mint Issue

September 15, 1944 Major General William H. Rupertus led the invasion of the Palau Islands 500 miles east of the Philippines. He was confident that the islands would be captured in two to three days at the most. He could not have been more wrong. The enemy had changed its defensive strategy at Palau, relying on a massive second front counterattack rather than suicidal charges. And the high, volcanic mountain geography offered the enemy natural defenses with hundreds of caves making excellent positions for mortar and sniper fire. The Marines had another obstacle. The pre-invasion bombardment had destroyed most of the island’s vegetation, leaving the attackers no place to take cover. In all, the battle lasted two months. American losses were around 2,000 and the Japanese lost 11,000. Although the U.S. was victorious, it is debatable whether the island was worth the cost in human life. The Palau Islands never played a decisive role in the war effort after their capture.

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