Battle Orders 8: US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1944-45

by Gordon L Rottman

Published by Osprey Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-84176-659-3, 96 pages.

This final portion of Gordon Rottman’s coverage of the USMC in the Pacific War starts with an account of the Corps’ expansion to almost half a million men and women. It also mentions briefly the USMC involvement in the war in Europe and the Mediterranean, making it fairly obvious that this was so limited that a further book is unlikely. The expanded Corps structure is described in detail, with not only the new formations but also the new divisional organisation. Then there’s a look at how tactics had changed, with multi-division assault landings and the addition of flamethrowers to USMC small units tactics. New weapons and improved command and control methods are also described.

All that takes one-third of the book. The remaining two-thirds is devoted to combat operations. The assaults on Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa are dealt with in detail, with each landing and the following fighting very well described and excellently shown on very clear maps.

Highly recommended.

John Prigent

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