101.2 Flashcards
The battle of belleu wood
On 6 june 1918 marines fought one their greatest battles in history at belleau wood. France during ww1. Marines helped crush a german offensive at B wood that threatened paris. French renamed the area “the wood of the brigade of marines” german intelligence evaluated marines as storm troops. Germans called marines teufelhunden or devil dogs
Battle of guadalcanal
7August1942 the 1st marine division landed on the beaches of Guadalcanal in Solomon islands and launched the first US land offensive of WW2. Marked the first combat test for new amphibious doctrine. Was a turning point in the war
The battle of tarawa
The Gilbert islands were the first in the line of advance for the offensive in central pacific. The prime objective was the tarawa atoll and betio islnds which had been fortified to the point Japanese commander proclaimed it would take a million americans 100 years to conquer it. On 20Nov 1943 marines landed and secured the island within 76 hours but paid a heavy price. Due to extended reef marines offloaded hundreds of yards from beaches, this led to heavy losses from enemy fire and marines drowning while attempting to wade ashore
Battle of mariana islands
Due to the need for airfields by the air force and advanced bases for the navy, the marianas were invaded. Landings on the island of sapian guam and tinian accompished this. During june and July of 1943 lieutenant general holland M “howlin mad” smith led a combined invasion force of marines and soldiers that totaled over 136,000. This was the greatest number of troops up to that time to operate in the field under marine command
Battle of okinawa
On 1Apr until 22 June 1945 marines took part in the last and largest battle of the pacific which involved 287k troops the battle was crucial for securing vital air bases that would be used for the planned invasion of japanese mainland. By the end of the 82 Day campaign japanese suffered over 77k casualties and allies recieved 65k including 14k dead, 23 medals of honor were awarded
Battle of Iwo jima
On 19 February 1945, Marines landed on Iwo Jima in what was the largest and bloodiest all-Marine battle in history. The Marine Corps suffered over 23,300 casualties. The capture of Iwo Jima greatly increased the air support and bombing operations against the Japanese home islands. Of the savage battle, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz said, “Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”
The battle of chosin reservoir
In November of 1950, during the Korean War, Marines pushed far into North Korea and were cut off after the Chinese Communist Forces entered the war. Despite facing a 10-division force sent to annihilate them, Marines smashed seven enemy divisions in their march from the Chosin Reservoir. The major significance of this retrograde movement was that Marines brought out all operable equipment, properly evacuated their wounded and dead, and maintained tactical integrity.
The battle of Hue city
During the Vietnamese holiday of Tet in January of 1968, Communist forces launched a surprise offensive by infiltrating large numbers of their troops into the major population centers of Hue City, South Vietnam. A near division-size unit of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops occupied the city of Hue and the Citadel. Marines fought in built-up areas for the first time since the Korean War, foregoing the application of heavy arms to minimize civilian casualties. Fighting was house-to-house with progress measured in yards. The city was secured on 25 February 1968.
Operation al-Fajr
Arabic, “the dawn”) represented a major success for the Iraqi Government and coalition forces. The attack force included nine U.S. Army and Marine battalions, six Iraqi battalions, and attack aviation from all of the Military Services, to include naval air flying off an aircraft carrier. The full assault force included some 12,000 Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The keys to successful integration of this joint and coalition force were complementary war fighting capabilities, a single chain of command, advances in technology, and the unifying vision of liberating a city from the oppressive grip of the insurgents and terrorists. The assault and subsequent reconstruction efforts turned Fallujah from an insurgent base of operations into the cornerstone of progress in the Al Anbar Province.
Operation phantom fury
was a joint U.S.-Iraqi -British offensive led by the U.S. Marine Corps against the Iraqi insurgency stronghold in the city of Fallujah, which was authorized by the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Interim Government. The carefully designed and skillfully executed attack took place on 7 November 2004 and employed Regimental Combat Teams (RCTs) 1 and 7 attacking south into the city. The Marines were well supported by Army mechanized infantry and cavalry units. This inter-service and fully coordinated air-ground approach gradually overwhelmed the insurgents trapped in the city. The dense urban fighting was fierce, and conducted house by house and rooftop to rooftop.
Operation strike of the sword
Operation Khanjar was an American-led military offensive against the Taliban in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Approximately 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade along with 650 Afghan Army soldiers took part in the offensive. The operation began when the U.S. and Afghan forces entered the Helmand River Valley in the early morning of 2 July 2009. This operation was the largest Marine offensive since the Battle of Fallujah in 2004. The operation was also the biggest offensive airlift by the Marines since the Vietnam War. Units involved in the offensive include 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines; 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and 1st Battalion, 5th Marines
Battle of Marjh
Also known as Operation Moshtarak (Dari word for “together”). In February 2010 Operation Moshtarak reclaimed Marjah, a strategic agricultural hub and narcoterrorist safe haven in the Helmand River Valley. Together with thousands of Afghan National Security Forces, the Marines tangibly improved the geo-political landscape of Southwestern Afghanistan.
