4th Marine Regiment in the Philippines 1941-42

Hi all, I’m trying to get a breakdown of numbers of men who were serving in the 4th Marine Regiment when it served in the Philippines. I’ll give you what I have, please correct me, and fill in what you can that’s missing.

The 4th Marines were evacuated from Shanghai in haste, leaving on two liners, converted to troopships, President Harrison and President Madison. I believe it was a two-battalion regiment, with the 1st and 2nd battalions, but had been significantly reduced in numbers as no replacements were sent to Shanghai to fill in for the transfers of sick, time expired and promoted officers and men, they had been sent instead to Manila, where they were barracked.

They disembarked in Manila between 30th November and 1st December, 44 Officers and 728 Marines and 32 Navy Corpsmen. Both battalions had only two company’s each, each of only two platoons, along with the Regimental Headquarters and service companies. The regimental band and Marine Guard Detachment at Olongapo Naval Station were disbanded, and helped reform some of the missing platoons.

Those Marines that had been sent direct to Manila from the USA, instead of joining the 4th Regiment in Shanghai, had been used to form the 1st Separate Marine Battalion, which was an anti-aircraft unit, equipped with 3-inch guns and .50 calibre machine guns.

1st January 1942, the 1st Separate Marine Battalion was re-designated as the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment. 10th April, the 4th Battalion was activated, composed of sailors and airmen.

By the 29th April, the regiment numbered 229 Officers and 3,770 men, of which only about 1,500 were Marines. The 1st and 3rd battalions had approximately 1,115 men each, and the 2nd Bn had 915 men.

Sources

The Philippines 1942: A Failure to Orient on the Adversary

4th Marines, Fleet Marine Force, USMC, 7.12.1941

 

I just finished reading a book on that very subject. Fighting for MacArthur: The Navy and Marine Corps' Desperate Defense of the Philippines by John Gordon.

I'll get it out and dig through it for the numbers. I remember while reading it they were very detailed and specific.

 

Hi USMCPrice, that would be most helpful if you can