USMC and ETO.

I have read in the past that there was Marine participation in the Torch landings in 1942. A small ad hoc unit about the size of a reinforced company went ashore in Morocco to seize a small airfield from Vichy French troops. There was a minimal amount of fighting involved. The Marine unit was formed from the ships company supporting the invasion. I think that I read this in “An Army at Dawn”.

Additionally I’ve read about a plan to have a Marine company go ashore in case the Rangers at Point du Hoc got roughed up and forced back to their landing craft by the Germans. The Marines were to “land and make a demonstration” to take the heat off the Rangers as they were being extracted from the beach. Of course this plan was never put into place much to the relief of Army brass and the the chagrin of the Marines. In this case the Marines were drawn from the ship’s company of supporting naval vessels. I have no recollection where I read this before.

 

Also I’ve read in the past that a USN officer admiral type strongly recommended having an entire Marine amphibious corps brought in from the PTO to spearhead the landings on Utah and Omaha beach, and that the success of the operation depended on it. I’m sure he meant well but his input was not even considered. I’m sure those in command of the Central Pacific Area would have a thing or two to say about pulling 3 Marine divisions from their control and giving them to Ike even for a short time.

 

Agreed, both the good intentions and the impracticality. Shipping was a key constraint in just about everything the Allies did; could one justify moving troops already in a combat zone halfway around the world for a single operation, however important? Would the Marines then spend the rest of the war fighting a land campaign across Europe? Or was the admiral suggesting shipping them back to the Pacific again?

An entire Marine amphibious corps would be essentially the entire Marine force in the Pacific in 1944. Specifically, it would be the force which invaded the Mariana islands in......June 1944.

 

Peter Ortiz represented them nicely.

Peter J. Ortiz - Wikipedia

The Incredible Saga of OSS Col. Peter J. Ortiz in World War II | Defense Media Network