Inquiry: US Marine Corps armour in the Pacific War

Some knowledgeable student of USMC history on here could possibly answer these related questions about the USMC deploying tanks in the Pacific in WWII and the USMC armoured fighting arm.

1. Did the USMC deploy tanks in the Pacific in WWII? If so, where and when (you could enumerate a few of the larger or more important battles or actions as instances here)?
2. What kind were these tanks if the USMC did deploy such vehicles?
3. Is the Pacific War where and when the USMC began using armour and created its own armoured fighting arm?
4. And I know this is out of WWII history, but has the USMC deployed mechanized infantry within its armoured fighting arm at any stage of its history?

If you could fill in the gaps in this, I'd be grateful. And perhaps someone could suggest a suitable book on the subject, i.e. Marine armour and its history, incl. Korea and Vietnam.

Cheers, Paul

 

Marine Stuart on New Georgia

 

Kwajalein Atoll. Private First Class N. E. Carling stands beside the American M4 Sherman medium tank "Killer" on which is mounted a knocked-out Japanese Type 94 tankette / light tank.



Marine M4 Iwo Jima


Marine Corps M4 Sherman landing at White Beach, Tinian, 24 July 1944. Vertical vents were a fording kit so the air intake and exhaust could rise above water level when the tank was off-loaded far from the beach.

M4A3R3 Ronson Flamethrower tank Iwo Jima



Tarawa

 

For a start,
Welcome to www.marineamphibians.com

http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2003/neiman.htm

Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific - Google Book Search

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Tank_Battalion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Tank_Battalion

3rd Tank Battalion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.usmcvta.org/books.htm

 

Two Marine recruits in a light tank during training in mechanized warfare at Camp Lejeune. April 1943.

 

Thats a pretty comprehensive answer

 

why did the Marines not have integrated mechanized infantry elements (at least a battalion in strength)? Wouldn't it have been advantageous to have mobile armored infantry mounted on halftracks for exploitation, recon, and fire support?

 

Use of USMC flamethrower tanks

The Flame Thrower in the Pacific: Marianas to Okinawa .
Chapter 15: The Flame Thrower in the Pacific: Marianas to Okinawa

​

 

"Combat experience showed the Marines that their light tanks were vulnerable and underarmed, so they made the move to the Sherman medium tank. The Sherman first fought with the Marines at the battle of Tarawa in November 1943.(40) The Sherman was the most powerful tank used in the Pacific Theater, and it proved devastating against Japanese armor. Light and medium tanks mounting flame throwers also proved useful as close assault weapons. Usage of the heavier medium tanks, though, forced the design of more robust landing craft such as the Landing Ship, Tank (LST), since the Sherman's 35-ton (32-metric ton) bulk could not be handled by earlier vessels.(41) Tank-infantry cooperation was dismal in early operations (42), and it wasn't until after the debacles at Guadalcanal and Tarawa that training in this area intensified and matured.(43)
The Army had standardized on the gasoline-fueled M4A3 Sherman, meaning that the Corps could obtain numbers of the diesel-powered M4A2 quicker.(44) The Corps was forced to convert to 75mm gun M4A3s, however, once M4A2 production switched to the M4A2(76)W in mid-1944.(45) The Marines relished the excellent high-explosive power of the 75mm gun's M48 high-explosive shell, and the 76mm gun, while being more effective at armor penetration, fired a weaker HE shell. The Marines eventually accepted a number of 105mm howitzer Shermans once production and support of the 75mm gun tanks had ceased and the Army was concentrating on the M26.(46)
An innovation in infantry vehicles that was perfectly suited to Marine use was the tracked landing vehicle. The first LVTs were modified versions of Donald Roebling's Alligator, which was used as a swamp rescue vehicle in Florida's Everglades. At first the LVT was seen simply as an efficient mechanism of transporting supplies from ship to shore (47), but it wasn't long until a more direct military role as an assault craft was envisioned, and LVTs premiered in this role at Tarawa.(48) LVTs initially used in assault landings were unarmored or fitted with applique armor plates, and the position of the engines in the rear of the vehicle made for a tension-filled dismount over the tall sides. LVT3 and LVT4 remedied that problem by repositioning the engines and adding a rear loading ramp. Armored amphibians were also developed to give the assault craft direct fire support during the landing and immediately after. The armament of the assault amphibians started out as a small 37mm gun on LVT(A)1, but advanced to a 75mm howitizer on LVT(A)4. As is widely known, the industrial might of the United States was unmatched during World War II. Over 49,000 Sherman tanks were produced from 1942 to 1945 (49), along with almost 14,000 M3 and almost 9,000 M5 light tanks.(50) The US was able to spare over 11,500 light (51) and 26,600 medium tanks (52) for the Allies under the Lend-Lease program. Germany, on the other hand, produced just over 25,000 tanks of all types from 1938 to 1945.(53) Besides a few kept for unit training, the entire production runs of the M5 and M9A1 half-tracks and their variants were also allocated to the Allies through Lend-Lease.(54) "

Vehicle Data

 

Marine Tanks Shelling Positions in the South

 

Sorry if there are some duplicates here (there's one for a book on Amazon and the same book on Google). I probably duplicated some of the references given earlier.
Amazon.com: Marines Under Armor: The Marine Corps and the Armored Fighting Vehicle, 1916-2000: Kenneth W. Estes: Books
Armorama :: Book Review: Marine Corps Tank Battles by Bill Plunk
Marines Under Armor: The Marine ... - Google Book Search
Amazon.com: Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces: George F. Hofmann, Donn A. Starry: Books

 

In the question about the possibility of USMC deploying mechanized infantry "at any stage of their history" I meant actually after WWII, that why I had begun the question with "And I know this is out of WWII history". I was thinking postwar, from the 1950s onwards after the formation of NATO and USMC deployment in Europe as part of the US NATO commitment. What I'm trying to get is a comprehensive picture of USMC's armoured arm from WWII through the Cold War, which may or may not include postwar elements of mechanized infantry.

Anyway, thanks for the great pictures and all the very interesting information, including the booklists and web links. Good oil. I'll keep watching this space.

 

The Marine Corps Must Have Tanks
AUTHOR Major John R. Sykes, USMC
CSC 1989
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TITLE: THE MARINE CORPS MUST HAVE TANKS
I. Purpose: To present the history of the tank in the
Marine Corps, compare the current and future Marine Corps
tank, depict antitank weapons, discuss the tank battalion
mission and the most effective organization of the tank
battalion, and to demonstrate the Marine Corps' need for the
M1A1 Abrams tank.


The Marine Corps Must Have Tanks

 

The Marines Traditionally have been tasked with "Doing More with Less". Marine Armor and Amphibious Tractor units are autonomous and are only attached to the Infantry units as support. Up untill the advent of the LAI's every Maine Infantry unit trained to work with LVTP-7s, just as we did with Helos, and only in the late 80's / Early 90's did they begin mesing around with a dedicated Mechanized Rifleman when the LAV-25 came around in 1986. In 1988 The First LAI (Light Armored Infantry) units were developed to train and fight with the LAV-25s exclusively. This is also the same thing that is going on with the OV-22 and their intigrated infantry.

Brad

 

The History of Marine Tanks in Vietnam 1965-1970
Period Covered - July through September, 1966
Northern I Corps

Marine Tanks/Vietnam Jul-Sept 66

Website for USMC Tankers. Any Era.
Bravo Company - First Tank Battalion


MARINE TANKS IN THE BATTLE FOR HUE CITY: TET 1968

MARINE TANKS IN THE BATTLE FOR HUE CITY: TET 1968 « War and Game


Growth of U.S. Armored Forces in Vietnam

Chapter III: Growth of U.S. Armored Forces in Vietnam

 

I see. But in WW2 their rifle infantry had the most firepower out of all US infantry units (for the exception of armored (mechanized) infantry). Lavishly equipped with the BAR, flamethrowers, mortars, explosives, etc. and with a lot of light/heavy machinegun support. Their artillery was very great, as well.

 

Kwajalein Atoll. Private First Class N. E. Carling stands beside the American M4 Sherman medium tank "Killer" on which is mounted a knocked-out Japanese Type 94 tankette / light tank.





If there was ever a question about how small the Jap light tanks were in comparison to others this is about as good an example as possible!

That thing is so tiny it looks like a tinker toy! I bet the tin man had heavier armor than this puny thing!

 

That tankette looks like it can be penetrated by a 50 cal. machinegun.

unrelated, but interesting size comparison:

Tiger II/Sherman


Tiger I/ Sherman


That tankette looks really small now...