Marines in the Atlantic, Europe and Africa

Marines in the Atlantic, Europe and Africa

Researched by Alexander Molnar Jr., USMC/USA (Ret.). Excerpted from Marine Corps History on MarineLink the Official Homepage of the United States Marine Corps

Yes and no. Marines were involved in training Army troops for the D-day landings. They were also on some navy ships in Europe, and were posted to Iceland to prevent the Germans from taking it. But they did not participate for the most part in major combat operations in Europe. The USMC was used almost exclusively in the Pacific.

Overshadowed in history by Marines who fought World War II's Pacific island battles, fewer than 6,000 Marines participated in the Atlantic, North African and European campaigns.

Before World War II, Marines served in various European and North African embassies as attaches. However, that role changed with the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and the Axis powers in 1941.

The first Marine unit of combat troops to serve on land in the Atlantic theater was the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade. More than 4,000 Marines commanded by Brigadier General John Marston arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland, in July 1941. The Marines augmented the British forces already in place to prevent Iceland from falling to the Germans. Iceland was strategically located for air and naval control of the North Atlantic lifeline between the British Isles and North America.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Marines assigned under Marston received orders to leave Iceland. They began departing on Jan. 31, 1942, and were completely gone by March 9, 1942.

Masters of amphibious warfare tactics, Marines served as planners for the North African, Mediterranean and Normandy invasions. The brief and violent raid by a 6,000-man Canadian and British commando force on the French port city of Dieppe on Aug. 19, 1942, was planned in part by Marine Brigadier General Harold D. Campbell, the Marine Corps advisor to the British Staff of Combined Operations. He was awarded a Legion of Merit for his expertise in developing techniques for large-scale amphibious operations against heavily defended beaches.

Marines trained four Army infantry divisions in assault from the sea tactics prior to the North African landings. Leading the way during Operation Torch, the November 1942 North African invasion, Marines went ashore at Arzeu, Algeria, and moved overland to the port of Oran, where they occupied the strategic Spanish fortress at the northern tip of the harbor.

Another Marine detachment aboard the cruiser USS Philadelphia landed Nov. 10, 1942, at the port of Safi, French Morocco, and secured the airport against sabotage until Army forces arrived the following day.

Nine months earlier, on Jan. 7, Brigadier General Lewis G. Merritt, a Marine Corps pilot serving as an observer with the Royal Air Force in Egypt, was aboard a Wellington bomber shot down by ground fire behind German lines in the Halfya Pass. He and the crew were rescued by a special United Kingdom armored car unit that broke through enemy lines.

Assigned to the secretive world of spies and saboteurs were 51 Marines who served with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services to engage in behind-the-lines operations in North Africa and Europe from 1941 to 1945. These OSS Marines served with partisan and resistance groups in France, Germany, Yugoslavia, Italy, Austria, Albania, Greece, Morocco and Egypt; on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia; in Rumania; and in North and West Africa. Ten of these OSS Marines also served with forces in Ceylon, Burma, Malaya and China.

Marine Colonel Peter J. Ortiz was twice awarded the Navy Cross for heroism while serving with the French Resistance.

Shipboard detachments of Marines served throughout the landings in North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Normandy invasion as gun crews aboard battleships and cruisers. A 200-man detachment was normally carried aboard a battleship, and 80 Marines served aboard cruisers to man the secondary batteries of 5-inch guns providing fire for the landing forces.

During the June 6, 1944, Normandy invasion, Marines, renowned as expert riflemen, played a vital role reminiscent of the days of the sailing Navy when sharpshooters were sent to the fighting tops. Stationed high in the superstructures of the invasion fleet, Marine riflemen exploded floating mines in the path of the ships moving across the English Channel to the beaches of Normandy.

On Aug. 29, 1944, during the invasion of southern France, Marines from the battleship USS Augusta and the cruiser USS Philadelphia went ashore in Marseilles harbor to accept the surrender of more than 700 Germans who had fortified island garrisons.

Although few, these proud Marines played a vital role in the Atlantic, African and European campaigns of World War II.

 

Hear hear!

Lest we forget: Actor Sterling Hayden served in the US Marine Corps during World War II under the name John Hamilton. He was assigned to the OSS and one of his jobs was supplying weapons to the Yugoslavian resistance. He eventually rose to the rank of Captain and was awarded the Silver Star for heroism.

 

Interesting info

 

Very interesting info. Especially for me! Hi Im Martin from Holland, please read my story about my grandfather, a usmc ww2 sergeant fought in Europe and post a reply. Sorry for my english!

The father of my grandfather owned weapons in his garten in Holland during the war. One day the german kitchenmade told her german boyfriend about the weapons. They arrested him and sent him to a concentration camp in Poland (he would survive with 42 KG). My grandfather, 17, could escape through France, Spain to England where he met his grandfather, a Dutch General. My grandfather couldnt join the dutch army because of his age, so his grandfather let him join the us marines. He got his training on a lot of places, from Camp davis till California and back to Scotland,Roseneath. What is funny to tell that he had a nice evening in the "black"camp what was forbidden to enter for "white"soldiers. He spent the following 2 days in a small cell. Anyway, he became placed as a detachement on warships in Europe and first saw North Africa, Tunesia where he didnt saw action, only gard. He saw first action on the shores of sicily, near syracuse. He told me 3 times about this landing where many soldiers lay dead while he was running on the beach (many foreign soldiers too, algerians mainly). At this point he is always getting emotional, as a the result lack of details. Im not sure it is right, maybe he participated in the algeria landing, something is mentioned above. Some details are lost because his whole life he tries to forget the war, nightmares he often had.

He told me about the Italians, of how scared they where. When the italians appeared to lose the battle, they would join the US forces and fight against the germans. My grandfather only stormed the beachhead, and returned to the ship. He saw action somewhere else in italy, dont know where yet. But he got wounded there in his leg, bullet and got aid at gibraltar. He fought also at kaiserslautern and got wounded by a grenade fragment in his neck. You can still see the wounds he got. He was also talking about executing ss soldiers, all lined up and get shot down with his bren )very interesting story). That is another remarking detail, he used UK firearms like the enfield no4, stengun and brengun, but also the tommy gun. After europe the sergeant went to austrialia to train for the pacific war which he never fought on. He made a journey through Australia with a french ex/oss. After that he went to America and drove many miles. In 1946 he had the chance to become an American citizen, but returned to his family here in Holland. I can only ask him a few details once a while,because after a half an hour chat, he refuses to talk because of his emotions. One story he visualizes often is running out a foxhole towards a german soldier behind a tree, aiming his mp at my grandfather. He thought that this was it, but at that moment a bullet pierced the helmet and head of the german soldier. He leaned dead against the tree, with blood running over his face. My grandfather slashed him towards the ground and emptied his MG on him, because of adrenaline and shock.

He still lives here. He owns some american medals, I will place pictures soon. Added a picture of his dogtag.

 

Is it possible to track down his number somewhere? thanks
Temminck
L. JAC.
4501412
PROT.
BL. GR. O

 

Greetings guys and gals,

Ran across this today while doing some research. It would appear that there were Marines involved (perhaps somewhat indirectly) in the Torch landings, as well as other things. I thought perhaps I'd start a forum for any other information y'all might have regarding Marines in the ETO during WWII.

A Different War: Marines in Europe and North Africa (Operation Torch)

 

http://www.ww2f.com/battle-europe/23138-marines-atlantic-europe-africa.html

 

I find it quite interesting your grandfather fought and was wounded in Kaiserlautern. I have lived there in that part of germany while i was growing up. Do you have any details about this? I find it hard to believe that Marines were ever in Kaiserlautern.

 

What's so different about Marines' infantry training level/selection over different ("elite") arms like Airborne, Armored Infantry, etc.?

 

http://www.ww2f.com/wwii-general/26439-marine-training-vs-army-training.html

 

'On Aug. 29, 1944, during the invasion of southern France, Marines from the battleship USS Augusta and the cruiser USS Philadelphia went ashore in Marseilles harbor to accept the surrender of more than 700 Germans who had fortified island garrisons.' - JCFalkenbergIII

I didn't know there was a battleship named the USS Augusta... That should most likely be the Cruiser USS Augusta(CA-31)?


Yours,

Bill

 

I didn't notice that Im surprised that Alexander Molnar Jr. and the Marine Corps History on MarineLink the Official Homepage of the United States Marine Corps didn't catch that.

 

A DIFFERENT WAR: Marines in Europe and North Africa
by Lieutenant Colonel Harry W. Edwards, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret)

A Different War: Marines in Europe and North Africa

 

There was also a detachment of US Marines in Londonderry, Northern Ireland guarding US military installations set up in conjunction with the British at the Royal Navy base in Londonderrry which harboured and serviced RN, RCN, and other Allied navy's vessels engaged in anti-U-boat and convoy operations during the Battle of the Atlantic. Wartime Londonderry was vital to the naval war against the U-boat as it was the UK and the Allies' western-most European port. The US Marines in Londonderry were dubbed the Irish Marines by the US press.

 

MARFOREUR remembers the 'Irish Marines' of WWII
Submitted by: Marine Forces Europe
Story Identification Number: 20041304630
Story by Sgt. Michael Hjelmstad



LONDONDERRY, Northern Ireland(January 28, 2004) -- In 1942 United States Marines forged a relationship with a Northern Ireland community so strong it remains to this day.

The Marines who came here in 1942 experienced a contrast to the events of World War II that were occurring elsewhere. That exceedingly pleasant atmosphere and genuine hospitality of these people toward Marines still exists today.

Recently approximately 40 Marines from Marine Corps Forces Europe experienced the friendliness that is legendary of this region. The Marines participated in a professional military education event that taught them the history and culture of this region.

“This is a tangible way of showing Marines that you can become fully accepted in a foreign community, even in a time of crisis,” said Col. Brendan Kearney, Chief of Staff, MARFOREUR. “The impact on the Derry community is a testament to the World War II Marines who came with an open minded approach to life.”

The ‘Irish Marines’ of World War II were part of the 1st Provisional Marine Battalion that landed in Northern Ireland on May 12, 1942. These Marines spent two years guarding the Naval Operations Base that was vital to the Battle of the Atlantic. In that time the Marines became an important part of the community. They hosted children’s parties and barbecues, put on boxing exhibitions with local champions, and even started the Marine Corps Pipes and Drums Band after being challenged that Marines couldn’t play the bagpipes.


These Marines made a very positive impact on the city of Derry. One child who lived near the camp was particularly impressed and enjoyed his time with the Marines. He learned to play baseball, and the Marines gave him candy. This young boy also saw that the Marines were able to see beyond politics and work together. That young boy was John Hume, and he grew up to become co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize for his pivotal role in ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland. He is now a member of both the Westminster and European Parliaments.

Hume played a big role in the PME, this time himself teaching the importance of acceptance and diversity to the Marines.

“We are building our links with America very strongly,” said Hume. “Since modern technology has made it a smaller world, we are in a stronger position to work together.”

“There’s no better friend, no worse enemy than a United States Marine. That type of philosophy has been with us since our inception.” said Sgt. Joseph Forbes, who attended the PME. “It was with us in WWII. It impressed and inspired a great many people at that time, to include Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume. Although Derry has seen three to four generations since WWII, this youngest group continues to cherish and embrace the spirit of the Marine Corps. Sixty years later they still know who we are, and they love us. Makes you feel good to be a Marine, doesn’t it?”

“The information obtained was overwhelming,” said Staff Sgt. Jeffery Lamey. “A Nobel Peace Prize recipient was inspired by U.S. Marines stationed here. I learned from him that the impact of the teamwork and comradery of the Marines helped him to bring the people of Northern Ireland to peace.”

Author and filmmaker, Dr. Mary Pat Kelly recognized the strong ties of this community to the Marine Corps. Through her efforts along with the O’Kane/Donnely family of the Beach Hill Country House Hotel, former site of the Marine Corps Headquarters, interest has grown in restoring this connection.

“The relationship with the people here is very positive and very genuine,” said Gunnery Sgt. Juan Allen. “You really feel like the relationship is growing. We were welcomed with warm hospitality by all the people, I felt very comfortable there.”

Allen chose Derry as the place to perform his re-enlistment along with Sgt. Major Carlton Kent, Sgt. Major MARFOREUR.

“It was something very special to not only be on this historic ground, but to be piped in to a re-enlistment in Derry Ireland. Not a lot of people get to experience something like that.” said Gunnery Sgt. Juan Allen.

“I am truly touched being able to stand on these grounds,” said Kent. “I wish every Marine could experience this.”

In 1997 the Hon. John H. Dalton, Secretary of the Navy, dedicated a monument to the 1st Provisional Marine Battalion, and the Beech Hill US Navy-Marine Corps Friendship Association was formed and the Hon. John Hume was named Chairman.

“You may no longer hear the strains of bagpipes being played by American Marines at the Beech Hill Headquarters,” said Dalton at the dedication ceremony. “You may no longer hear the sound of young Marines teaching the children of Derry how to play baseball in their off-duty hours. But the sound of their time here, and what they gained, echoes for all time.”

Since the dedication, an annual ceremony has been held for those who embody the spirit of friendship shared by the Marines and the people of the community during the war. This year the Marines involved in the PME participated in a wreath laying ceremony that honored the WWII Marines.

“I really enjoyed the closing ceremony,” said Kearney. “All in uniform, wearing service alphas, which are very similar to the uniform of the WWII Marines. It really evidenced the linkage between what we did here and what went on 60 years ago. This was a great experience Socially it was a good time, but it was also a time of listening and learning.”

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20041305914/$file/wreathLR.jpg

Marines from Marine Corps Forces Europe took part in what has become an cerimony at the Beech Hill Country House Hotel in Londonderry, Northern Irelnd. The event is held to honor the spirit of friendship shared by U.S. Marines and the people of the community since WWII. Photo by: Sgt. Michael Hjelmstad

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/807D79F58EEE228885256E2B003208C0?opendocument

Post War patch for the MARINE DETACHMENT LONDONDERRY

 

Having been in the Marines and the Army the biggest difference is the leadership and focus on small unit tactics.

Marine Infantry units also train on a wide variety of equipment. There are very few "specialized" units within the Marine Corps and every Infantry unit is capable of performing any task assigned, wether it be mechanized, amphibious or air assault.

 

That's interesting. So since the 1940s the Marines' roles have increased from naval or amphibious light infantry to include air-assault, which was predictable since the advent of the troop-carrying utility helicopter, and mechanized-infantry roles, which is perhaps a considerably less-expected role.

So to what extent are the Marines duplicating the Army's role in the mechanized-infantry field? I assume that there is considerable and intense competition between the Marines and the Army, or their respective administrative bureaucracies, for resources in this role and associated tasks, is this right? Does America, in effect, have two armies tasked for armoured- or mechanized-infantry roles?

 

If you want to discuss the non- WWII you could create a thread in the Military History Forum.The place for non-WWII military history discussion.

Military History - World War II Forums

 

Atlantic Theater

Because the British had fought the Germans since 1939, their combat know-how and experience in air, land, and sea battles were invaluable to the American military. A steady stream of American observers, largely unheralded to the public, visited Britain and British and Allied forces in the field during 1940-41 to learn what they could of such new warfare innovations as radar, pioneered by the British; to see how antiaircraft defenses were operating; to learn what constant air raids and battles could teach; and to see how Britain's land forces were preparing for their eventual return to Europe. The Marine Corps Commandant, Major General Thomas Holcomb, made sure that his officers played a strong part in this learning process from the British.
Gen Thomas Holcomb, 17th Commandant of the Marine Corps, was a decorated World War I combat leader. From 1936, when he became Commandant, to December 1943, when he retired, he guided the Corps and led it into war.
[SIZE=-1]Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 12444-B
----------------------------------------[/SIZE]
Holcomb, who had ably commanded a battalion of the 6th Marines in the fighting in France in 1918, had initially been appointed Commandant by President Roosevelt on 1 December 1936. After serving with distinction through the European outbreak of World War II and the Corps' initial buildup, he was reappointed Major General Commandant by the President for a second four-year term on 1 December 1940. The Commandant, besides being a dedicated Marine who championed the Corps during trying times, was also an astute player of the Washington game. A respected colleague and friend of the admirals who commanded the Navy, Holcomb was equally at ease and a friend to the politicians who controlled the military budget. He understood the President's determination to see Great Britain survive, as well as his admiration of the British peoples' struggle. Always well aware of the value of the public image of the Marine Corps as a force "first to fight," Holcomb at times yielded to pressures to experiment with new concepts and authorize new types of organizations which would enhance that image. The Marines whom he sent to Great Britain were imbued with the desire to gain knowledge and experience that would help the Corps get ready for the war they felt sure was coming.

page 7
The British, who shared the view that the Americans would eventually enter the war on their side, were open and forthcoming in their cooperation.
In 1941 particularly, the Marine observers, ranging in rank from captains to colonels, visited British air stations and air control centers, antiaircraft command complexes and firing battery sites, and all kinds of troop formations. The weapons and equipment being used and the tactics and techniques being practiced were all of interest. Much of what was seen and reported on was of immediate value to the Americans and saw enhanced development in the States. On the air side, briefings on radar developments were invaluable, as were demonstrations of ground control intercept practices for night fighters and the use of night fighters themselves. Anything the British had learned on air defense control and antiaircraft usage was eagerly absorbed. The Marine air observers would note on their return that they had dealt with numbers of aircraft and concepts of command and control that were not remotely like Marine Corps reality, but all knew that these numbers of aircraft and their control equipment were authorized, funded, and building.

Marines in ships' detachments, such as this one on board the carrier Lexington, served in major combatant ships of the pre-war Navy. Many seagoing Marines were either commissioned or became senior staff noncommissioned officers in the war.
[SIZE=-1]Depart of Defense Photo (USN) 51363[/SIZE]The fascination of the time, although focused on the Battle of Britain's aerial defenses, was not only with the air war but also with the "elite" troops, the sea-raiding commandos, as well as the glider and parachute forces so ably exploited by the Germans in combat and now a prominent part f Britain's army. The role of the commandos, who were then Army troops but who eventually would be drawn exclusively from Royal Marines ranks, raised a natural favorable response in the American Marines. Most of the observers were enthusiastic about the commando potential, but at least one U.S. Marine senior colonel, Julian C. Smith, who watched commando exercises at Inverary, Scotland, was not overly impressed. Smith, who later commanded the 2d Marine Division at the epic battle for Tarawa, told General Holcomb that the commandos "weren't any better than we; that any battalion of Marines could do the job they do."
For the moment at least, Smith's view was a minority evaluation, one not shared, for instance, by commando enthusiast President Roosevelt, and the Marine Corps would see the raising of raider battalions to perform commando-like missions.

page 8
In similar fashion, and for much the same reasons, Service enthusiasm for being at the cutting edge and popular acclaim of elite formations, the Marine Corps raised parachute battalions, glider squadrons, and barrage balloon squadrons, all of which were disbanded eventually in the face of the realities of the island-dominated Pacific theater. They might have served their purpose well in Europe or North Africa but the Marine Corps' destiny was in the Pacific.

HyperWar: Opening Moves: Marines Gear Up For War

 

Atlantic Theater

Because the British had fought the Germans since 1939, their combat know-how and experience in air, land, and sea battles were invaluable to the American military. A steady stream of American observers, largely unheralded to the public, visited Britain and British and Allied forces in the field during 1940-41 to learn what they could of such new warfare innovations as radar, pioneered by the British; to see how antiaircraft defenses were operating; to learn what constant air raids and battles could teach; and to see how Britain's land forces were preparing for their eventual return to Europe. The Marine Corps Commandant, Major General Thomas Holcomb, made sure that his officers played a strong part in this learning process from the British.
Gen Thomas Holcomb, 17th Commandant of the Marine Corps, was a decorated World War I combat leader. From 1936, when he became Commandant, to December 1943, when he retired, he guided the Corps and led it into war.
[SIZE=-1]Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 12444-B
----------------------------------------[/SIZE]
Holcomb, who had ably commanded a battalion of the 6th Marines in the fighting in France in 1918, had initially been appointed Commandant by President Roosevelt on 1 December 1936. After serving with distinction through the European outbreak of World War II and the Corps' initial buildup, he was reappointed Major General Commandant by the President for a second four-year term on 1 December 1940. The Commandant, besides being a dedicated Marine who championed the Corps during trying times, was also an astute player of the Washington game. A respected colleague and friend of the admirals who commanded the Navy, Holcomb was equally at ease and a friend to the politicians who controlled the military budget. He understood the President's determination to see Great Britain survive, as well as his admiration of the British peoples' struggle. Always well aware of the value of the public image of the Marine Corps as a force "first to fight," Holcomb at times yielded to pressures to experiment with new concepts and authorize new types of organizations which would enhance that image. The Marines whom he sent to Great Britain were imbued with the desire to gain knowledge and experience that would help the Corps get ready for the war they felt sure was coming.

page 7
The British, who shared the view that the Americans would eventually enter the war on their side, were open and forthcoming in their cooperation.
In 1941 particularly, the Marine observers, ranging in rank from captains to colonels, visited British air stations and air control centers, antiaircraft command complexes and firing battery sites, and all kinds of troop formations. The weapons and equipment being used and the tactics and techniques being practiced were all of interest. Much of what was seen and reported on was of immediate value to the Americans and saw enhanced development in the States. On the air side, briefings on radar developments were invaluable, as were demonstrations of ground control intercept practices for night fighters and the use of night fighters themselves. Anything the British had learned on air defense control and antiaircraft usage was eagerly absorbed. The Marine air observers would note on their return that they had dealt with numbers of aircraft and concepts of command and control that were not remotely like Marine Corps reality, but all knew that these numbers of aircraft and their control equipment were authorized, funded, and building.

Marines in ships' detachments, such as this one on board the carrier Lexington, served in major combatant ships of the pre-war Navy. Many seagoing Marines were either commissioned or became senior staff noncommissioned officers in the war.
[SIZE=-1]Depart of Defense Photo (USN) 51363[/SIZE]The fascination of the time, although focused on the Battle of Britain's aerial defenses, was not only with the air war but also with the "elite" troops, the sea-raiding commandos, as well as the glider and parachute forces so ably exploited by the Germans in combat and now a prominent part f Britain's army. The role of the commandos, who were then Army troops but who eventually would be drawn exclusively from Royal Marines ranks, raised a natural favorable response in the American Marines. Most of the observers were enthusiastic about the commando potential, but at least one U.S. Marine senior colonel, Julian C. Smith, who watched commando exercises at Inverary, Scotland, was not overly impressed. Smith, who later commanded the 2d Marine Division at the epic battle for Tarawa, told General Holcomb that the commandos "weren't any better than we; that any battalion of Marines could do the job they do."
For the moment at least, Smith's view was a minority evaluation, one not shared, for instance, by commando enthusiast President Roosevelt, and the Marine Corps would see the raising of raider battalions to perform commando-like missions.

page 8
In similar fashion, and for much the same reasons, Service enthusiasm for being at the cutting edge and popular acclaim of elite formations, the Marine Corps raised parachute battalions, glider squadrons, and barrage balloon squadrons, all of which were disbanded eventually in the face of the realities of the island-dominated Pacific theater. They might have served their purpose well in Europe or North Africa but the Marine Corps' destiny was in the Pacific.

HyperWar: Opening Moves: Marines Gear Up For War