_The crews of amphibian tractors board a severely damaged Japanese
landing craft which was intercepted by U.S. naval patrols when it
carried troops attempting to infiltrate northern Peleliu and reinforce
Ngesebus Island off northwest Peleliu._]
[Illustration: _A western-looking aerial view of the northern end of
Peleliu showing Peleliu village and the Amiangal Mountain. Ngesebus
Island is in the upper right. Veterans of Peleliu will be amazed to
note how fully the island has been recaptured by vegetation._
Caption and Photo by Phillip D. Orr
]
The 3d Battalion got ashore with no casualties. Thus enabled to knock
out all the Japanese in beach defenses immediately, it turned its
attention to the cave positions in the ridges and blockhouses. The
ridges here, as with those on northern Peleliu, stood individually,
not as part of complex ridge systems. This denied their defenders
opportunities for a mutual defense between cave positions. The
attacking companies of 3/5 could use supporting tanks and concentrate
all fire means upon each defensive system, without being taken under
fire from their flanks and rear. By nightfall on 28 September, 3/5 had
overrun most of the opposition. On 29 September, there was a day of
mopping up before Ngesebus was declared secure at 1500. As planned, the
island was turned over to 2/321, and 3/5 was moved to division reserve
in the Ngardololok area.
Seizure of Ngesebus by one depleted infantry battalion gave a
dramatic illustration of an enduring principle of war: the effective
concentration of means. To support that battalion, General Rupertus
concentrated the bulk of all his available firepower: a battleship;
two cruisers; most of the divisional and corps artillery; virtually
all of the division’s remaining armor; armored amphibian tractors; all
troop-carrying amphibian tractors; and all Marine aviation on Peleliu.
[Illustration: