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On 15 Sept. 1944, the First Marine Division stormed ashore on the island of Peleliu against fanatical Japanese resistance. The landing beaches were described as a hell on earth by the men who assaulted through murderous mortar, artillery and automatic-weapons fire. One spit of land on the extreme left flank of White Beach 1 was particularly vicious. The leathernecks of Company K, 3d Battalion, First Marine Regiment were given the mission of knocking out two antiboat guns, several machine-gun positions and entrenchments that were pouring fire into the flank of the assault force.
WHITE BEACH
White Beach, a 600-meter concave strip of sand on the IstMarDiv's left flank, was dominated by a spit of land that jutted out from the island. "The point, rising 30 feet above the water's edge," Captain George P. Hunt said, "was of solid, jagged coral, a rocky mass of sharp pinnacles, deep crevasses, and tremendous boulders. Pillboxes, reinforced with steel and concrete, had been dug or blasted in the base of the perpendicular drop to the beach. Others, with coral and concrete piled 6 feet on top, were constructed above, and spider holes were blasted around them for protecting infantry."
Hunt's "King" Co was assigned to take the heavily defended position. "Colonel [Lewis B. 'Chesty'] Puller [Commanding Officer, 1st Marines] gave me the toughest job of taking the left flank because he had developed a respect for my company." It was a tremendous responsibility. "Should we fail to capture and hold the Point the entire regimental beach would be exposed to heavy fire from the flank," Hunt articulated.
His reinforced rifle company had 235 officers and men, consisting of three rifle platoons, a mortar section (three 60 mm mortars), a three-section machine-gun platoon (six .30-caliber Browning machine guns) and a small headquarters platoon. Many of the men were combat veterans of Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester. They were supremely confident in themselves and their company. "We were proud of our responsibility," Hunt expressed, "and every man in the company was determined to fill it."
Aerial photographs of the objective "showed antiboat obstacles on the coral reef in front of the beach, entrenchments on the beach itself and two pillboxes," Hunt recalled. He decided that the company would "perform a gate-like maneuver...