Visit to Pelelieu

[rjopel]

My grandfather served with 1st Tank Bn, 1st MarDiv and was wounded when his tank ran over a buried 500lb bomb.

[Kull]

ORIGINAL: rjopel

My grandfather served with 1st Tank Bn, 1st MarDiv and was wounded when his tank ran over a buried 500lb bomb.

Just goes to show: IEDs = Not a new idea

[nashvillen]

Here are two 3-D renderings of the topology of Pelelieu:



This first one is just of the central area of the island and it is showing the terrain in shaded relief. The greens are lower while the orange-red-white is higher. The elevations vary from 0 m (sea level) to 75 m. If you look in the upper center of the image you will see a finger of orange-red sticking out. This is the east wall of the valley CR mentions.

In the second image you will see the caves my co-worker, Bethany Hall, has either mapped or found on her trips. She has a ton of other data from her research project, but this is the only thing I have done for her since I do most of the 3-D stuff here.

[MichaelU]

Here's picture looking out the front of the van down the airfield. Man, I was glad I wasn't running down that in full kit with people shooting at me. The ground is slippery as anything.

[MichaelU]

Off in the jungle you can find this old Zero. Guess it must have been knocked out on the ground.

[DOCUP]

Nice pictures and thanks MichaelU

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: LST Express

 What I remember reading about the campaign is sinister terrain,nasty environment and Jap defenders determined to die for their little slice of hell.  Unable to even imagine what it was like and glad I don't have to.

Yep, we'd read about the nasty environment but it's not until you're there and walking through the ridges that you realise quite how nasty. It's just one kill zone after another.

For the Japanese though the place must have been hell. Those caves, of which pics to follow, can't have been a comfortable place to live for several months.

[MichaelU]

We used this book, the name escapes me, to try work out where we were. It's pretty difficult because the war pictures show this blasted landscape and you're wandering around in lush jungle.

[MichaelU]

Here's a couple of LVTs. There's all this stuff just lying around rusting.

[MichaelU]

There's this one part of the island where they've shovelled all this stuff, just piles of metal lying around. It would take a better man than me to work out what it all is.

[MichaelU]

I can't tell you how welcome this water hole is after a hot day tromping around looking at armoured vehicles. It wasn't as bad as when the Marines first landed, even though it was the same time of year, but it was still more than hot enough.

[MichaelU]

Here's one of the many bunkers dotted around the place.

[MichaelU]

A Higgins boat, parked in the jungle next to the beach.

[MichaelU]

Imagine the power it would take to flip a tank like this onto its back.

[MichaelU]

Sombre stuff.

[LST Express]

Very nice photos, thanks for sharing!

[rjopel]

I am also 100% certain this is my grandfathers tank. Can you tell me where on the island this was taken?

ORIGINAL: MichaelU

Imagine the power it would take to flip a tank like this onto its back.

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: janh

Amazing photos!  After so many years still that much to see.  Hard to believe that this was once the scene of some hard fighting.  Looks so peaceful now.
Any hints for travelling there if I ever should get a chance?  What to see, where to go?

We flew there via the Philippines, but you can fly via Guam if coming from the United States. Once there you have to charter a boat from the capital to Pelelieu. Make sure you get a good guide -- ours was fine for the basics but didn't really understand the battle, was just able to take us to the main sites.

It's a small island, so you can do it in 2 days max. So set aside some time to do other stuff like Jellyfish Lake, the Rock Islands and if you're into diving, do that.

[MichaelU]

ORIGINAL: rjopel

I am also 100% certain this is my grandfathers tank. Can you tell me where on the island this was taken?

Uhm, I'm not sure I could tell you exactly. The names on the plaque are from that tank, so should tell you something.

[rjopel]

ORIGINAL: MichaelU

ORIGINAL: rjopel

I am also 100% certain this is my grandfathers tank. Can you tell me where on the island this was taken?

Uhm, I'm not sure I could tell you exactly. The names on the plaque are from that tank, so should tell you something.

Ok thanks. That not his then. That's an Army M4 not a Marine M4.