During the Battle of Peleliu Island in the Pacific War, Japanese soldiers were killed by American troops when they returned fire with field artillery to stop American troops invading the beachhead. American soldiers surrounded and looked down on the bodies of slain Japanese field artillerymen.

 　　During the Battle of Peleliu Island in the Pacific War, Japanese soldiers were killed by American troops when they fired back with field artillery to stop American troops invading the beachhead. American soldiers surrounded and looked down on the bodies of slain Japanese field artillerymen who had attacked them with field artillery.

　 The date for the American landing on Peleliu Island was set for September 15, 1944. The U.S. Navy blocked access to reinforcements and resupply Japanese forces on Peleliu Island. The three days of naval bombardment preceding the Marine landings were inadequate for the Japanese fortifications that were being built on Peleliu The Japanese took advantage of the steep and rising terrain around Mount Umbulgol to build interlocking bunkers and hidden concrete shelters. When the Americans landed on Peleliu Island, they faced siege fire from their bunkers and from high ground above the sandy beach.

　The Japanese fought tenaciously to prevent the Marines from securing the beach landing sites. On the night of September 15, the first landing, Japanese infiltration forces repeatedly attacked the Marine front. Although provided with shell lighting to drive back the infiltration force, the rest of the fleet withdrew to avoid the Japanese submarines. The Marines fought through the night in foxholes. The Marines had no natural water source, and by September 16 water was scarce; on September 16, the 5th and 7th Marines advanced relentlessly, while the 1st Marines advanced more slowly and encountered fierce Japanese resistance from the northern ridge. Temperatures on Peleliu rose to 45 degrees Celsius and drinking water was scarce.

　The fighting on Peleliu was ineffective against the approximately 500-plus underground fortifications built by the Japanese. The long-range flamethrowers on the amphibian tractors, first employed on Peleliu, were the most effective weapons against the fortified caves. It took five regiments nearly two months to capture Mount Umurbrogol, bypassing and isolating the Japanese resistance base. The 1st Marines suffered heavy casualties in achieving their objective. The occupation of Angauru was accomplished on October 21, and Peleliu Island was declared safe.

　American forces began the grueling task of isolating the Japanese resistance pocket on Mount Umurbrogol. For several weeks, they slowly advanced around the caves of Mount Umurbrogol, gradually eliminating Japanese resistance. The Japanese garrison did not attempt a banzai (suicide) assault, but instead continued to fight to the end, inflicting damage on the American forces. On Peleliu Island, the Americans stopped the Japanese reinforcements on Peleliu Island, and the American ground forces overpowered the strong Japanese forces. On Peleliu Island, the Marines lost 1,336 dead and 5,450 wounded, and the 81st Infantry Division lost 1,393 dead (including 208 killed in action). Japanese forces were crushed on Peleliu Island with 10,022 killed and 446 wounded in action.