US Airborne Units in the Pacific Theater 1942-45

by Gordon L. Rottman

Overview

This book examines the wide variety of airborne units that served in the Pacific Theater. Among the units covered are the 12,000-strong 11th Airborne Division; the elite 1st Special Service Force; the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment (Separate); and the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment. The nature of the enemy and the terrain in the PTO, and long distances that had to be covered, provided significant and diverse challenges to both Army and Marine Corps parachute units. Internal organization, weapons and equipment, command and control, training, combat missions, and combat operations including the 11th Division's fighting in the Philippines, and the 503rd PIR's legendary jump onto Corregidor and recapture of the island are all covered.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472801593
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/20/2013
Series:	Battle Orders , #26
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Gordon L Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam from 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol, and intelligence assignments until retiring after 26 years. He was a special operations forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years, and is now a freelance writer.
Gordon L. Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments before retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.

Table of Contents

Introduction     4
Combat mission     6
Unit status     8
Marine parachute units
11th Airborne Division
503d Parachute Regimental Combat Team
541st Parachute Infantry Regiment
Training     18
Doctrine     22
Unit organization     25
Unit designation practices
11th Airborne Division organization
Marine parachute units
Tactics     39
Weapons and equipment     42
Army weapons
Marine weapons
Crew-served weapons
The airlift
Command, control, communications, and intelligence     47
Combat operations     49
Marine parachute units in the Solomons
Nadzab, New Guinea
Noemfoor Island
The Leyte operation
The Luzon operations
Corregidor
The Los Banos raid
The Negros Island operation
Camalaniugan, Luzon
On to Japan
Chronology     92
Bibliography     93
Glossary and abbreviations     94
Army and Marine Corps officer ranks
Index     95