"From Ralph W. Donnelly's A Brief History of the 3D BATTALION, 4TH MARINES"
1.0 Battalion at Start of Hostilities 2.0 The Battalion Falls 3.0 Reactivation of the Battalion 4.0 Invassion of Emirau 5.0 Assault on Guam 6.0 Okinawa 7.0 Occupation of Japan 8.0 China
On 26 December 1942, most of the 1st Seperate battalion was transferred from Mariveles to Corregidor. On 1 January 1942, this unit was redesignated as the 3d Battalion 4th Marines, with Lieutenant Colonel Adams remaining in command. The Headquarters, A, B, C and D Companies of the 1st Seperate Battalion were redesignated as Headquarters, I, K, L, and M Companies of the 3d Battalion, 4th Marines.
When the Beach Defense organization was set up, the middle sector, from Malinta Hill (exclusive) to a line Morrision Hill (inclusive) to Goverment Ravine (inclusive) was assigned to the 20 officers and 490 men of 3/4.
For several months intensive efforts were made at building and strengthening
the defensive positions. Around 1 March 1942, Battery B, a 3-inch anti-aircraft
unit which had originally been a part of the Cavite Marine Detachment left at
Mariveles, was brought over to Corregidor and assimilated into 3/4.
2.0 The Battalion Falls
After the fall of Bataan on 9 April 1942, the Japanese pressure on Corregidor intensified, and their initial landing was made on the North Point the night of 5-6 May. Their attack fell mainly upon the 1st and 4th Battalions (the 4th Battalion was a composite unit formed on Corregidor) of the 4th Marines the regimental reserve, which by now contained such a mixture of units that only slightly over 30% were Marines.
One fierce day if fighting made the situation impossible. Inside the Malnita Tunnel the regimental and national colors of the 4th Marines were burned on the orders of Colonel Samuel Howard. The surrender of the American forces was made on 6 May 1942. The 4th Marines became prisoners of war, and the regiment ceased to exist as an organization. The regiment was officially declared deactivated on 18 June 1942.
The regiment was included among those awarded the Army's Distinguished Unit Citation on April 30, 1942 for "outstanding performance of duty in action" at the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays.
Many of the caputred officers and men died while prisoners of the Japaneese in
scattered prison camps in the Philippines, Japan, Forosam and Manchuria.
3.0 Reactivation of the Battalion
Early in 1944 plans were implemented for the formation of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade to assist the 3d Marine Division in the capture of Guam and to provide the nucleus for the 6th Marine Division. The brigade was to consist of two reinforced regiments which were to be combat-ready by June 1944. The 22d Marines in Samoa was to be one of the regiments, and it was decided that the other would be a new 4th Marines which would bear the name and honors of the regiment captured in the Philippines in 1942. This new 4th was to be organized fron existing Raider units.
On 1 February 1944, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Raider Regiment, and the
1st, 3d, and 4th Raider Battalions were redesignated as Headquarters and Service
Company and the 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, 4th Marines. On the same data the
2d Raider Battalion was disbanded and the personnel were used to form the
Regimental Weapons Company, 4th Marines.
This reactivation took place on Guadalcanal.
4.0 Invassion of Emirau
On 12 March, the JCS decided to capture Hollandia and Emirau as part of the campaign
to neutralize Rabaul. The task of seizing Emirau was given to the new 4th Marines.
On 20 March, the 1st and 2d Battalions, 4th Marines, landed on the island as the
assault battalions and the 3d Battalion as the reserve battalion. Fortunately there
were no Japaneese defenders, and the island was occupied without oppostion.
The 4th Marines on Emirau was relived by the 147th Infantry Regiment, U.S.Army
on 11 April 1944 and returned to Guadalcanal to join the 1st Provisional Marine
Birgade.
5.0 Assault on Guam
For the assault on Guam, the 1st Provisional Brigade, a component unit of Major
General Roy S. Geiger's III Amphibious Corps, was assigned the southern beaches in
the Agat-Bangi Point area (White Beaches 1 and 2). Their landing was made successfully
on the morning of 21 July 1944. Here as at Emirau, the 1st and 2d Battalions were
ther assault battalions, and 3/4 was in reserve. Once landed, the regiment moved
rapidly inland after meeting negligible enemy resistance at the beaches. Early
losses were described as "very light." By noon the two assalut battalion had
reached their initial objective line, over 1,000 yards inland.
Just before midnight the right flank of the brigade line occupied by Co K of 3/4 was the target of a flurry of mortar shells. Japaneese infantry attacked under the light from the flares and there was a brisk bayonet and fire fight before they were driven off.
Once the Army's 77th Infantry Division came ashore the 1st Brigade was relieved on its beachhead lines and regrouped to attack the enemy defenders of Orote Peninsula. Ater repulsing a Japaneese counterattack on the night of the 25/26th July, the Marines moved slowly forward against a formidable maze of defensive positions.
On the 27th, with Companies I and L in the lead and accompanied by a platoon of tanks, 3/4 broke through the enemy's defensive line in a morning of heavy and costly fighting. During the afternoon, a holty contested advance was made through a grove of coconut palms, Company L alone suffering 70 casualties. By the 29th the 4th Marines were in position to seize the Orote airfield. The immediate resistance was light and 3/4 was able to overcome resistance from a strongpoint located near the ruins of the airfield control tower.
After the battle for Orote was voer, the 1st Brigade partolled Southern Guam as the battle rolled northward. On 7 August, the brigade was recommitted to the III Corps; lines and advanced to seize the norhtern tip of the island. With the end of organized resistance on Guam declared on 10 August 1944.
On 11 September 1944, the 1st Provisional Brigade was deactivated and the 4th Marines
became a part of the newly organized 6th Marine Division.
6.0 Okinawa
The 4th Marines landed on Okinawa on 1 April 1945 and by noon had seized and secured
its first objective, Younan Airfield. Moving north with the division, the regiment
took part in the capture of Motobu Peninsula in mid April. Moving south in early May,
to occupy it's portion of the 6th Division's lines, the 4th Marines had to crack a
series of Japanese defensive lines, notably at Sugar Loaf Hill. In June, the 4th
spearheaded the shore-to-shore assault of the 6th Division or Oroku Peninsula, and
helped secure it by 14 June.
Agter the Okinawa campaign ended the 6th Division returned to Guam to set up a
new base and to train for the pay-off, the invasion of Japan. It was scheduled for
the invasion of Honshu in the early spring of 1946.
7.0 Occupation of Japan
On 15 August 1945, the 4th Marines was moved from Guam to Japan for occupation
duty, landing at Yokusuka Naval Base near Tokop, on 20 August. The 3d Battalion, commanded
by Major Wilson B. Hunt, came ashore at the naval base and quicklly secured it
without any trouble or resistance being offered.
A memorable scene took place a few days later when 120 Marines of the old 4th who had been captured at Corregidor were brought down for their prison at Yokohama and reviewed a parade of the new 4th.
On 20 November 1945, the 4th Marines was detached from the 6th Marine Division. Rapid post-war demobilization left the regiment at only battalion strenght with 3/4 being the surviving battalion. On 15 February 1946, 3/4 was redesignated as the 2d Seperate Guard Battalion (Provisional), FMFPac at Yosuka, Japan.
8.0 China
Regimental headquarters of the 4th Marines was transferred to Tsingtao in
Shantung Province, China and the regiment was reconstituted by redesignation of
existing units. Evvective 8 March 1946, the 3d Battalion, 22d Marines, was
redesignated as the 3d Battalion, 4th Marines. Further reorganization took place
shortly afterwards on 10 June 1946 when the forces in China were designated as
"Marine Forces, China." The 4th Marines, reinforced, as a part of the Marine Forces
China, became "Marine Forces, Tsingtao."
The 4th Marines, less 3/4, sailed from China for the United States on 3 September 1946. The 3d Battalion which remained in China performed rather routine garrison duty interrupted from time to time with shirmishes with Chinese Communist troops who ringed the perimeter of Tsingtao and it's airfield. Finally on 1 October 1947 the understrength 3d Battalion was disbanded in China, and the remainder of the regiment was disbanded at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina on 18 November 1947.