The Devil's Anvil

On September 15 1944 General William Rupertus and the 16000 Marines of the U.S. 1st Marine Division moved confidently toward Peleliu an obscure speck of coral island 500 miles east of the Philippines. Though he knew a tough fight awaited him Rupertus anticipated a quick two-day crush to victory strengthening Gen. Douglas MacArthur''s flank in his drive on the Philippines. Instead as The Devil''s Anvil reveals American forces struggled desperately for more than two months against 10000 deeply entrenched Japanese soldiers who had spent six months preparing for the battle. By the time the weary Americans could claim a victory the fight had become one of the war''s most costly successes. Even more tragic Peleliu was later deemed a more or less unnecessary seizure.For those who survived Peleliu remains a bitter emotionally exhausting chapter of their lives. In The Devil''s Anvil Hallas reports on the personal combat experience of scores of officers and enlisted men who were at Peleliu. These men describe the heartbreaking loss of friends the pain of wounds and the heat dirt and exhaustion of a fight that never seemed to end.