Condition Red Marine Defense Battalions in World War II PCN 19000313300

Condition Red: Marine Defense Battalions in World War II by Major Charles D. Me/son apan, its military lead-truction of three aircraft during the plans —Orangestood for Japan in a ersconfidenttheymorning's fighting. seriesof color-coded planning could stagger the Unit- As the Japanese aircraft carriersdocuments —providedthe strategy ed States and gain timewithdrew after the raid on Pearl Har-for the amphibious offensive re- to seize the oil andbor, a pair of enemy destroyers be-quired to defeat Japan and the defen- and other natural resources neces-gan shelling Midway Island shortlysive measures to protect the bases sary to dominate the western Pacif-before midnight on 7 December toupon which the American campaign ic,attacked Pearl Harbor on 7neutralize the aircraft based there. Awould depend. December 1941, sinking or badlysalvo directed against Midway's Sand As a militaristic Japan made in- damaging 18 ships, destroying someIsland struck the power plant, whichroads into China in the 1930s, con- 200 aircraft, and killing more thanserved as the command post of thecern heightened for the security of 2,300 American servicemen. Though6th Defense Battalion, grievouslyWake, Midway, Johnston,and caught by surprise, Marines of thewounding First Lieutenant George H. Palmyra Islands, the outposts pro- 1st, 3d, and 4th Defense BattalionsCannon. He remained at his post un- tecting Hawaii, a vital staging area standing guard in Hawaii foughttil the other Marines wounded by thefor a war in the Pacific. (Although back as best they could. Few heavysame shell could be cared for and his actually atolls —tinyislands clustered weapons were yet in place, and am-communications specialist, Corporal on areef-fringed lagoon —Wake, munition remained stored on ship-Harold Hazelwood, had put the bat-Midway, Johnston, and Palmyra have board, along with many of the guns. talion switchboard back into action.traditionally been referred to as is- Nevertheless, these units had eightCannon, who died of his wounds,lands.) By 1937, the Marine Corps antiaircraft machine guns in actionearned the first Medal of Honorwas discussing the establishment of within six minutes after the firstawarded a Marine officer duringbattalion-size security detachments bombs exploded at 0755. By 0820,World War II. Hazelwood received aon the key Pacific outposts, and the 13 machine guns were manned andNavy Cross. following year's War Plan Orange ready, and they cut loose when a se- proposed dispatching this sort of cond wave of Japanese aircraft be- defense detachment to three of the gan its attack a few minutes later. Hawaiian outposts —Wake,Midway, Unfortunately, shells for the 3-inch For decades before Japan gambled and Johnston. The 1938 plan called antiaircraft guns did not reach theits future on a war with the Unitedfor a detachment of 28 officers and hurriedly deployed firing batteriesStates, the Marine Corps developed428 enlisted Marines at Midway, until after the second and final wavethe doctrine, equipment, and organi-armed with 5-inch coastal defense of attacking aircraft had completedzation needed for just such a conflict.guns, 3-inch antiaircraft weapons, itsdeadly work. The MarinesAlthough the Army provided troopssearchlights for illuminating targets responded to the surprise raid with for the defense of the Philippines, theat night, and machine guns. The small arms and an eventual total of westernmost American possession in Wake detachment,similarly 25 machine guns, claiming the des- the Pacific, the Marine Corps facedequipped, was to be slightly smaller, two formidable challenges: placing25 officers and 420 enlisted men. The On the Cover: The crew of a 90mm gungarrisons on any of the smaller pos-Johnston Island group would consist stands by for action in the Solomonssessions that the Navy might use asof just nine officers and 126 enlisted during November 1943. (Department ofbases at the onset of war; and seiz-men and have only the antiaircraft Defense photo [USMC]) ing and defending the additional guns,searchlights,and machine At left: Defense battalion Marines mannaval bases that would enable theguns. The plan called for the units to a 5-inch seacoast gun at GuantanamoUnited States to project its power todeploy by M-Day—the date of an Bay, Cuba. (Department of Defensethe very shores of Japan's Home Is-American mobilization for war —"in photo [USMC]) lands. A succession of Orange warsufficient strength to repel minor 1 dtt* -I. Department of Defense photo (USCG) Fires started by bombs dropped by Japanese aircraft are still craft gun on the parade ground of the Marine Barracks. By burning at Pearl Harbor as Marines set up a 3-inch antiair- the end of 1942, 14 Marine defense battalions were in existence. naval raids and raids by small land-potential enemies, defeating Germa-ation of defense battalions to garri- ing parties." In the fall of 1938, an in-fly first, while conducting only limit-sonthecrescentofoutposts spection party visited the sites to looked offensive operations in the Pacificstretching from Wake and Midway to for possible gun positions and fieldsand ultimately throwing the fullSamoa.Influenced by American of fire and to validate the initial man-weight of the alliance against Japan.isolationist attitudes, Major Gener- power estimates. Such was the basic strategy in effectal Commandant Thomas Holcomb Meanwhile,aCongressionallywhen Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.decided to ask for funds to form new authorized board, headed by Ad- defensive—ratherthan offensive — miral Arthur J. Hepburn, a former units.In carrying out the provisions Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, of the plan for aconflict with investigated the need to acquire ad- The interest of the Marine CorpsOrange, the Commandant intended ditional naval bases in preparationin base defense predated the proposallstLt George H. Cannon of the 6th for war. While determining thatin the Orange Plan of 1937 to installDefenseBattalion,though mortally Guam, surrounded by Japanese pos-defense detachments at Wake, Mid-wounded by fire from a Japanese sub- sessions, could not be defended; theway, and Johnston Islands. Althoughmarine on 7 December 1941, refused to Hepburn Board emphasized the im-the spirit of the offensive predomi-leave his post on Midway. After the war, portance of Midway, Wake, John- he was awarded the Medal of Honor. nated over the years, both the Ad- Department of Defense photo (USMC) 11158 ston, and Palmyra. As a result,vanced Base Force, 1914-1919, and during 1939 and 1940, Colonel Har-the Fleet Marine Force, established in ry K. Pickett—Marine Officer, 14th1933, trained to defend the territory Naval District, and Commandingthey seized. In 1936, despite the ab- Officer, Marine Barracks, Pearl Har-sence of primarily defensive units, bor Navy Yard—madedetailed sur-the Marine Corps Schools at Quan- veys of the four atolls. tico, Virginia, taught a 10-month In 1940,the Army and Navycourse in base defense, stressing coor- blended the various color plans, in-dination among aviation, antiair- cluding Orange, into a series of Rain-craft, and artillery. bow Plans designed to meet a threat The increasingly volatile situation from Germany, Japan, and Italy act-in the Pacific which led ultimately ing in concert. The plan that seemedto war, the evolving Orange plan for most realistic Rainbow 5, envisioneda war against Japan, and the long- that an Anglo-American coalitiontime interest of the Marine Corps in would wage war against all threebase defense set the stage for the cre- 2 to make the best use of appropriat-rise to the rank of lieutenant gener-creating six divisions and reaching a ed funds, which had only begun toal, assuming command of Fleet Ma-maximum strengthinexcessof increase after the outbreak of war inrine Force, Pacific after the war.450,000, but the frenzied growth oc- Europe during September 1939. InAware that isolationism still grippedcurred after Japan attacked the Pa- doing so he reminded the public thatthe United States in 1939; the twocific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 7 the Marine Corps would play a vi-planners emphasized the defensiveDecember 1941. tal role in defending the nation. Af-mission of the new units, stressing In the immediate aftermath of the terthe war,General Gerald C.their ability to "hold areas for the ul-outbreak of war in Europe and Presi- Thomas recalled in his oral historytimate offensive operations of thedent Franklin D. Roosevelt's declara- that General Holcomb realized thatFleet:' As the danger of war withtion of a limited national emergency, Congress was unlikely to vote moneyJapan increased, the first of severalthe Marine Corps grew by small for purely offensive purposes as long900-man defense battalions tookincrements that included the defense as the United States remained atshape in the United States. Each ofbattalions. To explain the role of peace. At a time when even battle-the new outfits consisted of three an-these units, General Holcomb in 1940 ships and heavy bombers were beingtiaircraft batteries, three seacoast bat-circulated throughout the Corps a touted as defensive weapons, Hol-teries,ground and antiaircraftclassified document drafted by First comb seized on the conceptofmachine gun batteries, and a team ofLieutenant Robert D. Heinl, Jr., who defense battalions as a means of in-specialistsinadministration andwould serve in a wartime defense creasing the strength of the Corps be-weapons maintenance. battalion, become the author of yond the current 19,432 officers and In late 1939, when the Marinewidely read articles and books and men. Corps formed

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