Palau in WW2 History | World War II Database

6 Dec 1941

Caroline Islands

Nachi departed Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Nachi | Palau | CPC]

15 Dec 1941

Caroline Islands

Nachi arrived in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Nachi | Palau | CPC]

17 Dec 1941

Caroline Islands

Nachi departed Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Nachi | Palau | CPC]

29 Dec 1941

Caroline Islands

Nachi departed Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Nachi | Palau | CPC]

17 Jan 1942

Caroline Islands

Hiryu, Soryu, Ariake, and Yugure arrived at Palau, Caroline Islands at 1140 hours. ww2dbase [Yugure | Hiryu | Soryu | Palau | CPC]

21 Jan 1942

Caroline Islands

Hiryu, Soryu, Ariake, Yugure, Ushio, and Sazanami departed Palau, Caroline Islands at 1600 hours for air strikes on Maluku Islands, Dutch East Indies. ww2dbase [Yugure | Hiryu | Soryu | Palau | CPC]

31 Jan 1942

Caroline Islands

Yugure arrived at Palau, Caroline Islands at 0730 hours. ww2dbase [Yugure | Palau | CPC]

8 Feb 1942

Caroline Islands

Akagi arrived at the Palau Islands, having abandoned the pursuit of the American fleet. ww2dbase [Akagi | Palau | CPC]
Kaga arrived at Palau Islands, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Kaga | Palau | CPC]

9 Feb 1942

Caroline Islands

Kaga accidentally hit a reef in the Palau Islands, Caroline Islands, damaging her bilges. ww2dbase [Kaga | Palau | CPC]

15 Feb 1942

Caroline Islands

Akagi departed Palau with Kaga, Carrier Division 2, and Cruiser Division 8, screened by Destroyer Squadron 1 for the attacks on Davao and Port Darwin, Australia. ww2dbase [Akagi | Palau | CPC]
Kaga departed Palau Islands, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Kaga | Palau | CPC]
Yugure departed Palau, Caroline Islands at 1400 hours. ww2dbase [Yugure | Palau | CPC]

21 Feb 1943

Caroline Islands

Juzan Maru, Shinkyo Maru, and Aratama Maru arrived at Palau, Caroline Islands with Yugure in escort. ww2dbase [Yugure | Palau | CPC]

22 Feb 1943

Caroline Islands

Juzan Maru, Shinkyo Maru, and Aratama Maru departed Palau, Caroline Islands at 1300 hours with Yugure, Satsuki, and Fumizuki in escort. ww2dbase [Yugure | Palau | CPC]

23 May 1943

Caroline Islands

USS Sunfish conducted a reonnaissance mission at Anguar, Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Sunfish (Gato-class) | Anguar, Palau | CPC]

28 May 1943

Caroline Islands

USS Sunfish shelled a Japanese oil refinery at Fais, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Sunfish (Gato-class) | Fais, Palau | CPC]

2 Jan 1944

Caroline Islands

Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Palau, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Hikawa Maru | Palau | CPC]

28 Mar 1944

Caroline Islands

Repair ship Akashi completed the repair work for transport Bichu Maru at Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Akashi | Palau | CPC]

29 Mar 1944

Caroline Islands

US naval aircraft bombed Japanese ships in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Palau | CPC]
USS Tunny observed a large number of small vessels leaving Malakal Island in the Palau Islands in the morning but did not attack. In the afternoon, she observed the arrival of battleship Musashi and other warships; Tunny fired six bow torpedoes at Musashi but failed to hit her. She endured a 38-depth charge counterattack. Later that night, she caught up with the force and damaged Musashi with another torpedo attack. ww2dbase [Tunny | Malakal, Palau | CPC]

30 Mar 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Yorktown (Essex-class) launched air strikes on enemy installations located in the Palau Islands, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Yorktown (Essex-class) | Palau | DS]

31 Mar 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Yorktown (Essex-class) launched air strikes on enemy installations located in the Palau Islands, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Yorktown (Essex-class) | Palau | DS]

25 Jul 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Wasp's aircraft attacked Japanese positions in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Wasp (Essex-class) | Palau | CPC]

27 Jul 1944

Caroline Islands

Landing ship No. 150 was sunk by US aircraft off Palau Islands. ww2dbase [No. 101/103-class | Palau | CPC]

6 Sep 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Wasp's aircraft attacked Japanese positions in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Wasp (Essex-class) | Palau | CPC]

Photo(s) dated 6 Sep 1944

Rufus W. Oakley holding a Protestant Christian religious service for US Marines on Peleliu, Palau Islands, Sep 1944

7 Sep 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Wasp's aircraft attacked Japanese positions in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Wasp (Essex-class) | Palau | CPC]

8 Sep 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Wasp's aircraft attacked Japanese positions in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Wasp (Essex-class) | Palau | CPC]

10 Sep 1944

Photo(s) dated 10 Sep 1944

Oliver P. Smith walking through his Assistant Division Commander quarters on Peleliu, Palau Islands, 1944

12 Sep 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Marcus Island launched aircraft against Japanese positions on Peleliu and Angaur in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Marcus Island | Palau | CPC]
USS Honolulu began two weeks of daily bombardments of Peleliu in the Palau Islands. For his performance as commander of the Peleliu fire support group, Rear Admiral Walden Ainsworth, aboard Honolulu, was awarded the Legion of Merit with combat 'V'. ww2dbase [Palau Islands and Ulithi Islands Campaigns | Honolulu | Walden Ainsworth | Peleliu, Palau | DS]

15 Sep 1944

Caroline Islands

The US Marines invaded Peleliu in the Palau islands believing that the island was only lightly defended. In fact, there were some 12,000 Japanese concealed on the island waiting to reveal their hand. In a week the Marines would suffer terrible casualties. The 1st Marines ended up at half their combat strength and, in the 5th and 7th Marines more than four out of every ten men sent ashore were either killed or wounded. For the record Peleliu measured just six miles long and two miles wide and was of questionable strategic value. ww2dbase [Palau Islands and Ulithi Islands Campaigns | Peleliu, Palau | AC]
USS Marcus Island launched aircraft to provide cover for the Peleliu, Palau Islands invasion. ww2dbase [Marcus Island | Peleliu, Palau | CPC]
USS Preston supported the invasion of Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Preston (Fletcher-class) | Palau | CPC]

Photo(s) dated 15 Sep 1944

Two American Marines, Douglas Lightheart and Gerald Thursby, resting during Battle of Peleliu in the Palau Islands, 15 Sep 1944

Flamethrower in action, Peleliu, Palau Islands, Sep 1944

United States Marines attacking Orange Beach on Peleliu, 15 Sep 1944

Men of the US 1st Marine Division fighting just beyond White Beach, Peleliu, 15 Sep 1944, photo 1 of 2

See all photos dated 15 Sep 1944

16 Sep 1944

Photo(s) dated 16 Sep 1944

USMC war dog handler reading a message that his dog had just delivered, Peleliu, Palau Islands, Sep 1944

US Marines receiving mail, Peleliu, Palau Islands, Sep 1944

USMC 75-mm pack howitzer and crew, Peleliu, Palau Islands, Sep 1944

See all photos dated 16 Sep 1944

17 Sep 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Bailey covered the landings on Angaur Island, Palau. ww2dbase [Bailey | Palau Islands and Ulithi Islands Campaigns | Angaur, Palau | DS]

18 Sep 1944

Photo(s) dated 18 Sep 1944

Marine Col Chesty Puller greets a Navy Admiral at the 1st Marines command post on Peleliu, Sep 18 1944.

US Marines in a chow line, Peleliu, Palau Islands, Sep 1944

20 Sep 1944

Photo(s) dated 20 Sep 1944

Knocked-out Type 94 Te-Ke tankette, Peleliu, Palau Islands, late Sep 1944

US Marines fighting on Peleliu, Palau Islands, 1944

US Marine M1919 Browning machine gun crew, Peleliu, Palau Islands, 1944

25 Sep 1944

Photo(s) dated 25 Sep 1944

US Marines wading through water, Peleliu, Palau, Sep 1944

27 Sep 1944

Photo(s) dated 27 Sep 1944

The first formal raising the American flag over Peleliu, Palau Islands, 27 Sep 1944; note Japanese observation tower

29 Sep 1944

Caroline Islands

Cruisers USS Honolulu, USS Portland, USS Cleveland, and USS Indianapolis departed the Peleliu area bound for Manus in the Admiralty Islands. ww2dbase [Walden Ainsworth | Honolulu | Indianapolis | Portland | Peleliu, Palau | DS]

30 Sep 1944

Photo(s) dated 30 Sep 1944

US Marines on Peleliu, Palau Islands, Sep 1944

1 Oct 1944

Caroline Islands

Five miles northwest of Peleliu, USS Bailey came under a nighttime strafing attack that left 9 dead, 16 wounded, and damage to many systems aboard the ship. ww2dbase [Palau Islands and Ulithi Islands Campaigns | Bailey | Peleliu, Palau | DS]

2 Oct 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Marcus Island departed Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Marcus Island | Palau | CPC]

24 Oct 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Honolulu arrived at Kossol Passage, Palau, made additional repairs, and departed again bound for Manus in the Admiralty Islands. ww2dbase [Honolulu | Kossol Passage, Palau | DS]

14 Nov 1944

Caroline Islands

Battleship USS Maryland with cruisers USS St. Louis and USS Columbia and destroyers USS Nicholas, USS Taylor, USS Lang, USS McCord, USS Trathen, USS Hazelwood, and USS MacDonough departed Kossol Roads, Palau bound for Leyte Gulf, Philippines. ww2dbase [Columbia | Maryland | St. Louis | Nicholas | Kossol Roads, Palau | DS]

22 Nov 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Portland was detached from the Carrier Task Force and assigned to the Mindoro invasion force then gathering at Kossol Roads, Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Portland | Kossol Roads, Palau | DS]

26 Nov 1944

Caroline Islands

Destroyer USS Shaw arrived at Kossol Roads, Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Shaw | Kossol Roads, Palau | DS]

27 Nov 1944

Caroline Islands

Destroyer USS Shaw departed Palau bound for Leyte Gulf, ww2dbase [Shaw | Kossol Roads, Palau | DS]

Photo(s) dated 27 Nov 1944

TBM-1C Avengers, F6F Hellcats, and SB2C Helldivers of Navy Carrier Air Group 18 from USS Intrepid at Peleliu, Nov 27, 1944.

8 Dec 1944

Photo(s) dated 8 Dec 1944

B-24J Liberators of the 494th Bomb Group receive maintenance on Angaur, Palau Islands, Dec 8 1944

9 Dec 1944

Photo(s) dated 9 Dec 1944

The airstrip at Angaur, Palau Islands Dec 9 1944 with B-24Js of the 22nd Bomb Group on the near side and B-24s of the 494th Bomb Group on the far side; plus one C-47A Skytrain supply aircraft.

10 Dec 1944

Caroline Islands

USS Marcus Island departed Kossol Roads, Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Marcus Island | Palau | CPC]

30 Dec 1944

Caroline Islands

Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Steamer Bay arrived at Kossol Roads in the Palau Islands. ww2dbase [Steamer Bay | Kossol Raods, Palau | DS]

1 Jan 1945

Caroline Islands

USS Wake Island arrived at Kossol Roads, Palau Islands, loaded ammunition and other supplies, and departed for the Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Wake Island | Kossol Roads, Palau | CPC]
Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Steamer Bay departed Kossol Roads in the Palau Islands on her first combat sortie of the war bound for Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines. ww2dbase [Steamer Bay | Kossol Raods, Palau | DS]

31 Jan 1945

Photo(s) dated 31 Jan 1945

Destroyer USS Bailey prepares to bring aboard two Navy fliers whose airplane had run out of fuel 17 miles west of Guam, 31 Jan 1945. The fliers had been in the water over 24 hours.

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis

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