The United States Marine Battalion
Until recently, my knowledge of the organisation used by the United States Marines was mostly limited to the lower levels this site is primarily concerned with. Additionally, detailed study of the Battalion formations used is complicated by the fact that, unlike their Army counterparts, the Marines undertook a series of notable reorganisations during the course of the war in the Pacific. While the Army simply tinkered with their battalion structure, the Marines constantly overhauled theirs in the light of experience. The single defining feature of the four variations used is a constant increase in automatic firepower. This was seen as the best measure to counter the evermore fanatical opposition of the Japanese troops they faced.
The Marine Corps buried 18,000 of its men during the Pacific campaign, the equivalent of one of its six divisions. Their 'island hopping' strategy was unique, and ensured that the Marines always had to assail a hostile shore. In time, the Japanese learned to allow the Marines to land, and then draw them into a nightmare combat among caves, jungle and dugouts rather than face them on the beaches. It was combat at its most basic level.
During the campaign the Marines reorganised its combat units no less than three times from its original format. They were categorised as types D, E, F and G, roughly corresponding to the years 1942 to 1945 respectively. Not only was the Marine Infantry Regiment affected by these amendments, but also the Division. It should be borne in mind that due, to various factors, a Division may have reorganised say its Infantry Battalions to the new tables, but not necessarily all other arms until a later date. This is particularly true of the G Series, the formation of which was not properly finalised until after VJ Day.
The links below lead to a description of the various types of Marine Infantry Battalion, plus a study of the Divisional organisations used.
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The 'D' & 'E' Series Marine Battalion
The 'F' & 'G' Series Marine Battalion
United States Marine Corps Divisional Organisations