The US Marines are very well known for their exploits in the pacific, but I was curious what role, if any, they played in the European or African theaters?
4 Likes
Peter Ortiz was a former French Foreign Legionnaire and US Marine who operated in Morocco and Tunisia for the OSS in 1942
4 Likes
To my surprise, they did - though not much of one. 200 Marines served aboard each battleship; 80 aboard heavy cruisers, and these men would occasionally (like 2 or 3 times through the war in Europe) be used as special-purpose landing forces; there are also 51 Marines serving in Europe in the OSS. (And, of course, the traditional role as guards at US Embassies.)
A reference from the USMC itself:
Hope this helps!
3 Likes
The influence of the Marines is all over Europe, although there were numerically few Marines in service in the ETO because the Army planned to ask Congress to dissolve the Marine Corps at the War’s conclusion. The idea was that keeping the Marine Corps out of Europe would deny the Marines a chance to receive press attention and therefore allow the Army to claim the entire victory in the ETO. This was contrasted to World War I, when the Marines showed up in smaller numbers but took the lion’s share of praise. Quite simply, the Army needed to absorb the Marines’ skills without letting the Marines gain a noticeable foothold in Europe, in order to eventually lobby Congress to increase the Army’s funding at the expense of the Marine Corps’.
Here are a few highlights:
- fewer than 6,000 Marines participated in the Atlantic, North African and European campaigns
- 4,000 Marines augmented the British defense of Iceland when they landed in July 1941 and stayed until March 1942
- Marines served as planners for the North African, Mediterranean and Normandy invasions
- the Marines trained numerous Army divisions in preparation for their amphibious assaults
- The Marines landed in North Africa during Operation Torch and occupied key strategic points from the French until the Army relieved them
- Marines served as attaches with other countries, including a Marine aviator who survived being shot down with a British Wellington crew
- Marines performed secret missions across Europe to train and augment resistance groups, including the stories of former French Legionnaire and US Marine Peter Ortiz who held off German advances on a French village
- Marines landed on 2 southern French islands, taking the German surrenders
Some other things to consider are that the Marines probably were not impressed by the Army’s planning for Operation Overlord. The Army’s mandated 15-minute
shore bombardment was too short and the Army’s refusal to train to overcome German obstacles with the available equipment (LVTs and the like) did not live up to the experience the Marines had learned and tried to impart on Army planners.
Last, the operation to destroy German V-1 and V-2 sites was originally to have been carried out by Marine Corps F4U Corsairs, armed with 500-lb Tiny Tim rockets. The Marines trained and prepared for the operation, but the Army intervened to prevent “any Marine from ever stepping foot in Europe.”
Hope this helps. Semper Fi.
4 Likes
Wow this is great knowledge, thanks you so much. Simper Fi
3 Likes
How has this guy’s life not been made into a movie?!? Thanks for the info!
3 Likes
Surprisingly known of this was ever mention on P.I. Or in the fleet. Thanks for the info!
3 Likes
Great reply and welcome to the forum!
3 Likes