From Gordon Rottmann's, US Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle, pg 548.
Casualties are defined as killed in action, wounded,and missing in action.
19,284 1st MarDiv
11,482 2nd MarDiv
8,676 3rd MarDiv
17,722 4th MarDiv
8,563 5th MarDiv
8,226 6th MarDiv
Can these figures be confirmed?
For example when I consult the 2nd Marine Division history Follow Me! published in 1947 it gives the 2nd division losses as 12,395.
WW2 Marine casualties per Division
WW2 Marine casualties per Division
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ChristopherPerrien
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Notice the date for the chart runs to September,. So that figure will have more and the chart probably includes non-battle casualties. I would dig through the footnotes. Non-battle casualties were counted various ways through the war and sometimes do or do not show up.
Much like the total USA war dead, usually it shows up in the 300,000's range , but some figures include non-battle deaths put it as high as 405,000.
Much like the total USA war dead, usually it shows up in the 300,000's range , but some figures include non-battle deaths put it as high as 405,000.
Rottmann's figures add up to 73,953 Marines.
This link gives USMC casualties in WW2 as 91,620.
http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/How_many_Ameri ... orld_War_2
As Chris indicates non-battle losses are not included--5,863 in dead alone.This would include deaths from disease,illness,drownings,accidents etc.For example 163 Marines were killed in the West Loch explosion at Pearl Harbor in May 1944.
Marine aviator losses and independent support force losses would balance the total.The 400 or so Marines captured in the Philippines in 1942 should also be added.
I dont think Marine MIA were that significant as it was.For example at Tarawa it only numbered 27,footnoted in 1947 as missing,presumed dead.The 1943 tally of missing was 88 but reduced as remains were identified.All the dead of Betio were dug up after 1945 and reburied at the Punchbowl cemetery.Hawaii,so dental records on the 'unknown" was carried out as well. Battle fatigue seems to be mentioned as only a postwar classification--15 on Tarawa.
What further confuses Marine casualty figures is that Naval Corpsmen,attached Naval support personnel serving with a Marine Division are excluded from loss totals.30 organic Naval corpsmen died at Tarawa but are not listed as Marine dead for example.
This link gives USMC casualties in WW2 as 91,620.
http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/How_many_Ameri ... orld_War_2
As Chris indicates non-battle losses are not included--5,863 in dead alone.This would include deaths from disease,illness,drownings,accidents etc.For example 163 Marines were killed in the West Loch explosion at Pearl Harbor in May 1944.
Marine aviator losses and independent support force losses would balance the total.The 400 or so Marines captured in the Philippines in 1942 should also be added.
I dont think Marine MIA were that significant as it was.For example at Tarawa it only numbered 27,footnoted in 1947 as missing,presumed dead.The 1943 tally of missing was 88 but reduced as remains were identified.All the dead of Betio were dug up after 1945 and reburied at the Punchbowl cemetery.Hawaii,so dental records on the 'unknown" was carried out as well. Battle fatigue seems to be mentioned as only a postwar classification--15 on Tarawa.
What further confuses Marine casualty figures is that Naval Corpsmen,attached Naval support personnel serving with a Marine Division are excluded from loss totals.30 organic Naval corpsmen died at Tarawa but are not listed as Marine dead for example.
Marine battle losses by campaigns in WW2
Source: The US Marine Corps Story,Robert Moskin,1977.
Killed Wounded Captured Missing
1941
Pearl Harbor 108 49
Midway Raid 4 19
Tientsin 203
Guam 4 12 137
Wake 49 400
1942
Philippines 330 357 1283
Midway 49 53
Makin Raid 21 9
Guadalcanal 1207 2926 85
1943
New Georgia 128 307
Bougainville 423 1418
Cape Gloucester 310 1083
Tarawa 978 2188 27
1944
Kwajalein 313 502
Eniwetok 254 555
Saipan 2218 8251
Tinian 317 1550
Guam 1520 5196
Peleliu 1124 5024 117
1945
Iwo Jima 5521 20330
Okinawa 3561 16459
Other 551 928 238
Pows died 514
Missing
as dead 229
Total 19733 67207 2270
Notes:
Midway Raid refers to air attack on island after Pearl Harbor
The 9 Marines captured at Makin were later executed
85 missing Guadalcanal were aircrews lost over sea
Other--mainly aircrew losses in SWP,Philippines 1945 etc
514 of the 2270 Marines captured died
Missing were reclassified as dead after the war
Source: The US Marine Corps Story,Robert Moskin,1977.
Killed Wounded Captured Missing
1941
Pearl Harbor 108 49
Midway Raid 4 19
Tientsin 203
Guam 4 12 137
Wake 49 400
1942
Philippines 330 357 1283
Midway 49 53
Makin Raid 21 9
Guadalcanal 1207 2926 85
1943
New Georgia 128 307
Bougainville 423 1418
Cape Gloucester 310 1083
Tarawa 978 2188 27
1944
Kwajalein 313 502
Eniwetok 254 555
Saipan 2218 8251
Tinian 317 1550
Guam 1520 5196
Peleliu 1124 5024 117
1945
Iwo Jima 5521 20330
Okinawa 3561 16459
Other 551 928 238
Pows died 514
Missing
as dead 229
Total 19733 67207 2270
Notes:
Midway Raid refers to air attack on island after Pearl Harbor
The 9 Marines captured at Makin were later executed
85 missing Guadalcanal were aircrews lost over sea
Other--mainly aircrew losses in SWP,Philippines 1945 etc
514 of the 2270 Marines captured died
Missing were reclassified as dead after the war