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Coral Comes High: U.S. Marines and the Fight for Peleliu
“The brutal and heroic story of Marines in action” The New York Times
08:32, September 15, 1944.
The 1st Marines stormed the Pacific island of Peleliu.
Captain Hunt and his company of two hundred and thirty-five men were among some of the first to land; forty-eight hours later, only seventy-eight of them were alive.
Outnumbered and outgunned by the enemy, they beat off all attacks with a courage which is at the same time matter-of-fact and superhuman individual, yet collective and drawn from the real comradeship of men who cannot let each other down.
Here are dramatic accounts of wounded men miraculously still fighting, of two men seen in silhouette at night against the flashes of guns in a death struggle atop a cliff, of the flame-scarred bodies of Japanese in caves and pillboxes, of a nervous and badly scared youngster shooting one of his own comrades.
When, at last, relief came and Captain Hunt and his handful of men staggered back to the beach, they had withstood three terrible counterattacks and killed more than five hundred enemy soldiers.
“Coral Comes High is an unpretentious, stark, blow-by-blow story of a terrible action, well told in the fewest possible words” Time Magazine
“This is a story of fighting men told by a fighting man.” General Alexander Vandegrift, United States Marine Corps.
Captain Hunt served in the 1st Regiment of the 1st Marine Division in the South Pacific and was decorated with the Silver Star medal and the Navy Cross. He received the Navy Cross for his part in the action described in this book. The citation for this decoration relates how Captain Hunt's company of riflemen was reduced to thirty-four men; how these survivors defended an isolated position "against three counterattacks killing four hundred and twenty-two Japanese.” After the war he worked as a writer and editor for Fortune and Life magazines. Coral Comes High was first published in 1946 and Hunt passed away in 1991.
08:32, September 15, 1944.
The 1st Marines stormed the Pacific island of Peleliu.
Captain Hunt and his company of two hundred and thirty-five men were among some of the first to land; forty-eight hours later, only seventy-eight of them were alive.
Outnumbered and outgunned by the enemy, they beat off all attacks with a courage which is at the same time matter-of-fact and superhuman individual, yet collective and drawn from the real comradeship of men who cannot let each other down.
Here are dramatic accounts of wounded men miraculously still fighting, of two men seen in silhouette at night against the flashes of guns in a death struggle atop a cliff, of the flame-scarred bodies of Japanese in caves and pillboxes, of a nervous and badly scared youngster shooting one of his own comrades.
When, at last, relief came and Captain Hunt and his handful of men staggered back to the beach, they had withstood three terrible counterattacks and killed more than five hundred enemy soldiers.
“Coral Comes High is an unpretentious, stark, blow-by-blow story of a terrible action, well told in the fewest possible words” Time Magazine
“This is a story of fighting men told by a fighting man.” General Alexander Vandegrift, United States Marine Corps.
Captain Hunt served in the 1st Regiment of the 1st Marine Division in the South Pacific and was decorated with the Silver Star medal and the Navy Cross. He received the Navy Cross for his part in the action described in this book. The citation for this decoration relates how Captain Hunt's company of riflemen was reduced to thirty-four men; how these survivors defended an isolated position "against three counterattacks killing four hundred and twenty-two Japanese.” After the war he worked as a writer and editor for Fortune and Life magazines. Coral Comes High was first published in 1946 and Hunt passed away in 1991.
91 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1946
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 29, 2017
Since it is Memorial Day, I decided to read this short book about a segment of the effort to take Pelelieu in September, 1944. The author served as the captain of Company K of the 1st Marines. They are assigned to take 'the Pocket' which was considered vital to preserve the landings that followed. The author describes some things very well (he was a professional writer), but the battle itself seems rather brief in nature. Still, he does a fairly good job at imparting what it meant to be in that hell-hole, a battle that took over two months to secure and cost tremendous casualties. It is a controverial battle because some historians have argued it wasn't necessary, but since Hunt wrote this book in 1946, it is more likely he was concerned with his duty and the lives of his men.
January 2, 2017
Penelope, Another Unfamiliar Island in the War.
There were a number of islands in the South Pacific campaign in World War II that were not much written about, and remembered only by history and the dwindling number of men who fought and lived them. Our WW II heroes are dying in great numbers every day now, as Captain Hunt. Unfortunately the history of World War II is not taught in schools now, and we, the offspring of these brave, courageous men who made up The Greatest Generation are the ones who now must ensure that they and the things they fought for are NEVER relegated to a footnote in a history book.
There were a number of islands in the South Pacific campaign in World War II that were not much written about, and remembered only by history and the dwindling number of men who fought and lived them. Our WW II heroes are dying in great numbers every day now, as Captain Hunt. Unfortunately the history of World War II is not taught in schools now, and we, the offspring of these brave, courageous men who made up The Greatest Generation are the ones who now must ensure that they and the things they fought for are NEVER relegated to a footnote in a history book.
March 22, 2017
A true account of a battle within a battle within a WWII campaign on the island of Peleliu. This Marine captain and 40 odd Marines hold off hundreds of Japanese and helped salvage a victory. Gripping true account of hand to hand fighting but really just a novella than a novel.
January 16, 2019
He'll of a fight.
The details are what gets you. The never say die of those marine s was so true to the Corp. I couldn't stop reading. You felt like you could see what was happening. The book is so well written.
The details are what gets you. The never say die of those marine s was so true to the Corp. I couldn't stop reading. You felt like you could see what was happening. The book is so well written.
November 28, 2020
You can check out my review and interactive map of the locations in the book on my website. All dates, events and locations are best-effort based on the author's original text and any errors or omissions are my own. Review contains spoilers.
A short but excellent book by the U.S. officer leading the Marines tasked with taking The Point on Peleliu island in September 1944. Captain George Hunt was the commanding officer of the 1st Marine Regiment, 3rd Battalion, K Company who landed on the extreme left of the invasion beach. The Point - as it was known - held the key to the operation. In Japanese hands the Point's fortifications enfiladed the Marine's western landing zone. Captain Hunt was under no illusions about the task ahead of his men:
Despite the three-day preparatory bombardment by the accompanying USN vessels and aircraft, which included five battleships and three aircraft carriers, the approaching landing craft came under heavy fire from the well dug-in defenders. Accurate Japanese mortar and artillery fire saturated the approaches and K company lost most of its heavy support platoon on the beach. Captain Hunt collected his surviving men and made for the primary objective.
After a short fight the Point was taken, but K company were effectively surrounded on three sides after the unit on their right failed to reach the beach. The Marines dug in as best they could in the coral formations and waited for the adjoining forces to close up the gap on their right and the inevitable Japanese counter-attack. Contact with Battalion headquarters was maintained by moving through Japanese lines or by swimming out beyond the reef.
In front of Beach White, the Marine attack stalled in some areas when the forward units were trapped in a deep anti-tank ditch hundreds of yards long and running parallel to the shore. Any Marines emerging from the tank trap came under sustained machine gun fire from Japanese positions dug into a coral ridge to their front. It wasn't until the arrival of the Marine tanks that the situation improved, which allowed some of wounded among the forward troops to pull back to the beach to be evacuated. On the Point, the Marines received some limited supplies and tried to get some rest. Efforts to close up the gap on the right continued through the night, supported by the accompanying ships which dropped naval flares over the lines.
At first light, skirmishes with Japanese snipers and infiltrators steadily escalated into a pitched battle with both sides exchanging barrages of grenades and mortar fire. It marked a critical time for the marines:
K company held the line and were able to bring up some limited reinforcements to the Point. Artillery, mortars and machine guns came ashore to provide support but K company remained isolated for 26 hours until friendly troops finally made contact with the men on the Point. It had been a precarious situation for Capt. Hunt, whose force had at one time been reduced to 18 men. For his leadership Capt. Hunt received the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps' second highest award. His medal citation records the following (tracesofwar.com, 2020):
Capt. Hunt collected the stories from the surviving marines in the weeks and months directly after the invasion, so their descriptions are filled with immediacy and are highly detailed. The opening chapter also contains some good details of the marines on-board the troop ships prior to the invasion. Whilst short, the book is finely written and conveys the tension of combat and the professionalism of the marines under fire. The author also included some sketches from his time on Peleliu, which was a nice touch. 8/10.
One small quibble about the quality of the text in the edition I read. There are many typos where the OCR has worked poorly and I frequently had to re-read bits. A competent English speaker could have proofread the book in a few hours. It broke the immersion and for a book this short its a surprising omission.
A short but excellent book by the U.S. officer leading the Marines tasked with taking The Point on Peleliu island in September 1944. Captain George Hunt was the commanding officer of the 1st Marine Regiment, 3rd Battalion, K Company who landed on the extreme left of the invasion beach. The Point - as it was known - held the key to the operation. In Japanese hands the Point's fortifications enfiladed the Marine's western landing zone. Captain Hunt was under no illusions about the task ahead of his men:
"On the immediate left of our landing beach, designated as Beach White, there was a point of land which, by measuring on the map, jutted into the water about twenty-five yards... Pillboxes, reinforced with steel and concrete, had been dug or blasted in the base of the perpendicular drop to the beach. Others, with coral and concrete piled six feet on top were constructed above, and spider holes were blasted around them for protecting infantry. It surpassed by far anything we had conceived of when we studied the aerial photographs."
Despite the three-day preparatory bombardment by the accompanying USN vessels and aircraft, which included five battleships and three aircraft carriers, the approaching landing craft came under heavy fire from the well dug-in defenders. Accurate Japanese mortar and artillery fire saturated the approaches and K company lost most of its heavy support platoon on the beach. Captain Hunt collected his surviving men and made for the primary objective.
I told the radioman to follow me, rolled out of the hole and, running from tree to tree, headed toward the Point...As I ran up the beach I saw them lying nearly shoulder to shoulder; some of them mine; others from outfits which landed immediately behind us. I saw a ghastly mixture of bandages, bloody and mutilated skin; men gritting their teeth, resigned to their wounds; men groaning and writhing in their agonies...
After a short fight the Point was taken, but K company were effectively surrounded on three sides after the unit on their right failed to reach the beach. The Marines dug in as best they could in the coral formations and waited for the adjoining forces to close up the gap on their right and the inevitable Japanese counter-attack. Contact with Battalion headquarters was maintained by moving through Japanese lines or by swimming out beyond the reef.
In front of Beach White, the Marine attack stalled in some areas when the forward units were trapped in a deep anti-tank ditch hundreds of yards long and running parallel to the shore. Any Marines emerging from the tank trap came under sustained machine gun fire from Japanese positions dug into a coral ridge to their front. It wasn't until the arrival of the Marine tanks that the situation improved, which allowed some of wounded among the forward troops to pull back to the beach to be evacuated. On the Point, the Marines received some limited supplies and tried to get some rest. Efforts to close up the gap on the right continued through the night, supported by the accompanying ships which dropped naval flares over the lines.
At first light, skirmishes with Japanese snipers and infiltrators steadily escalated into a pitched battle with both sides exchanging barrages of grenades and mortar fire. It marked a critical time for the marines:
"Thank God for the baseball we had played once! ...our grenades were smashing into the gully — long, high heaves in quick succession with every ounce of a man’s strength behind them. Our machine guns raked across the draw riddling any Jap that stuck up his head...The fight became a vicious melee of countless explosions, whining bullets, shrapnel whirring overhead or clinking off the rocks, hoarse shouts, shrill-screaming Japanese."
K company held the line and were able to bring up some limited reinforcements to the Point. Artillery, mortars and machine guns came ashore to provide support but K company remained isolated for 26 hours until friendly troops finally made contact with the men on the Point. It had been a precarious situation for Capt. Hunt, whose force had at one time been reduced to 18 men. For his leadership Capt. Hunt received the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps' second highest award. His medal citation records the following (tracesofwar.com, 2020):
"Isolated from the rest of his Battalion for a period of twenty-six hours with only thirty-four men remaining, Captain Hunt expertly organized a defensive perimeter and, successfully defending his position against three hostile counterattacks, repulsed all three of them and annihilated four hundred and twenty-two Japanese. By his outstanding leadership and cool judgment in the face of grave danger, Captain Hunt contributed materially to the success of our forces during this critical period, and his gallant conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."
Capt. Hunt collected the stories from the surviving marines in the weeks and months directly after the invasion, so their descriptions are filled with immediacy and are highly detailed. The opening chapter also contains some good details of the marines on-board the troop ships prior to the invasion. Whilst short, the book is finely written and conveys the tension of combat and the professionalism of the marines under fire. The author also included some sketches from his time on Peleliu, which was a nice touch. 8/10.
One small quibble about the quality of the text in the edition I read. There are many typos where the OCR has worked poorly and I frequently had to re-read bits. A competent English speaker could have proofread the book in a few hours. It broke the immersion and for a book this short its a surprising omission.
October 18, 2012
The title refers to a coral island in the Pacific Ocear, Peleliu, that the Marines were ordered to capture. The Japanese had turned the island into a fortress. The Marine casualties were high.
Read more about the battle to capture Peleliu in General Puller's autobiography titled MARINE.
Read more about the battle to capture Peleliu in General Puller's autobiography titled MARINE.
July 7, 2019
Defines the term valor.
Insightful reading for everyone. All high schools should require this book to be read by their history students before graduation.
Insightful reading for everyone. All high schools should require this book to be read by their history students before graduation.
August 2, 2018
Coral Comes High: U. S. Marines and the Fight for Peleliu by George P. Hunt is a first hand account of one battle on Peleliu involving a company of USMC under the command of the author. It’s only a snapshot of the battle for Peleliu. The book is well-written giving the reader an insight into the thoughts, actions and bravery of Marines facing near certain death. Although this is about a battle on Peleliu, the thoughts, actions and bravery displayed by the Marines could be about any battle from the Civil War to Vietnam to Iraq.
My only real complaint about Coral Comes High: U. S. Marines and the Fight for Peleliu is the Kindle edition has an unacceptable number of typos and punctuation errors. This isn’t the author’s fault, but it’s a shame that the Kindle edition was released with so many errors. Most of the typos are obvious, but sometimes I had to re-read a sentence several times since it didn’t make any sense until I noticed the typo.
My only real complaint about Coral Comes High: U. S. Marines and the Fight for Peleliu is the Kindle edition has an unacceptable number of typos and punctuation errors. This isn’t the author’s fault, but it’s a shame that the Kindle edition was released with so many errors. Most of the typos are obvious, but sometimes I had to re-read a sentence several times since it didn’t make any sense until I noticed the typo.
April 19, 2019
I was disappointed by Coral Come High. Oh, not because the book is not well written, because it is. Not because of the heroism of the men who Hunt writes about. But I found this account of the battle for Peleliu to be too dispassionate especially because Hunt was a Captain leading men while they lived or died at his command and under his leadership. The writing is clear and factual, but just too dispassionate. I didn't smell the smoke of battle nor feel what Hunt must have felt when the situation was still far too close to call, still too close to death and defeat to relax and take a deep breath. I was expecting more from this brave leader than he delivered in this book. It's almost as though he wrote it long enough after so that he couldn't recall the terror of almost losing what he and his men had gained at such high cost.
October 9, 2018
I have read a good number of books about the Pacific war. I grew up around WW2 Marines because my father was one. The narrative of this book is factual, focused on one man’s experience and includes some fairly graphic descriptions of the most unpleasant scenes. All of this is for the good. I gave it only three stars because the author tried to hard at being “literate” and flowering up his writing with colorful description which I thought unnecessary. I felt I was wading through words at times to get to the meaning. It also is so limited in scope, he was there for only a few (terrible) days. The larger elements of the battle are left to other authors.
April 26, 2019
For a short work, this packed with action. George Hunt describes his first forty-eight hours on Peleliu and how brutal the fighting was. What is more of interest is how he and his fellow soldiers looked at the jobs they were assigned to perform. His perspective is interesting to say the least.
The only drawback is what I’m seeing more and more of, when a book is republished the amount of grammatical errors is unacceptable!
George’s descriptions are a five-star work, while the new published gets three stars.
Four stars
The only drawback is what I’m seeing more and more of, when a book is republished the amount of grammatical errors is unacceptable!
George’s descriptions are a five-star work, while the new published gets three stars.
Four stars
December 20, 2018
A very personal view of the battles fought on Peleliu.
Despite many misspellings this was a good read. I have now read several books on the battles for Peleliu, most were a glimpse of the " big picture " of the overall campaigne. This is a story of up close and personal fighting.
Despite many misspellings this was a good read. I have now read several books on the battles for Peleliu, most were a glimpse of the " big picture " of the overall campaigne. This is a story of up close and personal fighting.
April 9, 2019
True courageous story told and well written
Great story, but too short. Well written, detail explained so well and I would love to read another just like it.
To me it’s a 5 because I respect courage and the after affects in their civilian life. I love true war stories, but most of my friends like fiction.
Great story, but too short. Well written, detail explained so well and I would love to read another just like it.
To me it’s a 5 because I respect courage and the after affects in their civilian life. I love true war stories, but most of my friends like fiction.
October 31, 2018
A classic WW 2 book
I had been looking for this book for some time and am glad to have found it. I was born in. 1945 and have always revered these guys. I still do. Whatever happened to the USA from then until now?
I had been looking for this book for some time and am glad to have found it. I was born in. 1945 and have always revered these guys. I still do. Whatever happened to the USA from then until now?
March 1, 2019
The Butcher's Bill
Gritty story of the assault on Peleliu Island told from the viewpoint of a company captain. The island was defended by over 10,000 Japanese. Nearly all of them were killed. American losses were over 9,000. A true bloodbath!
Gritty story of the assault on Peleliu Island told from the viewpoint of a company captain. The island was defended by over 10,000 Japanese. Nearly all of them were killed. American losses were over 9,000. A true bloodbath!
July 16, 2019
Well worth reading. An amazing scene of action. Buy it!!
Someone should honor the men of this story with an editing. Easy to fill in the mistakes and these Marines deserve at least that. I would do it myself if I knew how. Shame on Amazon to let such Heroes be so represented.
Someone should honor the men of this story with an editing. Easy to fill in the mistakes and these Marines deserve at least that. I would do it myself if I knew how. Shame on Amazon to let such Heroes be so represented.
July 20, 2019
Good read
This book is well written by a Marine captain in the middle of some of the fiercest fighting on Peleliu. First person account of the heroism of The US Marine in the Pacific.
This book is well written by a Marine captain in the middle of some of the fiercest fighting on Peleliu. First person account of the heroism of The US Marine in the Pacific.
August 9, 2018
Real experience of war
Needs another proof read as a few pesky spelling errors were annoying. Otherwise a good read.
Give it a try.
Needs another proof read as a few pesky spelling errors were annoying. Otherwise a good read.
Give it a try.
October 28, 2018
Strategic landing paid for with Marine blood and grit.
Survival of the few by the Grace of God and all those who lived through this fierce action know it.
Survival of the few by the Grace of God and all those who lived through this fierce action know it.
December 29, 2018
Real combat infantry action.
This is the real thing. Only those who were there know what it is like. Read it. You will be glad you did.
This is the real thing. Only those who were there know what it is like. Read it. You will be glad you did.
January 19, 2019
Gritty.
Brings the island jumping war to a personal level. Amazing what the Marines did to secure these islands. Good read.
Brings the island jumping war to a personal level. Amazing what the Marines did to secure these islands. Good read.
July 11, 2019
Excellent man with words
Outstanding firsthand account of small unit combat. Most impressive are the attitudes of his men, who could be your next door neighbor or paper boy.
Outstanding firsthand account of small unit combat. Most impressive are the attitudes of his men, who could be your next door neighbor or paper boy.
April 14, 2020
A BRIEF HISTORY
A brief history of K Company on the Point at Peleliu. There were very many typos that made following the story difficult.
A brief history of K Company on the Point at Peleliu. There were very many typos that made following the story difficult.
May 2, 2020
Poorly Edited
Very poor editing: missing punctuation, run together words, misspelling. Poor follow through with names, with confusion regarding which character was saying or doing.
Very poor editing: missing punctuation, run together words, misspelling. Poor follow through with names, with confusion regarding which character was saying or doing.
January 26, 2021
My grandpa never gambled, on anything, after the war.
He insisted he was tapped out of luck after coming home in a big enough piece to continue life.
Now I sorta understand...
He insisted he was tapped out of luck after coming home in a big enough piece to continue life.
Now I sorta understand...
February 25, 2021
Report
Some parts a report written for after action; some parts like the loud report of a rifle; finally, the report you make to yourself, “I’m alive”.
Some parts a report written for after action; some parts like the loud report of a rifle; finally, the report you make to yourself, “I’m alive”.
March 5, 2021
Freedom
Good read can't get enough of why we as a nation doesn't understand if these men hadn't been where they were we would be speaking Japanese
Good read can't get enough of why we as a nation doesn't understand if these men hadn't been where they were we would be speaking Japanese
June 3, 2021
Very good action packed book written by the person who was there. Very easy read.
August 3, 2021
Good airhead reading
Good writing, excellent information and detail...in the true tradition of The Corps! Brings the sacrifice of warriors to the reader.
Good writing, excellent information and detail...in the true tradition of The Corps! Brings the sacrifice of warriors to the reader.
July 27, 2024
Heroes All
Riveting tale of action in the Pacific. What an extreme sacrifice to save our nation and way of life. Should be mandatory reading for all Americans.
Riveting tale of action in the Pacific. What an extreme sacrifice to save our nation and way of life. Should be mandatory reading for all Americans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews