During WWII, the overwhelming bulk of the USMC were deployed to the Pacific theatre, conducting amphib assaults on heavily fortified Jap-held islands in the central Pacific from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima and Okinawa, with only a very token few involved in ETO, as specialists attached to the OVERLORD invasion force or parachuted into France as OSS operatives to assist the French resistance. There was a Marine garrison on Iceland, the 1st Marine Provisional Bde from 1941-42 stationed alongside the British 49th West Riding (POLAR BEAR) Div, but after March 1942 the bde was withdrawn and sent back to NY, where it was disbanded and not reformed. AFAIK, a significant reason for Marines being absent on a largescale from ETO was due to Army rivalry, with Army commanders not wanting Marines and their flamboyant combat style present, based on the experiences of the Marine Bde in WWI.
What scenarios would've facilitated US Marines becoming involved in ETO at a substantial level such as the presence of a div and supporting elements ? Say an attempted German invasion of Iceland ? Would Nimitz' island-hopping campaign in PTO have been adversely affected by substantial nos. of Marines being involved in ETO instead ?
What scenarios would've facilitated US Marines becoming involved in ETO at a substantial level such as the presence of a div and supporting elements ? Say an attempted German invasion of Iceland ? Would Nimitz' island-hopping campaign in PTO have been adversely affected by substantial nos. of Marines being involved in ETO instead ?