| United States Army soldiers of the 115th and 167th Infantry Regiments land on Morotai from Tracked Landing Vehicle, Amtrac LVT-2s at 0830 Hours on September 15, 1944. The 124th Infantry Regiment disembarked from Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP)s. Offshore conditions were the worst in the South Pacific. Light sand covered the glutenous clay and mud deposits. Landing Craft, Infantry (LCIs) disembarked soldiers in neck-deep water after they grounded on sandbars offshore. Vehicles unloaded from Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCMs) in 4 feet of water. Even amphibious trucks (“ducks,” DUKWs) had trouble crossing the reef and the mud plains. A quick hydrographic survey moved White Beach 3/4 of a mile (1.2 kilometers) south. A new Blue Beach, at Gila Peninsula, was established to replace Red Beach. Thankfully, Japanese activity was ineffective. D-Day objectives were achieved and the night of September 15-16 was relatively quiet. 12 Japanese were killed and 1 captured. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1520.jpg |
| Image Size | 202.45 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1197 x 928 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 15, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Gila Peninsula |
| State or Province | Morotai |
| Country | Netherlands East Indies |
| Archive | |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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