Peleliu Island

Peleliu Island is an island-state unit of Palau noted for its role in World War II and for remaining battlefield relics and memorials. The island contains extensive wartime remains across its interior and coastline.

Today the island attracts visitors for battlefield tourism and for marine recreation such as diving and snorkeling on surrounding reefs and wreck sites. Many trails lead to preserved Japanese defensive positions, airfield remnants and memorial sites created after the conflict.

In September to November 1944 Peleliu was the scene of a major amphibious assault and protracted ground fighting between United States forces and Imperial Japan. The intense combat caused heavy casualties on both sides and left defensive works, tunnels and wreckage that still mark the landscape.

Peleliu lies among the islands of the Republic of Palau in the western Pacific. The island is part of Palau’s island-state administrative structure and is reached by boat or limited air connections from larger Palauan islands.

• Battle of Peleliu: Site of a major World War II battle in 1944 between United States forces and Imperial Japanese defenders; battlefield tours focus on remains and memorials.
• Activities: The island is visited for both historical tours and scuba diving on surrounding coral reefs and wrecks.

What to See #

• WWII battlefield areas: Battlefield sites and cave systems dating to World War II, where trenches, gun positions and tunnel entrances remain visible across the island.
• Memorial areas: Island memorials and cemeteries commemorating the 1944 Battle of Peleliu, with onsite markers and preserved wreckage in several locations.