Editing Battle of Peleliu (section)

===Airfield/South Peleliu===
[[File:Wounded Marine on Peleliu.jpg|thumb|A wounded Marine receives a drink from a [[Hospital corpsman|Navy corpsman]].]]

On 16 September the 5th Marines moved to capture the airfield and push toward Peleliu's eastern shore.<ref name=Moran/>{{rp|61}} The entire regiment crossed the airfield simultaneously, enduring heavy artillery fire from the highlands to the north, and suffered heavy casualties in the process. After capturing the airfield, they rapidly advanced to the eastern end of Peleliu, leaving the island's southern defenders to be destroyed by the 7th Marines.<ref name=Moran/>{{rp|58}}

This area was hotly contested by the Japanese, who still occupied numerous [[Pillbox (military)|pillboxes]]. Heat indices<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/?n=heatindex| title = Reference at www.srh.noaa.gov}}</ref> were around<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/palau/peleliu.php|title=Peleliu Climate Guide: Monthly Weather, Palau|last=Weather2Travel.com|website=Weather2Travel.com|access-date=February 18, 2018}}</ref> {{convert|115|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, and the Marines suffered high casualties from [[heat exhaustion]]. Further complicating the situation, the Marines' drinking water was distributed in empty oil drums, contaminating it with oil residue.<ref name=Hough_94/> Regardless, by 23 September the 5th and 7th Marines had accomplished their objectives, holding the airfield and the southern portion of the island, although the airfield remained under threat of sustained Japanese fire from the heights of Umurbrogol Mountain until the end of the battle.<ref name= Hastings/>

American forces began using the airfield on 17 September. Stinson OY-1 Sentinels from [[VMO-3]] began [[Air observer|aerial spotting]] missions for Marine artillery and [[naval gunfire support]]. On 26 September Marine [[Vought F4U Corsair|F4U Corsair]]s from [[VMF-114]] landed on the airstrip. The Corsairs began [[dive-bombing]] missions across Peleliu, firing rockets into open cave entrances in support of infantry attacks, and dropping [[napalm]]. This was only the second time that napalm had been used in the Pacific theater, {{Citation needed|reason=Statistical claim re: napalm needs support|date=December 2016}} and it proved effective at burning away vegetation hiding [[spider hole]]s, usually killing their occupants. The time from takeoff to the target area for the Corsairs operating from Peleliu Airfield was very short, sometimes only 10 to 15 seconds. Most pilots did not bother to raise their landing gear, leaving them down during the strike. After a strike was completed, the Corsair simply turned back into the landing pattern again.