With the rapid expansion of the Japanese Empire throughout the Pacific basin and its imminent threat on U.S. interests and naval installations, the Marine Corps formed Defense Battalions commencing in 1939.
The role of these battalions was to provide for the defense of advance naval bases to include anti-aircraft and coastal defense. The battalions were equipped with anti-aircraft batteries to defend against air raids, coastal defense guns to defend against naval bombardment and machine guns to repel landing forces. Prior to the United States' entrance into World War II, 9 defense battalions had been formed and were posted at Wake Island (1st Defense Battalion), American Samoa (2nd, 7th and 8th Defense Battalions), Midway Island (3rd, 4th and 6th Defense Battalions), Iceland (5th Defense Battalion), and Guantanamo Bay (9th Defense Battalion).
As the the United States went on the offensive in the Pacific during 1943, the defense battalions roles were modified to defending key installations and territory seized by assault forces during the Pacific's "island hopping campaign". Along with a change in the role, light tanks and field artillery were added to their equipment inventories. Twenty defense battalions were eventually formed and these battalions participated in nearly every land battle, both Army and Marine Corps, in the Pacific Theater. These units were among the first that were disbanded at the end of World War II.
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