The Palau Island chain is part of the Caroline Islands Group. The Palau Islands were to the Japanese Navy as the Hawaiian Islands were to the US Navy, a repair and supply depot. The Caroline Islands were, Korror(administration), Urukthapel(ship repair), Arakabesan(repair parts supply), Peleliu(airfield), Babelthaup(munitions storage, farming, bauxite mining) and Anguar(fertilizer mining). The Japanese used Indian Labor drafted from the docks of India to do the fertilizer mining. The Japanese wanted to make farmers out of all the various island natives and the fertilizer that was mined was being shipped to those other islands. The Japanese were using Koreans to do their farming so that they would not have to be exposed in the open and subject to strafing by aircraft. The VMD-354 detachment to Peleliu included Major Paul T. Martin and Lieutenants F.A. Auchenpaugh, J.E. Moses,Jr., T.E. Toovey, R.L. Simmons and E.E. Vaughn. There were eight enlisted support personnel who were led by S/Sgt. A.J. Wyville. Their mission was to provide photographic coverage that would assist in the neutralization of the 50,000 Japanese troops and the military installations on the islands of Babelthaup, Urukthapel, Arakabesan, Kooro and Malakia located immediately to the North of Peleliu. No Japanese aircraft had survived the battle of Peleliu to intercept the Photographic Reconnaissance aircraft operating over the Japanese held territories, however, they did encounter light to heavy AA fire routinely. The VMD Photo Aircraft had already been shipped to Peleliu and the personnel detachment were transported from Guam to Peleliu via NATS. Each man was allowed to carry 100 pounds of luggage on board the aircraft. Each man wore a parachute weighing 60 pounds, leaving just 40 pounds for personal belongings. The living quarters were standand size tents with 4 men quartered per tent. These tents were located in close proximity to the Photo Lab. The Seabee's loaned the squadron personnel a cement mixer and the material to make concrete. The men made a base for their shower stall and paved the areas in the front of their tents. For showers, the men tapped into the water supply for the Photo Lab, the best water on the island. On 3 July 1945, the first operational mission was flown over the Palau Islands by the VMD-354 Peleliu Detachment. Lt. Auchenpaugh states that on his first mission, he was briefed by an Intelligence Officer on how to avoid Japanese AA fire by changing course and altitude every 30 seconds, except when taking photographs. He recalls seeing light flashes on the ground and told this to the Intelligence Officer while being debriefed. The Intelligence Officer informed him that what he had witnessed was AA fire directed at him. The changing of course and altitude probably saved his plane from being hit by AA. Lt. R. Simmons was not as fortunate, his aircraft sustained a hit by AA just behind the cockpit, but he was able to return safely to home base. The Photo Reconnaissance coverage, interpreted by the Navy, kept up to date any Japanese repairs to the runways, new gun emplacements, personnel /troop movements and damage assessment after bombing and strafing attacks by Navy and Marine Corps strike units. Peleliu-Pictorial