 A U.S. Navy's Underwater Demolition Team went in first to clear the beaches of obstacles, while Navy warships began their pre-invasion bombardment of Peleliu on September 12.The battleships , , , and , heavy cruisers , , and , and light cruisers , and , led by the command ship , subjected the tiny island, only in size, to a massive three-day bombardment, pausing only to permit air strikes from the three aircraft carriers, five light aircraft carriers, and eleven escort carriers with the attack force.A total of 519 rounds of shells, 1,845 rounds of shells and 1,793 bombs were dropped on the islands during this period.