IIRC, a lot of the actions Chesty fought in in the Pacific had the Marines with, um, NO tanks.
Also without enough machine guns, M-1s or supplies. Doesn’t mean he could have used them. He would have been royally pissed at reducing the Corps in such a drastic manner.
Actually the Marines in WW-II used tanks in most of their actions. Even on Guadalcanal, where the M3 Stuarts were used quite effectively in suppressing Japanese attacks. The little ol 37mm main gun was quire effective when used with canister rounds.
To be sure their were few full on tank on tank battles, Saipan and Palau come to mind.
The Marines used the M4 Shermans as infantry support tanks mostly. Often time the presence of M4s was responsible for the Marines to advance with out taking horrific casualties as the 75mm gun was quite effective in reducing pillboxes and strong points.
On Okinawa the Sherwma were used as APCs, armored supply vehicles and for medevac of the wounded.
The book Marine Tank Battles in WW-2 gives a really good history of the use of tanks by the Marines.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}