The Battle of Tarawa

[jacobtowne]

I'm unsure where to post this brief account, since the Pacific island campaigns comprised elements of land, sea, and air warfare.

Tarawa was the opening curtain on a series of central Pacific island campaigns that would last almost two years and be witness to some of the fiercest and most brutal fighting of the war.
From this springboard would follow the Marshall Islands, Truk in the Carolines, the Palau Islands, Tinian and Saipan in the Marianas and the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, Iwo Jima, and the final battle at Okinawa.
At almost the same time, battles continued in the South Pacific from Guadalcanal and Bougainville in the Solomons to New Guinea and the Philippines.

The Battle of Tarawa in November of 1943, the first major US amphibious assault, was an eye-opener for military planners in the Pacific Theater.

Tarawa is located in the Gilbert Islands approximately 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. It isn't an island but a series of barren islets formed by the exposed tips of a submerged mountain sticking above the waters of the blue sea. The military importance of Tarawa lay in its strategic location at the gateway of the US drive through the central Pacific towards the Philippines.

The largest of Tarawa's islets is Betio measuring less than 3 miles in length and 1/2 mile in width. Here, the Japanese built an airstrip defended by 4,700 troops dug into a labyrinth of pillboxes and bunkers interconnected by tunnels and defended by wire and mines. The task of dislodging this force fell to the Marines of the 2nd Division. The resulting struggle produced one of the bloodiest battles in Marine history

In planning the attack on Tarawa, Admiral Chester Nimitz, commander in chief Pacific, urged Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Raymond Spruance to attack Tarawa, occupy it and to withdraw again as quickly as possible, fearing a major Japanese naval retaliation against this assault. Spruance in turn had emphasized speed on the 2nd Marine Division commander, Major General Julian C. Smith. Fortunately, a series of US attacks in the Solomon Islands had caused the Japanese to divert forces to counter what they perceived to be a developing threat to their major base at Rabaul, which included naval assets from the Marshall Islands. The Gilbert Islands had been a British protectorate since 1915, and the Marines could draw upon the knowledge of a number of British, Australian and New Zealand expatriates, despite the maps of the area dating from the turn of the century, and the USS Nautilus having surveyed the area and taken photographs.

Betio Island is surrounded by a reef that extends to a maximum of 1,200 yards out to sea. The first three waves of Marines would be carried in amtracs, so the depth of water would be irrelevant, but the following waves would be carried by Higgins Boats (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel - LCVP), which drew three to four feet of water when fully laden. Opinions among the expatriates varied as to whether the landing craft would make it across the reef, but there was one consistently dissenting voice - that of Major Frank Holland who had lived in the Gilberts for fifteen years and made a study of the tidal patterns around the islands. He was extremely worried when he heard that the Marines were going to attack on the 20th November. He knew there would be 'dodging' tides at that point, and it was likely that the second wave of Higgins Boats would ground, stranding the Marines.

Julian Smith had intended to attack with two regiments abreast and one in reserve but Gen. Holland M. Smith (V Amphibious Corps commander) decided that the 6th Marines would be held as a corps reserve. This meant that the Marines would be attacking with a force ratio of 2:1, significantly less than desired minimum. On top of this, Nimitz declared that the pre-invasion bombardment would be limited to three hours to achieve strategic surprise. In view of this, it was decided that the 2nd Marine Division would attack from the lagoon side of the island where the defenses were marginally less formidable and offered calmer waters for the amphibious assault craft. The Marines would disembark the transports west of the atoll and the landing craft move to a rendezvous area just before the entrance in the western reef and move in waves to the line of departure about 7,000 yards (6.37km) inside the lagoon from where the assault waves would be unleashed towards the beaches 6,000 yards (5.46km) away. The three beaches were designated Red 1, 2 and 3 (west to east). The 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines (3/2) under Major John Schoettel would land on Red 1; 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines (2/2) under Lt. Colonel Herbert Amey would attack Red 2; and 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines (2/8) under Major Henry Crowe would assault Red 3.

The landings began on November 20 and immediately ran into trouble. Coming in at low tide, the assault boats were forced to disgorge their men far from shore. Wading through waist-deep water over piercing, razor-sharp coral, many were cut down by enemy gunfire yards from the beach. Those who made it ashore huddled in the sand, hemmed in by the sea to one side and the Japanese to the other.

The next morning, reinforcements made the same perilous journey bringing with them tanks and artillery. By the end of the day the Marines were able to break out from the beach to the inland. Combat continued for another two days.
The cost of victory was high for the Marines who suffered nearly 3,000 casualties, with almost 1,000 dead. The toll was even higher for the Japanese. Of the 4,700 defenders, only 17 survived. Their willingness to fight to the last man foreshadowed the fierceness of the battles to come.


First, I'll try to post a link to some footage taken by those very brave men known as combat photographers. It shows precisely the kind of close quarters combat typical of battles in the Pacific.

http://www.tarrif.net/wwii/movies/tarawa.wmv

Well, it worked. Here are a couple of photos. One is of fallen marines at water's edge, another some grim humor, and a third shows enemy dead.

JT

[spidge]

As you can see by my avatar I am well aware of the battle for Tarawa.

I cannot load your movie however I have a war footage VHS which shows all the pre-op on board the carriers with all the "war room" maps and tactics and a similar one for all the island preparations made by the Japanese which have been merged.

I have been in all of those bunkers. The shore defence guns are still there albeit a little rusted. Still impressive and ominous though.

[jacobtowne]

Spidge:
Sorry the film doesn't work for you. It's at some sort of host site I suspect. I found the link at another forum.

JT

[von Poop]

Excellent colour footage, I'm almost thankful the more graphic segments are in black and white. Took an age to buffer through my connection but worth the wait, in my case especially for the footage of waterbourne LVT's, never realised they were that fast.
Cheers,
Adam.

[jacobtowne]

I'll bet the marines wished that the landing craft were even faster. It's no place to dilly-dally.

Yes, the black and white is a bit merciful compared to color. That's a grisly business.

JT

[Owen]

Excellent footage.
The Flamethrower looked more dangerous to their own men than the enemy.
Still can't get used to seeing WW2 in colour.

[Cpl Rootes]

Poor guys, it is really weird looking at it in colour.