Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, fought in November 1943, was a pivotal conflict in the Pacific Theater of World War II, initiated as part of Operation Galvanic aimed at securing air bases in the Gilbert Islands. The primary target was Betio Island within Tarawa Atoll, where U.S. forces faced significant challenges. The initial naval and air bombardment prior to the landings proved ineffective, leading to high casualties among the first wave of Marines. As they landed on November 20, the forces encountered shallow reefs and fierce resistance from over 500 Japanese defensive positions, resulting in severe losses—75 percent casualties in the first wave alone.
After 76 hours of intense combat, marked by desperate Japanese counterattacks, the Americans managed to secure the island. The battle resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with the U.S. suffering over 1,000 deaths and more than 2,300 wounded, while almost all Japanese defenders perished. The strategic victory at Tarawa allowed the U.S. to utilize the newly captured airstrip to facilitate the subsequent invasion of the Marshall Islands, demonstrating its importance in the broader campaign against Japan during the war. The battle is remembered for its ferocity and has become a significant chapter in U.S. Marine Corps history.
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Subject Terms
Battle of Tarawa
Type of action: Amphibious invasion in World War II
Date: November 20-23, 1943
Location: Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands
Combatants: 35,000 Americans vs. 4,700 Japanese and Koreans
Principal commanders:United States, Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill, Major General Holland M. “Howlin’ Mad” Smith (1882–1967); Japanese and Korean, Rear Admiral Keiji Shibasaki
Result: Costly U.S. victory
Admiral Raymond A. Spruance launched Operation Galvanic in November, 1943, to gain air bases in the Gilbert Islands to support the push toward Japan. The first objective was the airstrip on 300-acre Betio Island in Tarawa Atoll.
Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill’s naval and air bombardment (November 17-20) had little effect. Rear Admiral Keiji Shibasaki had boasted that a million Americans could not take Tarawa in a hundred years. Major General Holland M. Smith’s Second Marine Division began landing at dawn on November 20. Shallow reefs, unpredictable tides, and Japanese obstacles frustrated landing craft. Marines had to wade hundreds of yards to shore under the fire of more than five hundred Japanese pillboxes. The first wave had 75 percent casualties. Smith ordered reinforcements from Makin Atoll. The Americans advanced inland on the second day and secured the island after seventy-six hours of tenacious, inch-by-inch fighting, including desperate suicide charges by the Japanese on the third day.
Tarawa was the bloodiest battle in U.S. Marine Corps history. U.S. losses were 1,057 killed, 2,351 wounded, and 88 missing in action. All except 17 of the Japanese and 129 of the Koreans died.
Significance
The Americans used the captured airstrip to support invasion of the Marshall Islands.
Bibliography
Alexander, Joseph H. Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1995.
Graham, Michael B. Mantle of Heroism: Tarawa and the Struggle for the Gilberts, November 1943. Novato, Calif.: Presidio, 1997.
Gregg, Charles T. Tarawa. New York: Stein and Day, 1984.
Shaw, Henry I. Tarawa: A Legend Is Born. New York: Ballantine, 1969.
Sherrod, Robert Lee. Tarawa: The Story of a Battle. New York: Duell, Sloan, and Pearce, 1944.