United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

Betio Betio is the largest township of Kiribati's capital city, South Tarawa, and the country's main port. The settlement is located on a separate islet at the extreme southwest of the atoll. Betio Post Office opened on 5 April 1957 and closed in 1964. ...

Tarawa Atoll Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati
''

Gilbert Islands The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...

chain in the Central Pacific. This invasion, known as Operation Galvanic, was a phase of the Pacific Theatre of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The landings on Betio were the Americans' third amphibious operation of the Pacific War, after

Guadalcanal Island Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the sec ...

and

Cape Torokina Cape Torokina is a promontory at the north end of Empress Augusta Bay, along the central part of the western coast of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea. This cape formed the southern end of the landing zone where I Marine Amphibious Corps perform ...

on

Bougainville Island Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. It was previously the main landmass in the German Empire-associated North Solomons. Its land area is ...

, but the first in which the Japanese vigorously resisted the landings on the beaches, pinning the Marines down with machine-gun and mortar fire. Worse, American planners at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

had grievously misjudged the timing of high tide at Betio, leaving the landing craft stranded on the shallow coral reefs where the Marines were slaughtered. The island was declared secure after three days. Given the small size of Betio (0.59 sq. mi.), planners had expected it to take one.

Command structure

Naval

The roles of Commander in Chief,

Pacific Ocean Areas Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War, and one of three United States commands in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Admira ...

(CINCPOA) and Commander in Chief,

U.S. Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harbor� ...

(CINCPAC), were both exercised by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from his headquarters at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

,

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. Since the Gilberts and Marshalls lie in the Central Pacific, their capture was the responsibility of the

U.S. Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and headq ...

, led by Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance from aboard his flagship,

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...

''

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

''. The ships and troops of Operations ''Galvanic'' (landings on Tarawa Atoll) and ''Kourbash'' (landings on Makin Atoll) were under direct operational command of Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner aboard old

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

''

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

''.

Ground troops

V Amphibious Corps The V Amphibious Corps (VAC) was a formation of the United States Marine Corps which was composed of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions in World War II. The three divisions were the amphibious landing force for the United States Fifth Fleet ...

Major General Holland M. "Howlin' Mad" Smith : Tarawa:

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ...

(Major General

Julian C. Smith Julian Constable Smith (September 11, 1885 – November 5, 1975) was a United States Marine Corps general who served for 37 years, including service in Nicaragua (Navy Cross) and during World War II's Battle of Tarawa (Distinguished Service Med ...

) : Makin: 27th Infantry Division (Army) (Major General

Ralph C. Smith Major General Ralph Corbett Smith (November 27, 1893 – January 21, 1998) was a senior officer of the United States Army. After receiving early training as a pilot from Orville Wright he served Brigadier General John J. Pershing's army agai ...

) Both Admiral Turner and General Holland Smith sailed with the Northern Attack Force even though it was obvious that Tarawa would be the scene of the main ground action. If the Japanese mounted a counterattack, it was most likely to come from the Marshalls since the closest Japanese bases to the Gilberts were located there. Nimitz and Spruance wanted the two highest-ranking officers to sail with the forces that would be the first to encounter any such enemy response. Unbeknownst to the Americans, the Japanese had stripped almost all their naval and air assets from the Marshalls in an attempt to resist the Allied effort in the Central Solomons. Thus, no counterattack materialized.

American

Ground forces – Tarawa

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ...

Major General

Julian C. Smith Julian Constable Smith (September 11, 1885 – November 5, 1975) was a United States Marine Corps general who served for 37 years, including service in Nicaragua (Navy Cross) and during World War II's Battle of Tarawa (Distinguished Service Med ...

: Asst. Div. Cmdr.: Brig. Gen.

Leo D. Hermle Leo David "Dutch" Hermle (June 30, 1890 – January 21, 1976) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He was a recipient of Army and Navy second highest decorations, Navy Cross and D ...

: Chief of Staff: Col.

Merritt A. Edson Major General Merritt Austin Edson, Sr. (April 25, 1897 – August 14, 1955), known as "Red Mike", was a general in the United States Marine Corps. Among the decorations he received were the Medal of Honor, two Navy Crosses, the Silver Star, and ...

: Personnel officer (G-1): Lt. Col. C.P. van Ness : Intelligence officer (G-2): Lt. Col. Thomas J. Colley : Operations officer (G-3): Lt. Col.

James P. Riseley James Profit Riseley (May 7, 1898 – March 2, 1992) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps, who reached the rank of lieutenant general. He is most noted as commanding officer of the 6th Marine Regiment during World War II. H ...

: Logistics officer (G-4): Lt. Col Jesse S. Cook : ''Eastern landing area:'' :: 8TH20MARINES

8th Marine Regiment The 8th Marine Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. When last active, it was based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and fell under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Exped ...

:: Colonel

Elmer E. Hall Elmer Edwards Hall (April 20, 1890 – September 22, 1958) was a Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps who commanded 8th Marine Regiment (United States), 8th Marine Regiment during the Battle ...

:: Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Paul D. Sherman ::: ''First Wave (Red Beach 3):'' 2nd Battalion (Maj. Henry P. Crowe) ::: ''Second Wave (Red Beach 3):'' 3rd Battalion (Maj. Robert H. Ruud) ::: ''Third Wave (Red Beach 2):'' 1st Battalion (Maj. Lawrence C. Hays Jr.) : ''Central landing area:'' :: 2nd_Marine_Regiment_Logo

2nd Marine Regiment The 2nd Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and fall under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Expeditionary Force. C ...

:: Colonel

David M. Shoup David Monroe Shoup ( December, 30 1904 – January, 13 1983) was a general of the United States Marine Corps who was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II, served as the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps, and, after retiring, becam ...

:: Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Dixon Goen ::: ''First Wave (Red Beach 1):'' 3rd Battalion (Maj. John F. Schoettel) ::: ''First Wave (Red Beach 2):'' 2nd Battalion (Lt. Col. Herbert R. Amey, Jr. (KIA 20 Nov), then Lt. Col. Walter I. Jordan) ::: ''Second Wave (Red Beach 2):'' 1st Battalion (Major

Wood B. Kyle Wood Barbee Kyle (March 3, 1915 – October 25, 2000) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. Kyle received two Silver Stars for gallantry in action during Pacific Campaign in World War II ...

) : ''Western landing area:'' :: 6th_Marine_Official_Indian_Head

6th Marine Regiment The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division (Unite ...

:: Colonel Maurice G. Holmes :: Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Russell Lloyd ::: ''Third Wave (Green Beach):'' 1st Battalion (Maj.

William K. Jones William Kenefick Jones (October 23, 1916 – April 15, 1998) was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general and a highly decorated veteran of three wars, receiving the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. He wa ...

) ::: ''21–24 Nov (Outer Islands of Tarawa):'' 2nd Battalion (Lt. Col.

Raymond L. Murray Major General Raymond Leroy Murray (January 30, 1913 – November 11, 2004) was a highly decorated United States Marine Corps officer who earned two Navy Crosses, one during World War II and a second during the Korean War. He retired from activ ...

) ::: ''Fourth Wave (Green Beach):'' 3rd Battalion (Lt. Col. Kenneth F. McLeod) : 10th_Marine_Regiment_Seal

10th Marine Regiment (Artillery) : Colonel

Thomas E. Bourke Thomas Eugene Bourke (May 5, 1896 – January 9, 1978) was a United States Marine Corps general who, during World War II, commanded Marine artillery units at the Battle of Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Leyte. At the end of World War II, he comman ...

: Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Ralph E. Forsyth :: 1st Battalion (Lt. Col. Presley M. Rixey) :: 2nd Battalion (Lt. Col. George R. E. Shell) :: 3rd Battalion (Lt. Col. Manly L. Curry) :: 4th Battalion (Lt. Col. Kenneth A. Jorgensen) :: 5th Battalion (Maj. Howard V. Hiett) : 18th_Marine_Regiment_Insignia

18th Marine Regiment (Engineer) : Colonel Cyril W. Martyr : Exec. Ofc.: Lt. Col. Ewart S. Laue :: 1st Battalion (Engineers) (Maj. George L.H. Cooper) :: 2nd Battalion (Pioneers) (Lt. Col. Chester J. Salazar) :: 3rd Battalion (

Seabees United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...

) (Cmdr. Lawrence E. Tull, USN) : Other units :: 2nd Defense Battalion :: 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion (Maj. Henry C. Drewes (KIA 20 Nov)) :: 2nd Tank Battalion (Lt. Col. Alexander B. Swenceski)

Ground forces – Makin

:

27th Infantry Division (Army) : Major General

Ralph C. Smith Major General Ralph Corbett Smith (November 27, 1893 – January 21, 1998) was a senior officer of the United States Army. After receiving early training as a pilot from Orville Wright he served Brigadier General John J. Pershing's army agai ...

:: 165th Regimental Combat Team :: 3rd Battalion / 105th Infantry Regiment ("Appleknockers")

Japanese

Gilbert Islands defense forces
Rear Admiral

Keiji Shibazaki was a Naval ranks of the Japanese Empire during World War II, Rear Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He was the commander of the Japanese garrison on the island of Betio of the Tarawa Atoll, Tarawa atoll during World War II. Biography Shib ...

(KIA 20 Nov)
Approx. 5,000 total men under arms : 3rd Special Base Force : 7th Sasebo SNLF : 111th Construction Unit : 4th Fleet Construction Dept. (detachment)

Sources

* *

Notes

{{notelist Battle of Tarawa World War II orders of battle World War II operations and battles of the Pacific theatre United States Marine Corps in World War II Battles and operations of World War II involving Japan