Shelby+--+Tarawa

The Battle of Tarawa

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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 stopping this force was left to the Marines of the 2nd Division. The battle was one of the fiercest and bloodiest battles in Marine Corps. History. 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 a mile from shore. Walking through waist-deep water over razor-sharp coral, many were cut down by the Japanese shooting from gunfire yards on the beach. Those who made it ashore huddled in the sand stuck inbetween 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. The fierce combat continued for another two days. The cost of victory was high for the Marines who suffered nearly 3,000 casualties.The toll was even higher for the Japanese. Of the 4,700 defenders, only 17 survived.=====