Evening star., 1943-11-27
Johnston
Continued From First Page.)

definitely known to be neither
wounded nor dead. Dead Japs are
everywhere, in blockhouses, in the
surf and scattered among tattered
palm fronds which they have used
necessarily as cover for sniping.
(The number of marines in a
battalion or battalion landing
team is restricted military infor-
mation0
Three Beaches Attacked.
The assault was made against
three designated beaches by three
battalion landing teams going shore
ward through lagoon on the north
coast Of the fortified airbase island
Of the Tarawa atoll.
These battalions and others sup
porting the three landing teams
went shoreward in Higgins boats and
other landing craft under cover Of
naval and air attacks, but they en-
countered ferocious fire from Jap
shore batteries and emplacements,
Of which few were affected by the
bombing and shelling.
, A shelving reef hung up most OF
the Higgins boats and wave after
wave OF infantry had to struggle 500
yards through water neck deep un-
der a murderous japanese barrage.
At low tide many of their bodies
dot the reef
Gen. Smith and most of his staff
were blown out Of boat when they
attempted to circle the west tip of
the island and land a regimenta.
headquarters. The general was res
cued by an amphibious tractor OBJ
tanned by Maj. R. M. c. Thompkins,
who waded half mile through
water chest deep under Jap sniping
to hail rescue boat.
The Japs continued to fire. at Gen.
Smiths boat during a two-hour wait,
but only the coxswain was wounded.
Brig. Gen. James Underhin, as
sistant commander of the 4th Ma
rlne DiviSion-an observer-and
Brig. Gen. Thomas E. Bourke, Sever
ma Park. Md, division artillery off,
Ger and commander of the 10th
Regiment, were among those forced
to take cover In the water behind
the stranded craft.
All Points Under Enemy Fire.
In the initial landings at $50 a m. =,
November 81, west longitude time,
one Of the three landing teams was
so powerfully opposed that only two
companies were able to land. They
held beachhead 10 yards wide for
more than "a hours.
I landed at the center beach under
Maj. Henry Pierson Grove, A. and
like the marines had to walk 500
yards shoreward through machine
gun crossf1re.
Because of the low altitude of the
island, which is less than 10 feet
above sea level at all points, it was
impossible to secure any point
against enemy fire. Throughout the
last go hours and probably through
the next so japanese snipers have
been taking and will take toll.
From the outset the Japanese
fought with amazing fury and even
now with occasional surrenders and
hari-kiris there is no indication of
mass surrenders or evacuation. In
stead the indication is the Japanese
will fight to the death which means
they will make vicious defense of
an area more than a mile long and
subject only to frontal assault and
naval and aerial bombardment.
The Japanese defenses in this
area like those throughout the
island include heavy concrete en-
placements, pillboxes with tank
proof walls feet thick and
blockhouses made from coconut logs
lashed together and filled in with
coral sand These make 4-foot bar
riers which can Withstand much
punishment.
Hellcats Attack in Waves.
Today's victory push began at l
pm. after the arrival of Col. Edison
and additional light and medium
tanks. Reinforcing Marine battalions
landed in the relatively lightly de-
Tended west end of the island late
yesterday and pushed east down an
airstrip which forms a diagonal line
across the island to point where
the powerful Japanese concrete and
log combination emplacements held
up Maj. Groves battalion. This
battalion might have been out
1anked but for the excellent sup
porting naval gunf1re.
At the zero hour Navy Hellcats
strafed the Japanese-held area in
successive waves. Infantry and
tanks advanced only IS yards be-
hind the strafing planes while bat
tleships and cruisers bombarded the
Japanese-held area behind the
lines.
Despite the intensity Of our at.