Evening star., 1944-05-01

installations.
Toward the end of August, 1874;
while Allied forces in the Southwes
Pacific were advancing toward tn
japanese bases at Rabaul and Trul
and while other forces in the Aleu-
tians were consolidating their posi-
tions, Admiral Nimitz organize
important units of the Pacific Flee
for a series of assaults on the enc
nly's outposts in the Central Pacific
These task forces succeeded in cap
turing certain islands on the west
ern rim of the enemy's defense
and in diverting the japanese fron
the Northern Solomo11s and Ne,
Guinea. In addition. these opera
tions represented valuable comba
training for new air and surfac
units of the fleet.
Capture of the Gilbert Islands.
The Gilbert Islands are a groul
of coral atolls lying athwart tn
equator They had been held b.
the British up to the outbreak O
war in December, 1941, when the,
we're seized by the japanese. Thei
location is of great strategic sig
nificance' because they are norti
and west of other islands in ou,
possession and Immediately soutf
and east of important Japanese
bases in the Carolines and Mar.
shallS The capture of the Gilbert:
was, therefore. necessary part oi
any serious thrust at the Japanese
Empire.
In August, September and Octo-
Der, carrier-based air strikes or
Marcus, Tarawa, Apamama ano
Wake served to soften Japanese in
stallations and keep the enemy
guessing as to where our next full
scale attack would be delivered. The
attack on Wake was particularly
effective as it included considerable
bombardment in addition to air at
tacks. Enemy air opposition was
overcome, and heavy toll Of enemy
planes was taken, both on the
ground and in the air. During Oc-
tober and early November planes
from our bases attacked the Japa-
nese in the Gilberts and also the
Marshalls. The japanese retaliateo
by raiding our establishments ir
the Ellice Islands.
During October and November
various units of the Pacific Flee
were placed under the command oi
Vice Admiral (now admiraD r. A
Spruance, U. S. N, who was desig,
mated commander, Central Pacific
Force. Vice Admiral Spruance hac
commanded one of the task forces
at the battle of Midway and hac
more recently been chief of staff tt
the commander in chief, Pacific
Fleet. Rear Admiral (now vice ad-
miraD r. K. Turner, u S. NJ, who
had been in command at sea dur
ing the campaigns in the Solomon
Islands, was placed in charge of our
amphibious forces and Maj. Gen
(now lieutenant generaD H. M
Smith, U. S. M. c., in charge of the
landing forces. Other forces in the
command were placed under Rear
Admiral H w. Hill u. S. N. The
entire force consisted of battleships
cruisers, aircraft carriers. destroyers
and destroyer escorts, transports
and numerous auXiliaries and land
ing craft. Shore-based aircraft were
commanded by Rear Admiral J. H
Hoover, U. S. N.
During the second week in No.
vember, while operations in the
Bouganville area and attacks or
Rabaul were in progress, the force
under Vice Admiral Spruance head.
ed west. On November l9, oul
cruisers bombarded Tarawa, and
on the morning of November 20
our attack groups were off botf
Tarawa and Maxim Islands.
Heavy shore bombardments by
battleships and cruisers preceded
the landing at Maxim. Army unit
which landed there met little oppo
sition at first, and although tn,
japanese eventually put up stiff
resistance the issue there was never
in serious doubt. The capture o
Maxim was announced on Novembe
o..
Assault on Tarawa.
The assault on Tarawa was bit
terly contested. Tarawa was heavil,
fortified, and garrisonned by abou
$500 Japanese troops on Betio, tn
principal island in the group. The,
had been attacked repeatedly from
the air for weeks preceding tn
assault and on the day before the,
had been heavily bonlbarded. II
spite Of these attacks, which silencet
the japanese heavy guns, wrecked
everything above ground and killet
approximately half of the enem,
troops, their dugouts, pillboxes ant
bombproof shelters were still par
TALLY intact.
The enemy was able to concen
trate his forces beside the only
beach where a landing was possible
In spite of fire support from tn,
air and from ships. our casualtiei
were heavy. The fighting which en-.
sued was considered by many to b.
the most intense of any in the war
and the personnel of the ID Marin,
Division under the command O
Maj. Gen. Julian C. Smith and O
the naval units which accompanied
them in their landing. demonstrated
magnificent courage and tenacity
The assault lasted nearly four DAYS
at the end of which the island wa
captured.
During the assault period on boil
TaraWa and Maxim, our transport
covered by their escorts, lay off tn
islands unloading. In some cases
ships were able to enter the lagoon
and unload. During this perio
enemy submarine attacks which de
veloped off Tarawa were success
fully combatt9d, but the Liscom
Bay, an escort carrier. was tor
pedoed and sunk off Maxim. Rea
Admiral H. M. Mullinnix. U. S. N
and the commanding officer. Cap,
I. D. Wiltsie, u. S. N, and a larg
number of officers and men wer
lost. Enemy air attacks were sue
cessfully driven of by our own air
craft.
After the completion of the as
sault phase of the operation, ou
task forces withdrew to their base