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 Truk
and while other forces in the Aleu-
tians were consolidating their posi-
tions, Admiral NimitZ organized
important units of the Pacific Flee
for series of assaults on the enc
my'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 from
the Northern Solomons and New
Guinea. In addition, these opera
tions represented valuable comba
training for new air and surface
units of the fleet.
Capture of the Gilbert Islands.
The Gilbert Islands are a grour
of coral atolls lying athwart thu
equator. They had been held b,
the British up to the outbreak OF
war in December. 1941, when the,
were seized by the Japanese. Theil
location is of great strategic sig.
nif1cance because they are north
and west of other islands in oul
possession and Immediately south
and east of important Japanese
bases in the Carolines and Mar.
shalls. The capture of the Gilberts
was, therefore, a necessary part OIL
any serious thrust at the japanese
Empire.
In August, September and Octo-
Der, carrier-based air strikes on
Marcus, Tarawa, Apamama and
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 retaliated
by raiding our establishments in
the Ellice Islands.
During October and November
various units of the Pacific Fleet
were placed under the command OF
Vice Admiral (now admiraD r. A
Spruance, U. S. N, who was desig
mated commander, Central Pacific
Force. Vice Admiral Spruance hao
commanded one of tie task forces
at the battle of Midway and had
more recently been chief of staff to
the commander in chief, Pacific
Fleet. Rear Admiral (now vice ad-
miraD r. K. Turner, U. S. N, 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, y. S. N.
During the second week in No
vember, while operations in the
Bouganville area and attacks on
Rabaul were in progress, the force
under Vice Admiral Spruance head
ed west. On November 10, oul
cruisers bombarded Taraws, and
on the morning of November 20
our attack groups were off both
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 thu
Japanese eventually put up a stiff
resistance the issue there was never
in serious doubt The capture o.
Maxim was announced on November
%.
Assault on Tarawa.
The assault on Tarawa was bit.
terly contested. Tarawa was heavily
fortified, and garrisonned by abou
$500 Japanese troops on Betio, tn,
principal island in the group. They
had been attacked repeatedly from
the air for weeks preceding tn,
assault and on the day before the,
had been heavily bombarded. 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 ane
bombproof shelters were still par.
TALLY intact.
The enemy was able to concen.
ttate his forces beside the onl,
beach where landing was possible
In spite of fire support from tn,
air and from ships, our casualtie!
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 I'd 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 tenaclty
The assault lasted nearly four davs
at the end of which the island wa
captured.
During the assault period on boti
Tarawa and Maxim, our transport
covered by their escorts, lay of tn,
Islands unloading. In some cases
ships we're able to enter the lagoon
and unload During this periot
enemy submarine attacks which de
veloped off Tarawa were success
fully combatt3d, but the Llscom
Bay, an escort carrier, was tor
pedoed and sunk off Maxim. Rea
Admiral II. M. Mullinnix, u. S. N
and the commanding officer, Capt
l. 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 hase