Battle of Tarawa
E8095
The Battle of Tarawa was a brutal 1943 Pacific island assault in which U.S. Marines fought heavily entrenched Japanese forces on the atoll of Betio, marking one of World War II’s first major amphibious invasions against a strongly defended beachhead.
Statements (52)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
World War II battle
→
battle → |
| attackingForcesStrength |
over 18,000 U.S. Marines and sailors
→
|
| belligerent |
Imperial Japanese Army
→
Imperial Japanese Navy → United States Marine Corps → United States Navy → |
| commander |
Julian C. Smith
→
Keiji Shibazaki → Richmond K. Turner → |
| conflict |
Pacific War
→
|
| countryInvolved |
Empire of Japan
→
United States of America → |
| defensiveFeatures |
barbed wire and obstacles
→
coastal artillery → extensive bunkers → pillboxes → |
| defensiveForcesStrength |
approximately 4,500 Japanese and Korean defenders
→
|
| endDate |
1943-11-23
→
|
| influenced |
subsequent U.S. amphibious warfare doctrine in the Pacific
→
|
| JapaneseCasualtiesKilled |
over 4,000
→
|
| JapanesePrisonersTaken |
fewer than 200
→
|
| location |
Betio
→
Central Pacific Ocean → Gilbert Islands → Tarawa Atoll → |
| navalSupport |
aircraft carriers
→
battleships → cruisers → destroyers → |
| notableFor |
extremely high casualty rate in a very short period
→
graphic combat footage shown to the American public → |
| notableUnit |
2nd Marine Division
→
2nd Marine Tank Battalion → 2nd Marines → 6th Marines → 8th Marines → |
| operationName |
Operation Galvanic
→
|
| partOf |
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
→
World War II → |
| result |
United States victory
→
|
| startDate |
1943-11-20
→
|
| strategicOutcome |
U.S. capture of Betio
→
U.S. control of Tarawa Atoll → |
| strategicSignificance |
demonstrated challenges of amphibious landings against strong defenses
→
first major U.S. amphibious assault against a heavily fortified atoll in the Pacific War → |
| tacticsUsed |
amphibious assault
→
close air support → pre-invasion naval bombardment → use of amphibious tractors (LVTs) → |
| USCasualtiesKilled |
over 1,000
→
|
| USCasualtiesWounded |
over 2,000
→
|