Santa Fe (CL 60) - Naval Cruise Book

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BLOODY ATOLL TAKEN BY MARINES FTER the Bougainville trip, the SANTA FE came back to the Gilberts for the invasion of Tarawa. Assigned as a fire support unit to cover the Second Marines landing on Betio Island, she patrolled close in- shore during the night of D-minus-one to keep enemy planes from using the airfields. D-day was 20 November, and before dawn the MARY- LAND and SANTA FB were bombarding the atoll as- amphibious troops climbed into landing craft for the first invasion of Japanese territory in the Central Pacific. Fighting thus far in the Pacific had beendthrough moun- tainous jungles, but here the battle field was a two mile strip less than at thousand yards wide with every foot of sun baked coral used for defense., After two hours of steady shelling, Cease fire was ordered as the boats neared the beach. Sniper and machine gun toll of the Erst waves was heavy and the SANTA FE closed to point blank range for call fire. Many pill boxes and emplacements that cost over 3,000 casualties in the 72 hour battle for bloody Tarawa were blown to kingdom come. VVhen the Stars and Stripes was raised on a shattered palm tree, a potential airbase had been gained from which bombers could fan out to neutralize the vital Marshalls. Camera .thot of Tarawa Jtretehing low aaron water doe: not rexemhle picture below taken at .tame time, however, it doe: approximate far better what men topside see Q' any meh target. Bloody hattlefor Tarawa continues ar asxault marines landfrom lagoon side. SANTA FE IDI Lving to fright eornerj, providing ealljire.