Tarawa (CV 40) - Naval Cruise Book

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Fire from the Japanese coastal guns was intermittent at first. The deluge of steel from the bombard ment had shocked and dazed the defenders. 'l he amphibious tractors in the first three assault waves therefore managed to lumber over the reef and reach the beach with relatively few casualties But now the l30IT1lJZlI'Cll1lCI1l had ceased. The fire from the beach became more intense. The fourth wave, in landing boats, found insufficient water to clear the reef. The men had to get out and wade in With patient and indomitable courage some lived to reach the beach K Its average depth from water's edge to sea wall was twenty feet. The sea wall, built of coconut logs driven into the ground, was four feet high. On this shallow strip, 100 yards from the pier toward the east, the Second Battalion of the Eighth Marine Regiment later established a beach-head 8:30 a.m.: From the Line of Departure the assault waves headed for the beach 8:37 a.m.: From the Flagship, General Smith issued the message: UH-Hour is 0900 9:10 a.m.: Second Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment, landed on Beach Red 3. Half hour later 9:12 a.m.: Second Battalion, Second Marine Regiment, landed on Beach Red 2. Shortly, the commanding officer messaged: Meeting heavy resistance 9:17 a.m.: Third Battalion, Second Marine Regiment, landed on Beach Red 1. The commanding officer messaged: ffBoats held up on reef, right flank Red 1. Troops receiving heavy fire in water Shortly after the action opened, the wounded began to move back to the transports. Men risked their lives to swim to their wounded buddies and drag them back to the boats. Many of these became casualties themselves. The first of the landing craft took off for their return to the transports loaded down with the wounded. They carried, on this tragic journey, boys who thirty minutes earlier had been among the finest physical specimens of the country . .33 the commanding officer messaged: ffHeavy opposition? D., . ' F, 10:00 a.m.: The battle for Betio was in a Crescendo of Fury. 'fTough resistance on Beach Red 3 toward the airport. Colonel Shoup ordered the Second Regiment's First Battalion to land on Beach Red 2. QHis Com- bat Team 2 established a limited beach-head against heavy fire at about 2 p.m.j 10:08 a.m.: The Second Battalion of the Eighth Marine Regiment reported that it had advanced inland to the airport. 10:18 a.m.: The Third Battalion of the Eighth Regiment already boated. 10:45 a.m.: The commanding officer of the Second Regiment's Second Battalion reported: HStiff resistance. Need half-tracks. Tanks no good. 11:05 a.m.: The Third Battalion of the Eighth Marines received orders to land on Beach Red 3 ' ' al later noted: cfHeavy and protect the left flank of the Second Battalion. The operations Journ casualtiesf' 11:58 a.m.: The Second Regiment's Second Battalion reported its situation ffbadf, 12:03 p.m.: The Second Regiment's Third Battalion radioed: f'Large calibre guns on west coast. Request air attack. The carrier-based planes roared in. 12:05 p.m.: A and B Companies, First Battalion, landed on Beach Red 2 to support the first waves. R d 3 t re uest of Second Battalion, Eighth Regiment. 12:29 p.m.: Planes shifted to strafe Beach e , a q 12:34 p.m.: The same battalion now had Enemy tanks to our frontff 1200 p.m.: In a gashed tractor were bodies of two Marines and a Navy doctor. The shell that killed them also Wounded ten other men. In the blazing sun, Marines and bluejackets removed their

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5:42 a.1n.: The task force ceased firing. The lull was a prelude to the aerial bombardment which was to continue until the final hour of the battle. The japs continued shelling with their other shore batteries. ' 5:48 a.1n.: The shelling continued. Transports were forced to shift their berths and steam out of range. Their clusters of landing craft follwed behind them. This unavoidably delayed the landing. 6:00 a.1n.: The scattered fighting ships resumed firing, plastering the japanese shore batteries to cover withdrawal of transports. The planes had not yet come in. 6:13 a.ni.: The task force ceased firing the second time. The aerial bombardment began. It was not haphazard destruction for their bombs found home. The first phase was swift and brief. It lasted nine minutes. 6:22 a.m.: The task force resumed its shelling. Fire was begun at 10,000 and 15,000 yards and con- centrated on eastern, northwestern and southwestern ends where shore guns were emplaced. As firing continued the big ships closed the range, moving to 2,000 and 6,000 yards. 6:58 a.m.: The Navy was having its day. The task force ceased Hscheduled firingi' and began to silence individual batteries at their own discretion. Ships competed with ship as they worked in for the kill. 7:00 a.m.: A small mine sweeper moved into the lagoon to lay a preliminary smoke screen. japanese coastal batteries fired at her. The little ship was a sitting duck. She didnjt give an inch. Later she was joined by another sweeper, two destroyers and a pursuit boat. The five remained inside the lagoon until Betio had fallen. The sweeperis skipper advised against smoke and the Marine officers concurred. The assault was swung to an alternative plan. The reef lay patiently waiting, and above it was the tide. 8:20 a.m.: Aboard the Flagship, General Smith issued the following message: '4The first boats will leave fifteen minutes late? It was the first hint to the men in the boats that the job was not going to be a pushover. 8:22 a.m.: The first assault waves left the Line of Departure on their journey to the reef-their journey into hell. The japanese guns were ominously silent. The amphibious tractors moved stoically toward the reef. Then came a message to the Flagship: H40 mm. guns firing on landing boats? , 1 , , , 2 .,.. t u .::s. Marines Wade Ashore at Tarawa

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steel helmets. CWVe are in the presence of the last great enemy, Death? Almost as an echo, strident through the loudspeaker on the bridge, came the report: The issue is in doubt. 1:45 p.m.: Colonel Shoup received this message: Reserve teams unable to land. Heavy enemy fire. ls there another beach where we can land ? 1:50 p.m.: Beach Red 1 radioed: 'cAnti-boat guns holding up reserves. Troops 400 yards away from Jap guns on right. 1:51 p.m.: To Colonel Shoup: All medium tanks, except one, now on beach. QBy the end of the day, the Japanese tanks had all been knocked out.j 3:00 p.m.: The Commanding Officer Third Battalion, Second Regiment, reported: 'fStill in landing boat off shore and out of contact with my assault units? General Smith ordered, Land at any cost, regain control of your battalion, and continue the attack. 4:11 p.m. All planes in the air were ordered to expend every round ammunition before leaving the area. 4:45 p.m.: The Sixth Marine Regiment was released to the control of the Second Marine Division. This was all that was left of available manpower. The bolt was shot. x The boys of the Sixth had been the first to land in Iceland, and had fought at Guadalcanal with distinction. 5:20 p.m.: General Smith received first fragmentary casualty reports. They were bad. 7:00 p.m.: Dusk. General Smith messaged to Colonel Shoup: C'Hold what you have. Develop contact between battalions. Clear isolated machine guns holding out on beach. Make provisions for organized counter-attacks. QThis did not develop that night. The morale of the Japs was beginning to show its signs of a break.j 10:00 p.m.: Colonel Shoup summed up D-Day in this report to General Smith: Have dug in to hold limited beach-head. Second Battalion, Eighth Regiment holds left flank. Second Battalion, Second Regiment and First Battalion, Second Marine Regiment, hold Beach Red 2. No word from Third Battalion, Second Regiment. My Command Post, center of Beach Red 23, The 'climited beach-headn was about 300 yards wide and 30 to 50 yards in average depth around the head of the pier, while on Beach Red 2 it extended on a shallow front about 450 yards. All through the night and into the early morning hours of November 21, boats held back from the Line of Departure tried to run the gauntlet to the beach. There were casualties. The transportsby now were being converted into hospital ships. Marines on top of the pier weathered heavy enemy shelling as they struggled to bring ammunition ashore. The inferno lighting up the shore prevented any chance of secrecy. 2:00 a.m.: Firing from behind was discovered as coming from the wrecked hull of a Japanese tramp steamer on the reefs off Beach Red 2. The Task Force promised: Will bomb at daylight. The pier was of white coral grit. The quarter moon was bright. These, the white sand, and the blazing background made perfect targets of every man who had to cross the stretch. The nightls unsung heroes were the Marine working parties . . . unloading, sweating, carrying, dying. Where the japs were left on the pier, the line would tighten up. Betio burned like a bonfire. At dawn, November 21, 1943, D plus I Day, dive bombers blasted and pounded the hull on the reefs off Beach Red 2, and still, when the first Marines come onto the reef that morning, there was additional fire from the wreck.