Tarawa. US get lucky? or did it prove that

Here is a link to a timeline of the battle for Tarawa:

WW2GyreneTarawa D-Day time line

Also on that site are several sections dedicated to the 2nd Mar. Div. and their experiences during the battle. Very inciteful and a wonderful site.

Brad

 

So much for :
"A million men cannot take Tarawa in 100 years."....Rear Admiral Keiji Shibasaki

Some highlights from Tarawa

Shortly after midnight -Task Force 53 arrives off Tarawa carrying the 2nd Marine Division.
The transport ships are not positioned correctly in Transport Area ABLE, but the error is not noticed. ​

0320 - Debarkation of Marines from the ships begins. ​

0431 - The Task Force Commander learns that the transports are not in position. He orders the transports to stop debarkation and move into the correct area.​

0507 - Japanese shore batteries on HELEN open fire on the ships of Task Force 53. Support ships immediately return fire and begin an intensive counter battery bombardment.

0510 - Transports report they are correctly re-positioned in Transport Area ABLE, and debarkation resumes.​

0542 - Support ships cease firing on counter battery bombardment for expected air support mission on HELEN at 0545.​

0545 - Air support fails to appear.

0900 - H-Hour - The first wave is still closing on the beach. Japanese anti-boat guns, mortars, and machine guns begin firing at the amtracs.​

0910 - The first wave of Landing Team 3/2 lands on Beach Red 1. Encounters heavy defensive fires.​

0917 - The first wave of Landing Team 3/8 lands on Beach Red 3. Encounters heavy defensive fires.
0922 - The first wave of Landing Team 2/2 lands on Beach Red 2. Encounters heavy defensive fires.​

0930 - Message from beach to flagship: "Assault forces heavily engaged. Many LVT's hit and burning. 35-50% casualties."

Shortly before noon - Message by runner from Landing Team 2/2 to CO, 2nd Marines: "All communications out except runner. CO killed. No word from E Company."​

1200 - CO, 2nd Marines, Col David Shoup, lands on Beach Red 2 and sets up command post. Col Shoup sends Col Evans Carlson, an observer with the 2nd MarDiv, back to the flagship with messages due to trouble with radio communications. ​

Early afternoon - Radio message from Landing Team 3/8 to CO, 8th Marines: "Third wave landed on Red 3 - almost wiped out. Fourth wave landed. Only a few men got ashore."

1331 - Message from CG, 2nd MarDiv to CG, VAC: "Situation in doubt. Request release of 6th Marines from Corps reserve."​

1415 - 500 yard penetration on Beach Red 1. ​

1525 - VAC releases the 6th Marines to divisional control. ​

1800 - Col Carlson arrives at the flagship with Col Shoup's message: "We are going to stick and fight it out."[end]



Had the Japanese more exotic ammo.....such as fragmentation/airburst fuse mortars,
napalm,

such large area amphib landings could have been repelled.
damaged equipment allready on beaches makes for tougher landing attempt on the 2nd go round......provides ready madefire positions for the defender.



Good thing U.S.command kept their resolve at Tarawa as the bad news unfolded : )













​

 

Apology Brad.....missed your link entirely

My Bad : )

 

No worries chief

 

Good thing for the USN ...that most Ohka's never made it to their targets.
How you actually practice for a rocket sled ride is anyones guess : )

LSMR-189 CO James M. Stewart reported that "It is difficult to say what it was that hit the DD 733. This officer personally saw what appeared to be two (2) planes orbiting in a northerly direction from the DD 733, and then suddenly, what appeared to be, one plane, accelerated at a terrific rate, too fast for us to fire at. This plane dove at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, starting at about four miles away.

At about 1440 three Zekes broke orbit and closed to attack. Abele drove off one and shot down another about 4,000 yards out. Despite numerous hits from 5‑inch bursts and antiaircraft fire, and spewing smoke and flame, the third kamikaze crashed into the starboard side and penetrated the after engine room where it exploded.

Immediately, Mannert L. Abele began to lose headway. The downward force of the blast, which had wiped out the after engineering spaces, broke the destroyer’s keel abaft No. 2 stack. The bridge lost control and all guns and directors lost power. A minute later, at about 1446, Abele took a second and fatal hit from a Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka that struck the starboard waterline abreast the forward fireroom. Its 2,600‑pound warhead exploded, buckling the ship, and “cutting out all power, lights, and communications.”
Almost immediately, Abele broke in two, her midship section obliterated. Her bow and stern sections sank rapidly. As survivors clustered in the churning waters enemy planes bombed and strafed them.[end]

In some ways....the Japanese pilots found their stride as Kamikaze pilots.