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Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign

 

 
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Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
 
 
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In the Pacific Theater
Pacific Theater of Operations

The Pacific Theater #Theater of operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period....
 of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns, from November 1943 through February 1944, were the first offensive operations of the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
 and Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
 in the Central Pacific. The campaign was preceded by a raid on Makin Island
Makin Island raid

The Makin Island Raid was an attack by the United States Marine Corps on Japanese military forces on Makin Island in the Pacific Ocean. The aim was to destroy Japanese installations, take prisoners, gain intelligence on the Gilbert Islands area, and divert Japanese attention and reinforcements from the Allies of World War II landings on G...
 by U.S. Marines in August, 1942.

Japanese bases in the Gilbert
Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are a chain of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of the Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population....
 and Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands , officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands , is a Micronesian island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator....
 were the outer perimeter of eastern defenses for the Japanese Empire
Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until its defeat in World War II in 1945....
.

The Marianas campaign
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign

The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign was an offensive launched by United States forces against Empire of Japan forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War....
 followed the following summer.

Background
The Japanese forces
Imperial Japanese Navy

The origins of the Imperial Japanese Navy trace back to early interactions with nations on the Asia, beginning in the early history of Japan#Feudal Japan and reaching a peak of activity during the 16th and 17th centuries at a time of cultural diffusion with European power during the Age of Discovery....
 occupied the Gilbert Islands three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is a harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu, Hawaii. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base....
, Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
.






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Encyclopedia


In the Pacific Theater
Pacific Theater of Operations

The Pacific Theater #Theater of operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period....
 of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns, from November 1943 through February 1944, were the first offensive operations of the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
 and Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
 in the Central Pacific. The campaign was preceded by a raid on Makin Island
Makin Island raid

The Makin Island Raid was an attack by the United States Marine Corps on Japanese military forces on Makin Island in the Pacific Ocean. The aim was to destroy Japanese installations, take prisoners, gain intelligence on the Gilbert Islands area, and divert Japanese attention and reinforcements from the Allies of World War II landings on G...
 by U.S. Marines in August, 1942.

Japanese bases in the Gilbert
Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are a chain of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of the Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population....
 and Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands , officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands , is a Micronesian island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator....
 were the outer perimeter of eastern defenses for the Japanese Empire
Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until its defeat in World War II in 1945....
.

The Marianas campaign
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign

The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign was an offensive launched by United States forces against Empire of Japan forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War....
 followed the following summer.

Background


The Japanese forces
Imperial Japanese Navy

The origins of the Imperial Japanese Navy trace back to early interactions with nations on the Asia, beginning in the early history of Japan#Feudal Japan and reaching a peak of activity during the 16th and 17th centuries at a time of cultural diffusion with European power during the Age of Discovery....
 occupied the Gilbert Islands three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is a harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu, Hawaii. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base....
, Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
. As a provided token defense of Tarawa, they build a seaplane base on Makin
Makin (islands)

Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands....
 and dispersed troops along the coastlines of the atolls to monitor the Allied forces
Allies

In general, allies are people, groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose....
 movement in South Pacific
South West Pacific theatre of World War II

The South West Pacific was one of two Theater s of World War II in the Pacific region, between 1942 and 1945. The South West Pacific theatre included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies , Borneo, Australia, the Australian Territory of New Guinea , the western part of the Solomon Islands and some neighbouring territories....
. It was only after Carlson's Raiders
Evans Carlson

Brigadier General Evans Fordyce Carlson was the famed United States Marine Corps leader of the World War II "Carlson's Raiders". He is renowned for the "Makin Island Raid" on August 17, 1942 and their "Long Patrol" from November 4, 1942 to December 4, 1942 behind Empire of Japan lines on Guadalcanal, in which 488 Japanese were killed, 16 Ra...
 attacked Makin in August 1942 that the Japanese began to fortify and reinforce the Gilberts. The largest and most strategically important islands of the Gilberts was Tarawa. Fortifications were quickly built up by the Japanese starting in March 1943 with nearly 5,000 troops stationed abroad. 3,000 Special Naval Landing Force
Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces

The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces , were the marine corps troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy and were a part of the Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces....
 and base force troops and 940 naval construction units increased by 1,247 laborers. In divergence, Makin
Makin (islands)

Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands....
 only a total of 798 combat troops, including some 100 isolated Japanese aviation personnel. General
General (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a 4 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 Holland M. Smith
Holland Smith

General Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, KCB was a General officer in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern United States amphibious warfare....
, Commanding General of V Amphibious Corps
V Amphibious Corps

The V Amphibious Corps was a formation of the United States Marine Corps and was composed of the 3rd Marine Division, 4th Marine Division and 5th Marine Division during World War II....
 blamed the Carlson raid for the rapid build-up of Japanese forces and staunchly felt, even long after his retirement, that Tarawa should have been bypassed, instead of incurring heavy Marine casualties during the seizure. Admirals
Admiral (United States)

In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a 4 star rank flag officer rank, with the U.S....
 Chester W. Nimitz, Ernest King
Ernest King

Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King Order of the Bath was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II....
 and Raymond A. Spruance
Raymond A. Spruance

Raymond Ames Spruance was a United States Navy admiral in World War II.Spruance commanded US naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles in the Pacific theater, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea....
 believed that retaking the Gilberts was a essentially and strategically important for continued movement toward the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands , officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands , is a Micronesian island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator....
. The code name for the capture of the Gilberts was Galvanic
USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56)

USS Liscome Bay , a during World War II, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Liscome Bay in Dall Island in the Alexander Archipelago off Alaska's southeast coast....
, which called for the seizures of Tarawa, Makin
Makin (islands)

Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands....
 and Apamama
Abemama

Abemama is an atoll in the central part of the Kiribati Group located 152 kilometres southeast of Tarawa Atoll and just north of the Equator....
.