Word: betio
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Dates: during 1943-1943
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...killed, 2,680 wounded. Most casualties (95%) were marines who fell on Tarawa's Betio island. The Gilberts' 5,700 Jap garrison was virtually wiped...
Lesson In Tactics. The lessons of Tarawa were hard. From admirals down to leatherneck privates there had been great expectations for the massive pre-landing barrage. Warships poured in 2,900 tons of shells, planes dropped 700 tons of bombs. For every square yard of scant square-mile Betio there were 20 lb. of explosive.* Marines, watching the awesome show from their transports, chortled: "There won't be a Jap alive when we get ashore...
...have to go in right away as soon as I can get a boat for you. The shell around the island is too shallow to take the Higgins boats." The news was chilling. It meant something dimly foreseen but hardly expected: the shallow coral reef around Betio would bar landing save by special small, steel-plated boats, of which there were all too few, or by wading...
...Marine beachhead at this point comprised only the 20 feet between the water line and the retaining wall of coconut logs which ringed Betio. Beyond this strip, Jap snipers and machine-gunners were firing. In a little revetment was the headquarters of Major Henry P. ("Jim") Crowe, a tough, red-mustached veteran who had risen from the Marine ranks to command of one of the assault battalions. Near by passed a parade of wiremen, riflemen, mortarmen and stretcher bearers...
...said: "Well, I think we're winning, but the bastards have got a lot of bullets left. I think we'll clean up tomorrow." The Colonel was right. On the third day the Japs began to fall apart. The Marines advanced inland at a mounting pace, overran Betio's valuable airfield, bottled the Japs in the island's tail...