The Battle of Tarawa | Photos

By Steven Hoarn - November 20, 2013

U.S. sailors aboard a U.S. Navy transport study a relief model of the island of Betio, on Tarawa atoll, before the battle. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

LCVPs packed with U.S. Marines move toward the smoke enshrouded Tarawa. Due to an unaccounted for neap tide, the LCVPs were unable to clear the reef. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines look out at Tarawa on their approach to the beach. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines take a last look at their pin-up girl on the run in to Tarawa. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Navy landing craft head back after landing the first wave of U.S. Marines. The smoke rising from the island is from the intense shore bombardment by the Navy. The shore bombardment was unable to weaken the well-entrenched Japanese defenders. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines wade ashore on Tarawa. Conventional landing craft could not reach the beach, requiring the Marines not aboard Amtracs to wade the last 500 yards under withering Japanese fire. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines on Red Beach 3, one of the three beaches used by the Marines during the initial landing on Tarawa. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines crouch behind the seawall on Red Beach 3. Next to them is an LVT-1, or Amtrac. The Marines discovered that their unarmored LVT-1s could not clear the seawall. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines move forward under fire on Tarawa. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines duck for cover as U.S. Navy planes provide air support. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines move out from the beachhead toward the airfield. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

A U.S. Marine with fixed bayonet leads other Marines around a barbed wire entanglement on the beach at Tarawa. Notice the bandaged hand of the Marine at left, who carries his rifle in the crook of his arm. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

A U.S. Marine takes shelter behind a blasted palm tree to fire at a Japanese pillbox. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines climb an embankment in search of the Japanese on Tarawa. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines assault a Japanese bunker on Tarawa. The faint arrow denotes 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman, Jr. who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on Tarawa. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines work their way to the beach along the pier. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

A U.S. Marine armed with a carbine and a bandolier of .30 caliber machine gun ammunition waits for another Marine to toss a hand grenade. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

Two U.S. Marines come to the aid of a wounded Marine while exposed to enemy fire. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

A U.S. Navy corpsman provides aid to a wounded U.S. Marine on Tarawa. The Marine standing at left stands by with a flask containing blood plasma. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines carefully advance on a Japanese pillbox. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

A U.S. Marine throws a hand grenade at a Japanese pillbox. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

A wounded U.S. Marine is evacuated during the Battle of Tarawa. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

Lt. Col. Evans Carlson (seated, front), Col. Merritt A. Edson (left, standing with hands on hips), and Lt. Col. David M. Shoup (center, holding map case) hold a conference during the Battle of Tarawa. Shoup, despite being wounded while coming ashore, commanded the forces on Tarawa until Edson arrived to take command on the night of Nov. 22. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

Two U.S. Marines stand in front of their shelter on Tarawa. Despite the fierce fighting, they have taken time to name their dugout "The Lousy Lousy Lounge." U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

U.S. Marines examine two of the four Vickers 8-inch guns that were used by the Japanese to guard the approaches to the lagoon. U.S. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections photo

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the start of the 76-hour Battle of Tarawa, the U.S. Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections has released several photos of the battle. Fought from Nov. 20-23, 1943, Tarawa was the first U.S. amphibious operation that was seriously opposed by the Japanese. The price was steep for the Marines of the 2nd Marine Division, who were given the task to seize Tarawa atoll, primarily the main island of Betio, with its airfield. Out of the assault force of 18,000 Marines, nearly 1,000 Marines were killed seizing the atoll. Of the Japanese garrison of around 4,000, only one Japanese officer, 16 enlisted men, and 129 Korean laborers survived to be captured. Tarawa provided the U.S. Marines Corps some hard-earned lessons that they applied to future amphibious operations.