Battle of Kwajalein
Part of World War II, Pacific War
Soldiers of the U.S. 7th Infantry Division attack a Japanese blockhouse on Kwajalein
Date January 31, 1944 – February 3, 1944 Location Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands Result United States victory
Combatants
United States	Empire of Japan
Commanders
Richmond K. Turner, Holland M. Smith	Monzo Akiyama
Strength
2 divisions (about 42,000 soldiers)	About 8,100
Casualties
372 killed, 1,592 wounded	7,870 Japanese dead, 105 captured, 125 Korean laborers captured

The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from January 31, 1944, to February 3, 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. The Japanse defenders put up a stiff resistance though outnumbered and under-prepared. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivors of an original garrison of 3,500. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... Attack by US marines on a Japanese blockhouse in the battle of Kwalajein, February 1944 Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Infantry inspect a hole in the devasted Kwajalein Atoll Kwajalein Atoll is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), 2,100 nautical miles (3900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, at 8. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_-_variant. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1868–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1926 Emperor Taishō  - 1926–1989 Emperor Shōwa Prime Minister (many other Prime Ministers preceded the below list)  - 1916–1918 Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1937-1939, 1940-1941 Prince Fumimaro Konoe  - 1941–1944 Hideki... Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (27 May 1885 – 12 February 1961) served in the United States Navy during World War II. Vice Admiral Turner, on board Eldorado Turner was born in Portland, Oregon. ... Holland Smith Holland McTyeire Howlin Mad Smith (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a general in the US Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the father of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. ... In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns, from November 1943 through February 1944, were the first offensive operations of the United States Navy and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. ... Combatants  United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz, Evans Carlson Koso Abe, Kanemitsu Strength 211 83-160 Casualties 21 killed, 9 captured (executed later) 83-160 killed 2 aircraft destroyed 2 small ships sunk[1] The Makin (muggin) Island raid occurred on August 17-August 18, 1942, and was... Combatants  United States  Japan Commanders Holland Smith Keiji Shibasaki  â€  Strength 35,000 troops 3,000 troops, 1,000 Japanese and 1,200 Korean laborers Casualties 1,001 killed 4,713 killed 17 Japanese and 129 Koreans captured Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign Makin Raid – Tarawa – Makin – Kwajalein – Truk – Eniwetok The... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Richmond K. Turner Ralph C. Smith Seizo Ishikawa Strength 6, 470 400 troops, 400 labourers Casualties 66 killed, 185 wounded 700 killed, 3 Japanese captured, 101 Korean labourers captured The Battle of Makin was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought... Attack on Truk Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 17 February 1944 – 18 February 1944 Place Truk, Caroline Islands Result Decisive American victory In World War II, Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air attack launched on 17 February and 18 February 1944 against the Japanese naval and... Battle of Eniwetok Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 17 February 1944 – 23 February 1944 Place Eniwetok Atoll, United States Japan Commanders Harry W. Hill Yoshimi Nishida Strength 2 regiments 2,000+ Casualties 339 killed or missing, 757 wounded 2,000+ dead, 16 captured The Battle of Eniwetok... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Infantry inspect a hole in the devasted Kwajalein Atoll Kwajalein Atoll is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), 2,100 nautical miles (3900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, at 8. ... Combatants  United States  Japan Commanders Holland Smith Keiji Shibasaki  â€  Strength 35,000 troops 3,000 troops, 1,000 Japanese and 1,200 Korean laborers Casualties 1,001 killed 4,713 killed 17 Japanese and 129 Koreans captured Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign Makin Raid – Tarawa – Makin – Kwajalein – Truk – Eniwetok The...

For the United States, the battle represented both the next step in its island-hopping march to Japan and a significant moral victory because it was the first time the United States penetrated the "outer ring" of the Japanese Pacific sphere. For the Japanese, the battle represented the failure of the beach-line defense. Japanese defenses became prepared in depth, and the battles of Peleliu, Guam, and the Marianas proved far more costly to the United States. This image portrays the island hop of Christopher Columbuss second voyage to the Caribbean. ... Map of Peleliu Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. ... Mariana Islands (sometimes called The Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called the Ladrone Islands) are a group of islands made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the Pacific Ocean. ...

Background

Geography

Kwajalein Atoll is in the heart of the Marshall Islands. It lies in the Ralik Chain, 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii at 8°43′N 167°44′E. Kwajalein is the world's largest coral atoll as measured by area of enclosed water. Comprising 97 islets, it has a land area of 1,560 acres (6.33 km²) and surrounds one of the largest lagoons in the world, measuring 324.06 square miles (839.30 km²) in size. Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ...

The two most significant land masses are Kwajalein Island in the south, and the linked islands of Roi-Namur in the north. By the time Japan entered World War II, the Marshalls (South Pacific Mandate) were already an integral part of the Japanese perimeter of defense. Its facilities were being utilized as outlying bases for submarines and surface warships, as well as for air staging for future advances being planned against Ellice, the Fiji Islands, and Samoa. The South Pacific Mandate (Nan-Yo) refers to a group of islands in Micronesia. ... Ellice is a former provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. ... The Republic of the Fiji Islands occupies an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. ...

Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign

After the capture of Makin and Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, the next step in the United States Navy's campaign in the central Pacific was the Marshall Island chain. These islands had been German colonies until World War I, when they were assigned to Japan in the post-war settlement as the "Eastern Mandates". The islands had become a mystery since the Japanese closed them to the outside world. It was presumed the Japanese had built illegal fortifications throughout the islands, however the precise extent of any such fortifications was unknown. To the Japanese, regarding them as part of the "outer ring" of Japanese territory held prior to 1941, this assault would be the first on what the Japanese regarded as Japanese soil. Combatants United States Japan Commanders Richmond K. Turner Ralph C. Smith Seizo Ishikawa Strength 6, 470 400 troops, 400 labourers Casualties 66 killed, 185 wounded 700 killed, 3 Japanese captured, 101 Korean labourers captured The Battle of Makin was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought... Combatants  United States  Japan Commanders Holland Smith Keiji Shibasaki  â€  Strength 35,000 troops 3,000 troops, 1,000 Japanese and 1,200 Korean laborers Casualties 1,001 killed 4,713 killed 17 Japanese and 129 Koreans captured Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign Makin Raid – Tarawa – Makin – Kwajalein – Truk – Eniwetok The... It has been suggested that Central Gilberts be merged into this article or section. ... USN redirects here. ... Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command during World War II. It was one of four major commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific theatre of operations. ... Motto: Jepilpilin ke ejukaan Anthem: Forever Marshall Islands Capital (and largest city) Majuro Official languages Marshallese, English Government  -  President Kessai Note Independence  -  from the United States October 21, 1986  Area  -  Total 181 km² (213th) 69. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

The strategic importance of the Marshalls had been identified as early as 1921 in Plan Orange — the American interwar plan for a possible conflict with Japan. The Marshalls were a key step in the island-hopping march to mainland Japan. War Plan Orange (commonly known as Plan Orange or just Orange) refers to a series of United States Navy war plans for dealing with a possible war with Japan during the interwar years. ... This image portrays the island hop of Christopher Columbuss second voyage to the Caribbean. ...

After the loss of the Solomon Islands and New Guinea in 1943, the Japanese command decided that the Gilbert and Marshall Islands would be expendable. They preferred to fight a decisive battle closer to home. However, at the end of 1943, the Marshalls were reinforced to make their taking expensive for the Americans. By January 1944 the regional commander in Truk, Admiral Masashi Kobayashi, had 28,000 troops to defend the Marshalls, but he had very few planes. Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A view of Chuuk Chuuk is an island group that comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. ... Marasmi Kobayashi (misspelled asMarashi by the official historians) was a Japanese military commander. ...

Japanese Planning and Preparations

Actual defenses on the Marshalls, however, were never very substantial or heavily manned. After nearly 10 years of construction, fortifications on the Marshalls were considerably inferior when compared with Tarawa, which had been turned into a fortress in less than eighteen months. Map of the Tarawa atoll For other uses, see Tarawa (disambiguation). ...

In addition, less than half of the troops stationed in the Marshalls were combat trained, the rest being support and labour troops with little or no combat training. It was not until after the Japanese position in the Solomons and New Guinea began to deteriorate that Imperial Headquarters made plans to strengthen the Marshalls. In fact, by September 1943, the Japanese High Command had written off the Gilberts and Marshalls as lost, deciding that the areas should be to used to fight a delaying action while a new defense perimeter was created from the Banta Sea through the Caroline Island and the Marianas Islands. Additionally, combat units were ordered to the Marshalls from the Philippines, Manchukuo, and the homeland, with additional air power to be flown in from both the homeland and nearby Truk. NASA orbital photo of Caroline Island. ... Mariana Islands (sometimes called The Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called the Ladrone Islands) are a group of islands made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the Pacific Ocean. ... Flag Anthem National Anthem of Manchukuo Map of Manchukuo Capital Hsinking Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1932 - 1934 Datong (Chief Executive) (Aisingioro Puyi)  - 1934 - 1945 Kangde-Emperor (Aisingioro Puyi) Prime Minister  - 1932 - 1935 Zheng Xiaoxu  - 1935 - 1945 Zhang Jinghui Historical era World War II  - Established 1932  - Disestablished 1945 Manchukuo (1932–1945...

The 6th Base Force, under command of Rear Admiral Monzo Akiyama, and headquartered on Kwajalein, was the principal defense force of the islands. Akiyama, however, had his men spread out over a very wide area, mostly concentrating on the defense of those atolls (Jaluit, Mille, Maloeap, and Wojte) that were never considered vulnerable to American attack. Those reinforcement troops 2nd Battalion/1st Amphibious Brigade under Colonel Aso (9 Type 94/97 Tankettes 2 companies of Type 2 Ka-Mi Amphibious Tank (as SNLF Kwajalein Tank Detachment) finally arrived and were quickly dispersed by Akiyama, mainly to the outlying atolls. Jaluit Atoll is an atoll of 91 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... For a disambiguation page for Mili, see Myloi, an alternative spelling of Mili Mili Atoll is an atoll of 92 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... Type 94 may refer to: Type 94 Te Ke, a Japanese tank. ... Type 2 or Type II may refer to: Type 2 20 mm AA Machine Cannon, a Japanese weapon Type 2 AT mine Type 2 cannon, a 30 mm Japanese weapon Type 2 encryption Type-2 Gumbel distribution Type 2 Ho-I, a Japanese tank Type 2 Ka-Mi, a Japanese... SNLF can refer to: Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces Sandinista National Liberation Front Category: ...

Kwajalein was to remain undermanned, underequipped, and unprepared for the assaults being arrayed against it. Overall Japanese strength on these islands numbered approximately 8,000 men, of which less than half were considered combat effective. On Kwajalein proper, the troops were made up mostly of labour forces, a good number of those being Koreans. On Roi-Namur, the troops were mostly JNAF land personnel who had little ground combat training and who were underequipped for such a function. Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. ...

The defense system on the islands was mostly in line, with little or no depth. Although some fortified areas existed, none were as extensive or well armed as those of Tarawa. In addition, there were several defenses that mostly concentrated on any assault coming from the ocean side; no coastal defense artillery had been placed on key islets guarding passages to the lagoon, and there was little or no use of mines. Despite shortfalls, efforts to strengthen ground defenses continued. Still, Akiyama's greatest defense remained his aerial offensive capability. He had well manned air bases on Roi-Namur, Maloeap, Wojte, Mile and Eniwetok, detached Chitose and 653th Air Corps Mitsubishi A6M fighters with the nearly complete Mitsubishi G3M and G4M bomber base in Kwajalein. In addition, he had some Nakajima A6M2-N and Mitsubishi F1M detached in seaplane bases on Burton, Jaluit, Wojte, Majuro, Taongi, and Utirik. Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Enewetak (or Eniwetok) is an atoll in the Marshall Islands of the central Pacific Ocean. ... // Chitose can refer to: Places Chitose,_Hokkaido, a Japanese city on the island of Hokkaido. ... Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 (cowling removed) The Mitsubishi A6M was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... Imperial Japanese Navy bomber Mitsubishi G3M. The Mitsubishi G3M (九六式陸上攻撃機:Type 96 land-based attack aircraft; Allied reporting name Nell) was a Japanese bomber aircraft used during World War Two, mostly against the Chinese. ... The Mitsubishi G4M (一式陸上攻撃機:Type 1 land-based attack aircraft; Allied reporting name Betty) was a twin-engined, land-based bomber aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. It had exceptional range and high-speed at the time of its introduction. ... The Nakajima A6M2-N Rufe Interceptor/Fighter-Bomber is a single-crew seaplane based on the Mitsubishi A6M Zero Model 11. ... The Mitsubishi F1M (Allied reporting name Pete) was a Japanese reconnaissance floatplane of World War II. Between 1936 and 1944, 1,118 were built. ... Burton can mean: // People Burton, Adam aka Maxwell Atoms, U.S. comics creator Burton, Alexander Stewart, Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross Burton, Amanda (born 1957), Irish actress Burton, Beryl (1937-1996), English racing cyclist Burton, Bob, Australian journalist Burton, Brandie (born 1972), U.S. professional golfer Burton, Brian aka... Jaluit Atoll is an atoll of 91 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... Lagoon shoreline on Majuro, February 1973 Majuro, population 25,400 (as of 2004), is the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. ... Bokak Atoll - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Bokak Atoll (also known as Taongi Atoll) is an uninhabited 3. ... Utirik Atoll is an atoll of 10 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ...

During the month of November, however, both USAAF land-based and U.S. Navy carrier-based bomber attacks, in conjunction with the American assault on the Gilberts, had destroyed 71 of Akiyama's fighters and bombers. Reinforcements flown in from the homeland and Truk replenished most of his losses, but he could expect little additional help in the future. The Japanese war industry was falling far short of needed production, affecting all branches of the armed services, including the Japanese Carrier Air Arm, which had long since retreated from the Central Pacific. In fact, the 32 planes flown from Truk were the last of the carrier aircraft left behind following that retreat. Akiyama was therefore not expected to defeat his adversary but rather to delay the Allied forces advance while exacting the greatest possible toll upon them. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was the aviation component of the United States Army primarily during World War II. The title of Army Air Forces succeeded the prior name of Army Air Corps in June 1941 during preparation for expected combat in what came to be known as... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and in most cases recover aircraft, acting as a sea... External link Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum Categories: Corporation stubs | Historical stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | California railroads | Nevada railroads | Utah railroads | Historic civil engineering landmarks ... A representation of the changes in territory controlled by Allies and Axis powers over the course of the war. ...

U.S. planning and preparation

Expecting the U.S. to attack the outermost islands in the group first, most of the defenders were stationed on Wotje, Mille, Maloelap, and Jaluit to the east and south. Indeed, the original American plan called for a cautious series of steppingstone attacks starting in the eastern Marshalls. The Japanese troop dispositions were revealed to the Americans by ULTRA decryptions of Japanese communications, and Admiral Chester Nimitz decided instead to bypass these outposts and attack the Kwajalein Atoll directly, knifing into the very heart of the Marshall Islands. The operation was given the code name Operation Flintlock. Wotje Atoll is an atoll of 75 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... Mili redirects here. ... Maloelap Atoll The Maloelap Atoll is an atoll of 75 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... Jaluit Atoll is an atoll of 91 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... Ultra (sometimes capitalized ULTRA) was the name used by the British for intelligence resulting from decryption of German communications in World War II. The term eventually became the standard designation in both Britain and the United States for all intelligence from high-level cryptanalytic sources. ... Chester William Nimitz (February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was the Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces for the United States and Allied forces during World War II. He was the United States leading authority on submarines, as well as Chief of the Navys Bureau of Navigation in 1939. ... American military history records two operations called Flintlock: Operation Flintlock was the campaign against the Marshall Islands in the Pacific campaign of World War II, from January to February 1944. ...

There were two main objectives: The linked islands of Roi-Namur in the north, and Kwajalein Island at the south end of the atoll. The 4th Marine Division under Major General Harry Schmidt was assigned to Roi-Namur, and the Army's 7th Infantry Division under Major General Charles H. Corlett would make the assault on Kwajalein. Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. ... The U.S. 4th Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps. ... Harry Schmidt (25 September 1886 – 10 February 1968) served as Commanding General of the Fourth Marine Division during the Marshall Islands campaign and the Battle of Saipan, and as Commanding General of the Fifth Amphibious Corps during the battles of Tinian and Iwo Jima, during World War II. A contemporary...

To ensure the success of the operation, sea and air superiority were necessary. Accordingly, on January 29, 1944, U.S. carrier planes attacked the Japanese airfield on Roi-Namur, destroying 92 of the 110 Japanese planes in the Marshalls. January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. ...

Staging through Baker Island airfield Rear Admiral J.H.Hoover's Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" of the Seventh Air Force, quickly set their sights upon their targets. In the beginning, the most important were Mille, the Japanese base closest to the Gilberts and Maloeap, the most powerful enemy bases threatening the upcoming operations. Mille was the subject of several attacks through the month of November, causing considerable damage to installations and high losses of aircraft for the Japanese. But Mille remained the only base within fighter reach of the Gilberts, and the defenders managed to keep the facilities there operational and reinforced with aircraft. Following the capture of Tarawa and through December 19, 106 B-24s dropped a total of 122 tons of explosives on Mille's airbase. The largest of those raids came on December 4 when 34 B-24s pulverized the atoll in conjunction with carrier-based bombing raids of other parts of the Marshalls. On December 18, renewed strikes were initiated against enemy targets on Mille with land-based A-24 Dauntless dive bombers and Bell P-39 Airacobra making their debut in the Marshall air offensive. Japanese losses for the day amounted to 10 fighters (four on the ground) and four damaged. Other aircraft types participating in the offensive included B-25 Mitchell and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Royal Canadian Air Force B-24 Liberator A B-24 Liberator photographed from above while in flight The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft, and was used by most of the Allied air forces in World War II. Designed as a... The Seventh Air Force (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) under the Pacific Air Forces major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force. ... For a disambiguation page for Mili, see Myloi, an alternative spelling of Mili Mili Atoll is an atoll of 92 islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... Combatants  United States  Japan Commanders Holland Smith Keiji Shibasaki  â€  Strength 35,000 troops 3,000 troops, 1,000 Japanese and 1,200 Korean laborers Casualties 1,001 killed 4,713 killed 17 Japanese and 129 Koreans captured Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign Makin Raid – Tarawa – Makin – Kwajalein – Truk – Eniwetok The... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Royal Canadian Air Force B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft, and was used by most of the Allied air forces in World War II. Designed as a heavy bomber, it served with distinction not only in that... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... SBD Dauntless goes around for another landing attempt, after being waved off by the Landing Signal Officer on USS Ranger CV-4, circa June 1942 SBD-3 Dauntless in a dive, releasing the bomb SBD-5 SBD Dauntless Being salvaged from Lake Michigan The Douglas SBD Dauntless was the U... The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal fighter aircraft in service with American forces at the start of World War II. At first for a short time designated XP_45, it had just a single_speed, single_stage supercharger for its engine, instead of an exhaust_driven turbo_supercharger as initially fitted... Lt. ... The Curtiss P-40 was a US single-engine, single-seat, low-wing, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft which first flew in 1938, and was used in great numbers in World War II. It was a direct adaptation of the existing P-36 airframe to enable mass production...

In addition it was necessary to take another atoll in the eastern Marshalls — Majuro. Majuro is 220 miles southeast of Kwajalein and could serve as an advanced air and naval base as well as safeguard supply lines to Kwajalein. Majuro was very lightly defended and only the V Amphibious Corps Marine Reconnaissance Company and the 2d Battalion, 106th Infantry, 7th Infantry Division were employed in the capture of Majuro. The Island was taken on January 31, without any U.S. casualties. Lagoon shoreline on Majuro, February 1973 Majuro, population 25,400 (as of 2004), is the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. ... The V Amphibious Corps (VAC), of the United States Marine Corps, was comprised of the Third, Fourth and Fifth Marine Divisions during World War II. They were notably involved in the iconic Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, under the command of Major General Harry Schmidt, USMC. This article incorporates... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... The 7th Infantry Division (Light), nicknamed Lightfighters and sometimes referred to as the The Bayonet Division is a reserve combat division of the United States Army currently made up of National Guard units. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (550x710, 21 KB)Map of the battle of Kwajalein, February 1944 This image is a work of a U.S. military or Department of Defense employee, taken or made during the course of an employees official duties. ...

Battle

The U.S. forces for the landings were Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner's 5th Amphibious Force, and Major General Holland M. Smith's V Amphibious Corps, which comprised the 4th Marine Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt, the 7th Infantry Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Charles H. Corlett, plus the 22nd Marine, 106th Infantry, and the 111th Infantry regiments. The 4th and 7th Divisions were assigned to the initial landings at Kwajalein, while the 2nd Battalion of the 106th was assigned to the simultaneous capture of Majuro Atoll. The rest of the 106th and the 22nd Marines were in reserve for Kwajalein, while awaiting the following assault on Eniwetok, scheduled for three months later. Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (27 May 1885 – 12 February 1961) served in the United States Navy during World War II. Vice Admiral Turner, on board Eldorado Turner was born in Portland, Oregon. ... Holland Smith Holland McTyeire Howlin Mad Smith (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a general in the US Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the father of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. ... The V Amphibious Corps (VAC), of the United States Marine Corps, was comprised of the Third, Fourth and Fifth Marine Divisions during World War II. They were notably involved in the iconic Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, under the command of Major General Harry Schmidt, USMC. This article incorporates... The 4th Marine Division is a reserve infantry division of the United States Marine Corps. ... Harry Schmidt (25 September 1886 – 10 February 1968) served as Commanding General of the Fourth Marine Division during the Marshall Islands campaign and the Battle of Saipan, and as Commanding General of the Fifth Amphibious Corps during the battles of Tinian and Iwo Jima, during World War II. A contemporary... The 7th Infantry Division (Light), nicknamed Lightfighters and sometimes referred to as the The Bayonet Division is a reserve combat division of the United States Army currently made up of National Guard units. ... Charles H. Corlett (July 31, 1889–October 13, 1971), nicknamed “Cowboy Pete,” was a major general in the U.S. Army who commanded troops in both the Pacific and European Theaters during World War II. He led the attack on Kiska in 1943 and commanded the 7th Infantry Division in... Battle of Eniwetok Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 17 February 1944 – 23 February 1944 Place Eniwetok Atoll, United States Japan Commanders Harry W. Hill Yoshimi Nishida Strength 2 regiments 2,000+ Casualties 339 killed or missing, 757 wounded 2,000+ dead, 16 captured The Battle of Eniwetok...

The 7th Infantry Division began by capturing the small islands labeled Carlos, Carter, Cecil, and Carlson on January 31, which were used as artillery bases for the next day's assault. Kwajalein Island is 2.5 miles (4 km) long but only 880 yards (800 m) wide. There was therefore no possibility of defence in depth and the Japanese planned to counter-attack the landing beaches. They had not realized until the battle of Tarawa that American amphibious vehicles could cross coral reefs and so land on the lagoon side of an atoll; accordingly the strongest defences on Kwajalein faced the ocean. The bombardment by battleships, B-24 bombers from Apamama, and artillery on Carlson was devastating. The U.S. Army history of the battle quotes a participant as saying that "the entire island looked as if it had been picked up 20,000 feet and then dropped." By the time the 7th Division landed on Kwajalein Island on February 1, 1944, there was little resistance; by night the Americans estimated that only 1,500 of the original 5,000 defenders were still alive. The 7th Infantry Division (Light), nicknamed Lightfighters and sometimes referred to as the The Bayonet Division is a reserve combat division of the United States Army currently made up of National Guard units. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Battleship (disambiguation). ... Abemama Atoll The villages on the island of Abemama Abemama (also Abamama, Apamama, Dundas, Hopper Island, Roger Simpson Island or Simpson Island) is an atoll in the central part of the Kiribati (Gilberts) Group located 95 miles southeast of Tarawa and just north of the Equator. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

On the north side of the atoll, the 4th Marine Division followed the same plan, first capturing islets Ivan, Jacob, Albert, Allen, and Abraham on January 31, and landing on Roi-Namur on February 1. The airfield on Roi (the eastern half) was captured quickly, and Namur (the western half) fell the next day. The worst setback came when a Marine demolition team threw a satchel charge of high explosives into a Japanese bunker which turned out to be a torpedo warhead magazine. The resulting explosion killed twenty Marines and wounded dozens more. Only 51 of the original 3,500 Japanese defenders of Roi-Namur survived to be captured. is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Two improvised satchel charges along with Sidolówka grenades, as used in the Warsaw Uprising A satchel charge is a powerful, man-portable explosive device used by infantry and airborne forces. ... The torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ...

Aftermath

The relatively easy capture of Kwajalein demonstrated U.S. amphibious capabilities and showed that the changes to training and tactics after the bloody battle of Tarawa had been effective. It allowed Nimitz to speed up operations in the Marshalls and invade Eniwetok Atoll on February 17, 1944. is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

The Japanese learned from the battle that beachline defenses were too vulnerable to bombardment by ships and planes. In the campaign for the Mariana Islands, the defense in depth on Guam and Peleliu was much harder to overcome than the thin line on Kwajalein. Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders William H. Rupertus, USMC Kunio Nakagawa Strength 2 divisions (1st Marine Division and the USA 81st Infantry Division) Approximately 11,000 men Casualties 2,336 killed and 8,450 wounded 10,695 killed, 202 captured The Battle of Peleliu, like the bloody World...

Notes

References

• Bailey, Dan E. (1992). World War II: Wrecks of the Kwajalein and Truk Lagoons. North Valley Diver Publications. ISBN 0-911615-05-9. 
• Marshall, S. L. A.; Joseph G. Dawson (2001). Island Victory: The Battle of Kwajalein Atoll. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-8272-9. 
• Morison, Samuel Eliot (1961). Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, June 1942-April 1944, History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. ASIN B0007FBB8I. 
• Rottman, Gordon; Howard Gerrard (2004). The Marshall Islands 1944: "Operation Flintlock, the capture of Kwajalein and Eniwetok". Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-851-0. 
• Sauer, Howard (1999). "Kwajalein", The Last Big-Gun Naval Battle: The Battle of Surigao Strait. Palo Alto, California: The Glencannon Press. ISBN 1-889901-08-3. - Firsthand account of the U.S. pre-invasion bombardment operation by a crewmember of USS Maryland.

RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976), USN historian Samuel Eliot Morison, RAdm, USNR (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing scholarly works that were both authoritative and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ... The History of United States Naval Operations in World War II is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy in World War II, written by eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison and published by Little, Brown and Company between 1947 and 1962. ... Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. ...

External links

• US Army Campaigns in World War II: Eastern Mandates
• Chapin, Captain John C., USMCR (Ret), Breaking the Outer Ring: Marine Landings in the Marshall Islands, Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, History and Museums Division, United States Marine Corps, 1994.
• Soldiers of the 184th Infantry, 7th ID in the Pacific, 1943–1945
• Animated History of The Battle for Kwajalein
• Heinl, Robert D., and John A. Crown (1954). The Marshalls: Increasing the Tempo. USMC Historical Monograph. Historical Division, Division of Public Information, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2006-12-04.

Coordinates: 8°43′N 167°44′E / 8.717, 167.733 Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...