In order to carry out a full invasion of Japan, the US had to establish staging points at key positions in the Pacific. The Marianas Islands were a key strategic location, but the Japanese were aware of this, and the Islands were heavily defended. In order to take these Islands, the US planned to bomb them before landing troops.
US intelligence identified the Marshall Islands as a place where bombers could be launched to attack the Marianas Islands. In order to take the Marshall Islands, the US had to first take the small Island of Beito. This is because the Island of Beito was preventing communication between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. Without clear lines of communication, the Marshall Islands could not be taken, thus preventing the bombing of the Marianas Islands.
The Island of Beito was a significant strategic location in the US plan to take Japan. On November 20th 1943, the US attempted to take the Island by landing troops on the Tarawa atoll. The US did not anticipate the resistance that the Japanese soldiers gave them. Over the course of 3 days, there was some of the fiercest fighting in the entire Pacific conflict.
By November 23rd 1943, the US had taken the Island. There were heavy losses on both sides. It is estimated that the Japanese lost between 4,000 - 5,000 men, while the US lost 1000 men*. Images from the battle, changed the US perception of the war at home, as the public realised that the war was going to be hard fought, with great loss of life on both sides, before victory was to be achieved.
*Source: J. Wukovits - 'One Square Mile Of Hell: The Battle For Tarawa', New York: NAL Caliber, 2006.
Originally released on Sweet Solitude (034) as a 3CD set in an edition of 10 copies.
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