Chapter 3 Tarawa, a stronghold of the Central Pacific Offensive

Until November 1943, the name Tarawa was never known to the world, buried deep in the pages of the history books of Pacific expeditions and colonial expansion.Except for the specific planners in Washington and Tokyo, who are responsible for the implementation of the plan, no one knows the name of this small atoll or even the island of Betio.After seventy-six hours of tug-of-war, the island was finally occupied by the US military.The commander of the US attacking force claimed that the heroic behavior of both the offensive and defensive forces this time will be immortalized in the history of the war forever.

Strategic location of Tarawa Tarawa is located about 4,000 kilometers southwest of Pearl Harbor and about 2,000 kilometers southeast of Turuk (an important Japanese base in the Central Pacific in the early days of World War II).In 1943, Tarawa's strategic value lay in its location.It is the most important atoll in the Gilbert Islands and houses the headquarters of the Japanese garrison and the only airfield in the archipelago. In the north and west, there are Japanese military bases in the Marshall Islands and the Caroline Islands, and in the southeast are islands occupied by Allied forces, which remotely control Hawaii, the continental United States, the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia. Allied lifeline.

Allied operations in 1942 and the first half of 1943 were aimed at securing these lifelines.In August 1942, Allied forces captured Katarkanal in the southern Solomon Islands and secured East New Guinea (Papua) as a springboard for counterattacks against Japanese bases in the South and West Pacific.In 1943, the Allied forces launched an organized counter-offensive based on the fact that all attack targets were within the cruising range of US fighter jets. By the end of the summer, the commander of the South Pacific Fleet, William.Army units under Lieutenant General Halsey arrive at New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.Then, an airfield was built near Munda.Halsey's next target is Dulokina Point on Buchanbil Island, where several airfields are scheduled to be built.

To the west, Admiral MacArthur's Southwest Pacific theater was actively engaged in an attempt to attack Cape Closta (on the other side of the Japanese air base at Raval).As long as Cape Closta is occupied, Maishuai will be able to completely control the Zhival Strait (located between New Britain and New Guinea), and at the same time, he will be able to attack the Philippines from the coast of New Guinea. Two Arguments from the U.S. Side Regarding the Pacific Offensive This operational concept was the result of discussions among representatives of the Southwest Pacific, South Pacific, and Central Pacific commands.In March, 1943, a meeting was held between the commanders and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington.During the meeting, Maishuai's combat plan for the purpose of occupying Raval was proposed, as well as Maishuai's request for adding five infantry divisions and five Army Aviation Wings.However, these demands were rejected, and targets were chosen that could be achieved with small forces.

In 1943, Mai Shuai's army and the Halsey fleet under his command occupied Udolak and Giliuna Island, and continued to fight in New Guinea, capturing New Georgia Island and Bucambia Island as springboards. In order to land on the west of New Britain Island. Because of the reduction in the scale of Mai Shuai's operations, Admiral Nimitz, the commander of the Pacific Fleet and the Pacific Theater, has virtually benefited greatly.Now, he could march across the Pacific Ocean with impunity.According to Admiral Kim, the naval representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this is the most direct and practical strategy for Japan.

Decided to capture Tarawa In the vast Pacific Ocean, there are scattered islands occupied by Japanese troops everywhere.The U.S. military believes that these islands can easily fall into isolation under the attack of the mothership's mobile force. At the same time, they can also adopt a surprise landing strategy to occupy them so that they can be used as bases for the air force and navy.The cadres of the U.S. Navy understand that this is a naval war, and it is necessary to maximize the use of powerful naval power. Only in this way can they win the war against Japan. In May 1943, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States and Britain held a meeting in Washington to review the new strategy.The United Kingdom opposes all expansion operations (referring to the Pacific) that can hinder and expand the war against Germany.Finally, they confirmed that the first goal of the Allied Forces was to defeat Germany, and gave the Joint Chiefs of Staff the power to refuse all operations in the Pacific. Based on this policy, the U.S. military in the Pacific formulated their combat plans.

By 1943, due to the priority of Europe, the combat power and materials that could be used in the Pacific region were severely restricted.As a result, several attack targets confirmed by Washington had to be completed in small-scale operations.The strategy for the Gilbert Islands was drafted hastily under such a change of plan. The initial attack target in the Central Pacific Ocean has been scheduled to be the Marshall Islands (which have been under the Japanese administration since World War I).The U.S. military knows very little about these mysterious islands. However, they are sure that the defense facilities must be quite strong, and the garrison must be quite large.And because the Marshall Islands are too close to Turk Island (the main base of the Japanese Navy), the U.S. military believes that there is a danger of being attacked by the Japanese Land Air Force and the mothership aircraft.In contrast, the Gilbert Islands are farther away from Turuk Island, and from the general situation, they may well be a very suitable target.

In this way, the U.S. military has made up its mind to take away the islands in the Central Pacific from the Japanese.