The Battle of Kwajalein occurred January 31 to February 3, 1944 in the Pacific Theater of World War II (1939 to 1945). They preferred to fight a decisive battle closer to home. Since the 1944 battle fought there, the banana-shaped Japanese defenses became prepared in depth, and the battles of Peleliu, Guam, and the Marianas proved far more costly to the US. Kwajalein Atoll is in the heart of the Marshall Islands. On February 19, 1945 the Battle of Iwo Jima began with the amphibious invasion by United States Marines and Navy. It lies in the Ralik Chain, 2,100 nmi (2,400 mi; 3,900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii at .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}8°43′N 167°44′E / 8.717°N 167.733°E / 8.717; 167.733. The two most significant land masses are Kwajalein Island in the south, and the linked islands of Roi-Namur in the north. Battle Of Tarawa summary: A group of islands about 2,400 miles southwest of Hawaii makes up those of Tarawa and during 1941-1943 they were held by the Japanese. 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 31 January, and landing on Roi-Namur on 1 February. The Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Bikini has been inhabited since the ancient times. The US 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." Staging through Baker Island airfield, B-24 Liberators of the Seventh Air Force quickly set their sights upon their targets. Lightly defended, it was captured by Japan on December 10, 1941, three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor . 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. For the US, 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 Americans had penetrated the "outer ring" of the Japanese Pacific sphere. Landing beaches Red 1 and 2 were assaulted at 0930 on 1 February, the Americans reaching halfway across the runway by sunset. Rare color footage of an important battle in early 1944. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivor… Expecting the US to attack the outermost islands in the group first, most of the defenders were stationed on the atolls of Wotje, Mille, Maloelap, and Jaluit to the east and south. Following the capture of Tarawa and until 19 December, 106 B-24s dropped a total of 122 short tons (111 t) of explosives on Mille's airbase. 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. 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. Battle for Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands January-February1944. There was therefore no possibility of defence in depth, and the Japanese planned to counter-attack the landing beaches. Rottman, G., 2004, The Marshall Islands 1944: "Operation Flintlock, the capture of Kwajalein and Eniwetok", Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd, "Gallery: WWII Airplane Graveyard in Pacific Ocean", History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, United States Army Center of Military History, "The Amphibians Came to Conquer: The Story of Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner", What Makes a Battle — Moving images from Kwajalein island during the battle, Soldiers of the 184th Infantry, 7th ID in the Pacific, 1943–1945, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Kwajalein&oldid=1015456509, Battles of World War II involving the United States, United States Marine Corps in World War II, Amphibious operations involving the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 April 2021, at 16:02. Utilizing the lessons learned at the Battle of Tarawa, both Kwajalein and Roi-Namur Island Atolls were secured by February 7, with "mopping-up" operations lasting until a few days later. Over 23,000 Japanese Troops were on the island at the time of the invasion. The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January 1944 to 3 February 1944 on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Japanese defenses became prepared in depth, and the Battles of Peleliu, Guam, and the Marianas proved far more costly to the US. By the time the 7th Division landed on Kwajalein Island on 1 February, there was little resistance; by night the Americans estimated that only 1,500 of the original 5,000 defenders were still alive. Accordingly, on 29 January 1944, US carrier planes attacked the Japanese airfield on Roi-Namur, destroying 92 of the 110 Japanese planes in the Marshalls. Following the capture of Tarawa and until 19 December, 106 B-24s dropped a total of 122 short tons (111 t) of explosives on Mili's airbase. [1]:31 Akiyama had his men spread out over a very wide area, with IJN air bases located on Roi-Namur, Mili Atoll, Maloelap, Eniwetok, and Wotje. Most Americans, even those who are not students of history, have at least heard the names "Iwo Jima," "Tarawa" or "Peleliu. 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. It was part of General Douglas MacArthur's bid to fulfill his promise and reclaim the Philippines. There was therefore no possibility of defence in depth, so the Japanese planned to counter-attack the landing beaches. Troop transport on way to Kwajalein from Hawaiian Territory. 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. In the beginning, the most important was Mili, the Japanese base closest to the Gilberts and Maloelap, the most powerful enemy bases threatening the upcoming operations. Although some fortified areas existed, none were as extensive or well armed as those of Tarawa. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivors of an original garrison of 3,500. It was presumed the Japanese had built illegal fortifications throughout the islands, however the precise extent of any such fortifications was unknown. Its average elevation above sea level is 5.5 feet and its highest point is a man-made hill, Mount Olympus, that contains missile silos. Benefitting from costly lessons learned Eniwetok. In the beginning, the most important was Mili Atoll, the Japanese base closest to the Gilberts and Maloelap, the most powerful enemy bases threatening the upcoming operations. During the month of November, however, both USAAF land-based and US Navy carrier-based bomber attacks, in conjunction with the American assault on the Gilberts, had destroyed 71 of Akiyama's fighters and bombers. OpenLink Faceted Browser; OpenLink Structured Data Editor The operation was given the code name Operation Flintlock. Those reinforcement troops included 2nd Battalion/1st Amphibious Brigade under Captain (Naval) Aso, nine Type 94/97 Tankettes and two companies of Type 2 Amphibious Tank (in the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF)), or Kwajalein Tank Detachment). The Japanese troop dispositions were revealed to the Americans by Ultra decryptions of Japanese communications; Admiral Chester Nimitz, commander of American naval forces in the Pacific, decided to bypass these outposts and attack the Kwajalein Atoll directly, knifing into the very heart of the Marshall Islands. The bombardment by battleships, B-24 bombers from Apamama and artillery on Carlson was devastating. A public domain videoThe Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. [1]:36,18 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.[1]:18. 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-Namurin the north. The Americans decided to invad… However, at the end of 1943, the Marshalls were reinforced to make their taking expensive for the Americans. 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. 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. It took place from 31 January – 3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The Battle of Luzon was the largest campaign of the Pacific War which was fought between the United States, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines, and Japan. Bob Kalechman discuses the history of the Battle of Kwajalein on this episode of Millennium. The island was taken on 31 January 1944, without any US casualties.[1]:37–38. The 7th Infantry Division began by capturing the small islands labeled Carlos, Carter, Cecil, and Carlson on 31 January, which were used as artillery bases for the next day's assault. The battle was triggered b… [1]:18 Bombardment by the Seventh Air Force, and a carrier air attack on 4 Dec. 1943, followed by additional attacks in Jan. 1944, destroyed all Japanese aircraft. By January 1944, the regional commander in Truk, Admiral Masashi Kobayashi, had 28,000 troops to defend the Marshalls, although he had very few aircraft. 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. Follow the events of World War II, including the D-Day invasion. He had well-manned air bases on Roi-Namur, Maloelap, Wotje, Mille and Eniwetok, detached Chitose and 653rd Air Corps Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters with the nearly complete Mitsubishi G3M and G4M bomber base in Kwajalein. [1]:31, The Marshall campaign planned by the US involved attacks on seven islands, bypassing many more. Kwajalein is the world's largest coral atoll as measured by the area of enclosed water. It took place from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands . In the years following, Kwajalein Atoll was converted into a staging area for further campaigns in the advance on the Japanese homeland in the Pacific War. [1]:33 They had not realized until the battle of Tarawa that American amphibious vehicles could cross coral reefs and land on the lagoon side of an atoll; accordingly the strongest defenses on Kwajalein faced the ocean. Picture taken from transport off Kwajalein Atoll. [1]:21 They preferred fighting a decisive battle closer to home. Crown (1954). Other aircraft types participating in the offensive included B-25 Mitchells and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks. In fact, by September 1943, the Japanese High Command had written off the Gilberts and Marshalls as lost, deciding that the areas should be used to fight a delaying action while a new defense perimeter was created from the Banda Sea through Caroline Island and the Marianas Islands. The reason the battle happened was to further the Americans campaign against the Japanese. 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. The U.S. planes and warships had so thoroughly scoured not only the target islands, but also the other Japanese air bases in the Marshalls, that not a single Japanese plane was able to attack the American surface forces in the campaign. However, Allied intelligence intercepted Imperial code, informing the Americans of which islands were more heavily defended. The relatively easy capture of Kwajalein demonstrated US amphibious capabilities and showed that the changes to training and tactics after the bloody battle of Tarawa had been effective. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivors of an original garrison of 3,500. 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. Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19–March 16, 1945), World War II battle fought between the United States and Japan over a strategically important island some 760 miles (1,220 km) south of Tokyo. [1]:9 Japan regarded them as part of the "outer ring" of their territory. It allowed Nimitz to speed up operations in the Marshalls and invade Eniwetok Atoll on 17 February 1944. But Mili remained the only base within fighter reach of the Gilberts, and the defenders managed to keep the facilities there operational and reinforced with aircraft. Peering through his binoculars, Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo was in … 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 Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945), or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States Armed Forces fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Empire.The American invasion had the goal of capturing the entire island, including its three airfields. But it gave greater access to Tokyo for American bombers. By the start of World War II, the Marshalls (South Seas Mandate) were already an integral part of the Japanese perimeter of defense. Finally, the two battles for Kwajalein Atoll proved incontestably the effectiveness of prolonged and massive preinvasion naval gunfire and aerial bombing. The resulting explosion killed twenty Marines and wounded dozens more[2] and caused an observation pilot to radio, "The whole damn island has blown up! 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. Overall Japanese strength on these islands numbered approximately 8,000 men, of which less than half were considered combat effective. It is home to many Americans who work on the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site. Kwajalein Island itself has an area of only 1.2 square miles. After the war ended, over 150 still operational US aircraft were sunk near Roi-Namur, which was cheaper than transporting the airplanes back to the US mainland. [4], Coordinates: 8°43′N 167°44′E / 8.717°N 167.733°E / 8.717; 167.733, 1944 battle in the Pacific theater of World War II. In addition, it was necessary to take another atoll in the eastern Marshalls—Majuro. World War II saw the island serve as an important watchtower for the Japanese soldiers who also guarded the island against American invasion during the Battle of Kwajalein. Majuro was very lightly defended and only the V Amphibious Corps Marine Reconnaissance Company and the 2nd Battalion, 106th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division were employed in its capture. Japanese losses for the day amounted to 10 fighters (four on the ground) and four damaged. 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 Japanese also realized that beach-line defenses were too vulnerable to naval and aerial bombardment. SecNav Frank Knox presented with the flag that flew over Kwajalein, 1944. The worst setback came when a Marine demolition team threw a satchel charge of high explosives into a Japanese bunker, not realizing it was a torpedo warhead magazine. Kwajalein was to remain undermanned, underequipped, and unprepared for the assaults being arrayed against it. The residents were mainly subsistence farmers and fishermen. [1]:38–54 The airfield on the western half (Roi) was captured quickly, and the eastern half (Namur) fell the next day. Reinforcements flown in from the homeland and Truk replenished most of his losses, but he could expect little additional help in the future. While Japan was the administrator, local affairs were left to the traditional leaders. 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 mi² (839 km²) in size. Watch this amazing video on the battle of Kwajalein! The American tank is an M4 Sherman, the Japanese vehicle is a Type 94 tankette. On Roi-Namur, the troops were mostly JNAF land personnel who had little ground combat training and who were underequipped for such a function. After nearly 10 years of construction, fortifications on the Marshalls were considerably inferior[citation needed] when compared with Tarawa, which had been turned into a fortress in less than eighteen months. Marshall, S. L. A.; Joseph G. Dawson (2001). On June 6, 1944, the largest seaborne invasion in history was launched, thereby turning the tide of the war. Kwajalein Atoll is in the heart of the Marshall Islands. [1]:89 It allowed Nimitz to speed up operations in the Marshalls and invade Ebeye Island on 3–4 February, Engebi Island on 18–19 February, Eniwetok Island on 19–21 February, and Parry Island on 22–23 February 1944.[1]:66–85. February 1, 2013 marks the sixty-ninth anniversary of Operation FLINTLOCK, the battle to seize the Marshall Islands from the Japanese. 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. [1]:7 These islands had been Imperial German colonies, after their purchase from Spain in 1899. [1]:66, On the north side of the atoll, the 4th Marine Division followed a similar plan, first capturing islets Ivan, Jacob, Albert, Allen, and Abraham on 31 January, and then landing on Roi-Namur on 1 February. In addition, he had some Nakajima A6M2-N and Mitsubishi F1M floatplanes detached in seaplane bases on Jaluit, Wotje, Majuro, Taongi, Utirik, and the south Kwajalein Atoll island of Burton. 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. 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 Peleliuwas much ha… Indeed, the original American plan called for a cautious series of steppingstone attacks starting in the eastern Marshalls. Wikipedia Battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought between 17 February 1944 and 23 February 1944, on Enewetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Battles of World War II involving the United States, United States Marine Corps in World War II, http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/5850/marshalls.html, United States Army Center of Military History, http://www.army.mil/cmh/brochures/eastman/eastman.htm, http://web.archive.org/web/20061116035646/http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Marshalls/index.html, "The Amphibians Came to Conquer: The Story of Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner", http://web.archive.org/web/20110521010748/http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ACTC/index.html, What Makes a Battle — Moving images from Kwajalein island during battle, Soldiers of the 184th Infantry, 7th ID in the Pacific, 1943–1945, Animated History of The Battle for Kwajalein, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kwajalein?oldid=4509410. The islands then became a mystery because the Japanese closed them to the outside world. The Japanese defenders put up stiff resistance, although outnumbered and under-prepared. The airplane graveyard included several Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers, Vought F4U Corsairs, Grumman TBF Avengers, Curtiss SB2C Helldivers, North American B-25 Mitchells, Curtiss C-46 Commandos and Grumman F4F Wildcats. The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Image: 80-G-205924 : Raid on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, December 4, 1943. 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 Islands. On February 1, the 7th Infantry (Army) Division landed on Kwajalein Island, while the 4th Marine Division landed on the twin islands of Roi and Namur, 45 miles to the north. On 18 December, renewed strikes were initiated against enemy targets on Mille with land-based Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bombers and Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters making their debut in the Marshall air offensive. Heinl, Robert D., and John A. Despite shortfalls, efforts to strengthen ground defenses continued. Toggle navigation. It lies in the Ralik Chain, 2,100 nmi (2,400 mi; 3,900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii at 8°43′N 167°44′E / 8.717°N 167.733°E / 8.717; 167.733. Kwajalein is the world's largest coral atoll and comprises 93 islands and islets, it has a land area of 1,560 acres (6.33 km2),[1]:12 and surrounds one of the largest lagoons in the world, measuring 324 mi2 (839 km2) in size. Without any carrier aircraft to inform him, he ordered Admiral Masami Kobayashi to disperse his 28,000 troops primarily to the outer islands of Maloelap, Wotje, Jaliuit, and Mili. 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. Akiyama, however, had his men spread out over a very wide area, mostly concentrating on the defense of those atolls (Jaluit, Mille, Maloelap, and Wotje), that were never considered vulnerable to American attack. 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. For the Japanese, the battle represented the failure of the beach-line defense. Picture, George Smith. The Japanese defenders put up stiff resistance, although outnumbered and under-prepared. The invasion of Eniwetok followed the American success in the Battle of Kwajalein to the southeast. Very few battles during the last few months of WWII are known to have exceeded the brutality and destruction in Manila. [1]:35 The 22nd Air Flotilla, depleted after the Gilbert campaign, had 128 aircraft in the Marshalls, 10 on Kwajalein. Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Roi-Namur Islands, captured by U.S. Marines, along with Kwajalein Island, captured by U.S. Army troops, were the first Japanese territory in the Pacific to be taken in battle in World War II. 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. This feature is 220 mi (190 nmi; 350 km) southeast of Kwajalein and could serve as an advanced air and naval base as well as safeguard supply lines to Kwajalein. The defense system on the islands was mostly in line, with little or no depth. 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. The Marshalls were a key step in the island-hopping march to the Japanese mainland. 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. Mili was the subject of several attacks throughout November, causing considerable damage to installations and high losses of aircraft for the Japanese. The battle of Kwajalein was a part of the pacific campaign of world war 2. Furthermore, less than half of the troops stationed in the Marshalls were combat trained,[citation needed] the rest being support and labor troops with little or no combat training. The US 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 Marines, 106th Infantry, and the 111th Infantry regiments. The Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. [1]:10, The strategic importance of the Marshalls had been recognized as early as 1921 in Plan Orange, an American interwar plan for a possible conflict with Japan. The U.S. forces for the landings were Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner's 5th Fleet 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 Army's 7th Infantry Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Charles H. Corlett, as well as the 22nd Marines, and the Army's 106th and 111th Infantry regiments. The Official U.S. Army history of the battle quotes a soldier as saying "the entire island looked as if it had been picked up 20,000 feet and then dropped." "[3], The relatively easy capture of Kwajalein demonstrated US amphibious capabilities and showed that the changes to training and tactics after the costly battle of Tarawa had been effective. Staging through Baker Island airfield, B-24 Liberators bombed strategic targets. 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. The relatively easy capture of Kwajalein demonstrated US amphibious capabilities and showed that the changes to training and tactics after the bloody battle of Tarawa had been effective. [1]:33, The 6th Base Force, under the command of Rear Admiral Monzo Akiyama, and headquartered on Kwajalein since August 1941, was the principal defense force of the islands. Kwajalein Atoll, 2 February 1944: Private First Class N. E. Carling stands beside the medium tank "Killer" on which is mounted a knocked-out Japanese light tank. [citation needed]. The Japanese defenders put up stiff resistance, although outnumbered and under-prepared. The largest of those raids came on 4 December when 34 B-24s pulverized the atoll in conjunction with carrier-based bombing raids of other parts of the Marshalls. The island was taken on 31 January 1944, without any US casualties. Following advances through the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, which saw places such as Tarawa and Kwajalein secured, Allied leaders commenced planning for a … Actual defenses on the Marshalls, however, were never very substantial or heavily manned. Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. Battle Of Manila summary: The Battle of Manila is known to be the fiercest and first urban fighting in the region. The Japanese learned from the battle that beachline defenses were too vulnerable to bombardment by ships and planes. [1]:31, The defense system on the islands was mostly in line, with little or no depth. Postwar, the United States used it as a main… Atoll barely visible on horizon. When researching my battle, I used Wikipedia to get accurate information that is true about my battle that gave me ideas for my final level design. On Kwajalein proper, the troops were made up mostly of labor forces, a good number of those being Koreans. The 6th Base Force, under the command of Rear Admiral Monzo Akiyama, and headquartered on Kwajalein, was the principal defense force of the islands. For the Japanese, the battle represented the failure of the beach-line defense. 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. Coordinates: 8°43′N 167°44′E / 8.717°N 167.733°E / 8.717; 167.733. For the US, the battle represented both the next step in its island-hopping march to Japan and a significant morale victory because it was the first time the Americans had penetrated the "outer ring" of the Japanese Pacific sphere. The largest of those raids came on 4 December when 34 B-24s pulverized the atoll in conjunction with carrier-based bombing raids of other parts of the Marshalls. 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. Mille was the subject of several attacks throughout November, causing considerable damage to installations and high losses of aircraft for the Japanese. The town was captured during World War I by the Japanese who occupied the island until the Second World War. By the start of World War II, the Marshalls (South Pacific Mandate) were already an integral part of the Japanese perimeter of defense. 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Sea and air superiority were necessary Hawaiian Territory counter-attack the landing beaches February 1944, on Kwajalein,! On June 6, 1944, the island was taken on 31 January 1944 the... Nevertheless, the Japanese mainland losses, but he could expect little additional help in the battle to the... In from the battle happened was to further the Americans of which less than half were combat! Of 3,500 anniversary of Operation FLINTLOCK, the Japanese killed twenty Marines and.... Battles during the last few months of WWII are known to have exceeded brutality. Closed them to the traditional leaders realized that beach-line defenses were too vulnerable to bombardment by and... ]:21 they preferred to fight a decisive battle closer to home training and who underequipped... Key step in the Marshalls were reinforced to make their capture more costly for the Japanese battle of kwajalein significance the... Captured Roi on that first day, while Namur fell by noon the... Shortfalls, efforts to strengthen ground defenses continued the Operation, sea and air superiority necessary.

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