History Pgs.67-101
10/9/06
6:02 PM
Page 81
THE MARINES
Westward to the Marshalls and Marianas
Collection of the National Museum of the Marine Corps
With the Gilberts in hand, Chester Nimitz had turned
quickly to the Marshalls, a far-flung scattering of 1,000 islands and 32 atolls. Nimitz boldly decided to open the campaign with a knife-thrust into the heart of the Marshalls – leapfrogging the heavily defended perimeter atolls and striking Kwajalein, 620 miles west of Tarawa. Nimitz ordered Spruance to seize Kwajalein Island in the south, a regional enemy headquarters, and the twin islands of Roi-Namur to the north, site of a valuable airfield. For the assault on Kwajalein, Smith’s expeditionary troops consisted of the 7th Infantry Division, Army veterans of the seizure of Attu Island in the Aleutians the previous year, and – making their combat debut – the new 4th Marine Division, which had sailed from San Diego loaded for bear. The invasion group also included the reinforced 22d Marines, a separate regiment fresh from eighteen months of guard duty on Samoa, well led by Colonel John Walker and spoiling for a fight. While [Admiral] Marc Mitscher’s fast carriers throttled the vaunted Japanese air attacks, Turner’s gunships began their preliminary bombardment of the main objectives in Kwajalein Atoll. Here the lessons of Tarawa shone like a bright lamp. The bombardment – three times as long, twice the weight of shells, and infinitely better executed than Tarawa – flattened most Japanese positions ashore. Compared to Tarawa, the capture of Roi-Namur came at a bargain cost. The 4th Marine Division seized both islands and the northern arc of Kwajalein, dispatched 3,500 Japanese defenders, and suffered less than a thousand combat casualties. Nimitz, well pleased, decided to increase [Operation] Flintlock’s momentum. He ordered Spruance to strike next at the far western edge of the Marshalls, seizing isolated Eniwetok Atoll, 330 miles beyond Kwajalein. As at Kwajalein, Captain [James] Jones’ Force Recon Marines landed stealthily on neighboring islands the day preceding D-Day to seize advance fire support bases for Marine and Army artillery units. These batteries combined their steady fire with spectacular naval and air bombardment on Engebi on DDay to pulverize exposed Japanese positions. Under an awesome umbrella of fire the 22nd Marines stormed Engebi and advanced swiftly inland. Eniwetok Island presented a more difficult objective. Counter to intelligence reports, Japanese soldiers occupied the position in force, and the preliminary naval bombardment proved inadequate. No one had an easy time on Eniwetok. When the GIs continued to wrestle with strong resistance, [Marine Brigadier General Thomas] Watson committed his reserve, the 3d Battalion, 22d Marines. The Marines had their hands full. Securing the thickly wooded island took three gruesome days. Thanks to Tarawa’s priceless lessons, Operation Flintlock succeeded at a speed and overall economy almost beyond belief to strategic planners. In the Central Pacific, the Joint Chiefs ordered Nimitz to execute Operation Forager, a giant, thousand-mile leap westward to seize Saipan, Tinian, and Guam in the Marianas.
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