USA > Hawaii > Honolulu County > Honolulu > Honolulu Memorial :National Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii : West Coast Memorial, East Coast Memorial > Part 1
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Honolulu Memorial National Cemetery of the Pacific honolulu, Hawaii RSITY
OF FLORI
UNO
OCT 1964
ARIES
THE ZOLEUNI PRIDE THAT WUST BE YOURS
D COSTLY A SACRIFICE UPON THE ALTAR OF FREEDOM
OF FLORIL West Coast Memorial-East Coast riemorial A LIBS. DOCUMENTS
The American Battle Monuments Commission MENT S 1964 D Ep
RY
IT
PARKING
CHAPEL
PARKING
MAP GALLERY
POOL
MAP GALLERY
COURT
OF HONOR
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COURT 8
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COURT 5
COURT 6
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COURT 3
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Location of Memorial Features
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Honolulu Memorial National Cemetery of the Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii
The Honolulu memorial was erected by the American Battle Mon- uments Commission in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. This cemetery lies in the crater of the extinct volcano PUOWAINA, popu- larly known as the Punchbowl because of its circular shape. The cemetery, which is administered by the Memorial Division of the Support Services of the Department of the Army, covers about 1121/2 acres. The memorial, at the far end of the central mall, is seen as one enters the gate.
Major objections having been found to all of the sites of temporary cemeteries of World War II in the Central and South Pacific regions, the Department of the Army in 1949 established the National Cemetery in Puowaina. This serves as one of the Nation's two honored resting places in the vast Pacific for the re- covered remains of those who gave their lives during World War II and whose return to the continental United States was not requested by their next of kin, the other shrine be-
The Memorial
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ing the American Military Cemetery at Manila. The unidentified remains of 800 of our Servicemen who died in Korea also rest in this cemetery as do the identified remains of those who died in that fighting and whose inter- ment here was specifically requested by the next of kin.
THE MEMORIAL
The memorial consists of the monu- mental stairs flanked by eight "Courts of the Missing." Crowning them is the Court of Honor and the chapel with its map galleries.
Close to the lower forecourt, and on each side, are parking areas for visi- tors' automobiles. There are a few ad- ditional parking spaces at the upper level, behind the memorial.
ARCHITECTS
Architects for the Memorial were Weihe, Frick & Kruse of San Fran- cisco, assisted locally by Theodore A. Vierra, Architect, of Honolulu. Landscape architects were Thompson & Thompson of Honolulu.
THE COURTS OF THE MISSING
At the far side of the lower forecourt is a stone bearing this inscription :
"IN THESE GARDENS ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND WHOSE EARTHLY REST- ING PLACE IS KNOWN ONLY TO GOD."
On the walls of the eight Courts of Missing are engraved the names of these 26,280 American heroes. Each of them was recorded as missing, or lost or buried at sea, in the Central, Northern, Southern and Western Pacific regions (but not the Southwest Pacific-its Missing are recorded at the Manila American Military Ceme- tery memorial). There is no record on the Memorial of those actually buried in the cemetery and having grave markers to identify them.
IN THESE GARDEN NAS A Mi
THE NAMES KHEN
:
WHO GAVE THEIR |1V)
IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR ALNY
AND WHOSE EARTHLY BEST. A TA
IS KNOWN ONLY TO 5.
Dedicatory Stone (U.S. Army Photograph)
The names are arranged alpha- betically by Service as follows (Courts are numbered 1 to 8 as shown on the plan of the memorial) :
World War II
United States Army and Courts Army Air Forces 1. 7,5
Names 3,947 11,742
United States Marine Corps.
2,4
2,370
United States Coast
Guard
4
34
18,093
Korea
United States Army
4, 6,8
6,320
United States Navy.
8
288
United States Marine Corps
8
663
United States Air Force.
8 916
8,187
The Dead here commemorated came from every State in the Union and the District of Columbia; others came from Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal Zone, Guam, the Philippines, Mexico, Can- ada, and Samoa.
1 It will be recalled that during World War II the Air Forces still formed part of the United States Army.
4
United States Navy. 5,3,1,2
Within a Court of The Missing (U.S. Army Photograph)
The names are engraved upon Trani marble which was quarried in south- eastern Italy.
In the center of each Court of the Missing is a frangipani tree (Plumeria acuminata) surrounded by low Ficus ramentacea. On the stairway side of the Courts are white flowering monkey pod trees (Albizzia lebbek) sur- rounded by allamanda shrubs (Alla-
manda cathartica) ; on the outer sides of the Courts is a hedge of orange jessamine (Murraya exotica), as well as rainbow shower (Cassia fistula and javanica) and Chinese banyan (Ficus retusa) trees. At the top of the slope are beds of cup of gold (Solandra guttata) and star jasmine (Jasminum pubescens) .
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THE CHAPEL AND MAP GALLERIES
In the Court of Honor are two flag- staffs. The two planting pockets in the center of this forecourt contain Fili- cium decipiens trees with Allamanda ground cover.
On the front of the central tower of the memorial structure. is the 30-foot female figure, with laurel branch, standing on the symbolized prow of a Navy Carrier, and proclaiming the poignant sympathy expressed by Presi- dent Lincoln to a bereaved Mother "THE SOLEMN PRIDE THAT MUST BE YOURS TO HAVE LAID SO COSTLY A SAC- RIFICE UPON THE ALTAR OF FREEDOM."
This sculpture was designed by Bruce Moore of Washington, D.C., as were the eagles over the entrances to the structure; the stone was carved by Filippo Cecchetti of Tivoli, and Ugo Quaglieri of Rome, Italy. At the foot of the tower is a small pool with jets. To the right and left of the tower are the map galleries. On the frieze of these galleries are inscribed the names of places which attained notable sig- nificance in the proud record of our Armed Services: PEARL HARBOR WAKE * CORAL SEA * MIDWAY * ATTU * SOLOMONS * GILBERTS * MARSHALLS * MARIANAS * LEYTE * IWO JIMA * OKI- NAWA * TOKYO * KOREA.
The Court of Honor (U.S. Army Photograph)
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Chapel Interior (U.S. Army Photograph)
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Window Grille with Cabochons (U.S. Army Photograph)
The maps in the galleries, all 10 feet high, were designed by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lahey of Vienna, Virginia from data prepared for the purpose by the American Battle Monuments Com- mission ; they were fabricated by Emilio Martelli of Florence, Italy under the technical supervision of Professor Bruno Bearzi of the same city, and of the Commission's Rome office. The maps are of scagliola, i.e., paintings on a special composition applied to a Carrara marble surface and glazed. Although scagliola has been used for centuries as one of the decorative fine arts, this application to maps is a novel development.
Following are the titles of the maps, together with their amplifying inscrip- tions.
GENERAL STRATEGY IN THE PACIFIC 1942-1945
1. EXPLOITING THEIR SUCCESSFUL ATTACK UPON PEARL HARBOR ON 7 DE- CEMBER 1941, THE JAPANESE STRUCK AT AMERICAN, BRITISH, CHINESE AND DUTCH TERRITORIES. THE UNITED STATES, FORCED INITIALLY UPON THE DEFENSIVE, NEVERTHELESS DETER-
MINED TO HOLD OPEN THE LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS TO AUSTRALIA, TO AID IN ITS DEFENSE, AND TO REGAIN HER STATUS IN THE PHILIPPINES. IN MAY AND JUNE 1942 THE ENEMY WAS CHECKED AT THE BATTLES OF THE CORAL SEA AND MIDWAY AND THE BAL- ANCE OF SEA POWER IN THE PACIFIC WAS RESTORED.
2. TO HALT THE JAPANESE ADVANCE IN THE SOLOMONS, U.S. FORCES TOOK THE OFFENSIVE, LANDING ON GUADAL- CANAL ON 7 AUGUST 1942. THE SUC- CESSION OF HARD-FOUGHT NAVAL BATTLES AND GRIM STRUGGLES ON LAND AND IN THE AIR WHICH FOLLOWED MARKED THE TURNING POINT OF THE PACIFIC WAR. IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW GUINEA, U.S. AND AUSTRALIAN FORCES REPULSED THE JAPANESE AND STARTED ON THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES. SUPPLIES FLOWN FROM INDIA OVER THE HIMALAYAS AIDED THE CHINESE EFFORT AGAINST THE IN- VADERS.
3. SUBMARINES PERSISTENTLY AT- TACKED JAPANESE SHIPS CARRYING OIL, RUBBER, AND OTHER MATERIALS ES- SENTIAL TO THE ENEMY'S INDUSTRY. RELENTLESS ASSAULT AGAINST HIS COMBAT AND MERCHANT SHIPS, FROM THE SEA AND FROM THE AIR, CONTIN- UED WITH EVER-INCREASING ATTRITION THROUGHOUT THE WAR.
4. TO PENETRATE THE ENEMY'S DE- FENCES AND GAIN BASES FROM WHICH AIRCRAFT COULD STRIKE AT THE JAP- ANESE HOME ISLANDS, THE UNITED STATES IN 1943 COMMITTED ITS FORCES IN A SUCCESSION OF TRIPHIBIOUS AS- SAULTS ALONG TWO MAIN AXES OF AD- VANCE. ONE THRUST CONTINUED THE ATTACKS NORTHWESTWARD SIMUL- TANEOUSLY THROUGH THE SOLOMONS AND ALONG THE COAST OF NEW GUINEA; THE OTHER CROSSED THE VAST REACHES OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC VIA THE GILBERT AND MARSHALL IS- LANDS, THEN THE MARIANAS (BRING- ING ON THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA) AND THE PALAUS. FAR TO THE NORTH OTHER AMERICAN FORCES EX- PELLED THE ENEMY FROM THE ALEU- TIANS. IN BURMA ALLIED FORCES
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The North Map Gallery
FOUGHT TO REOPEN THE OVERLAND SUPPLY ROUTE TO CHINA AND STIMU- LATE HER EFFORTS TO EJECT THE JAPANESE.
5. AFTER THE CAPTURE OF THE MARIANAS, BOMBERS FROM THESE ISLANDS JOINED THE ASSAULT ON JAPAN, ALREADY STARTED FROM AIR- FIELDS IN CHINA, WHICH DEVELOPED INTO CONTINUAL AND VIOLENT BOM- BARDMENT AIMED AT THE DESTRUC- TION OF THE ENEMY'S MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS.
6. THE LANDING AT LEYTE IN OCTO- BER 1944 LED TO THE DECISIVE NAVAL VICTORIES AT LEYTE GULF. LANDINGS ON LUZON, IWO JIMA, AND OKINAWA FOLLOWED IN RAPID SUCCESSION CARRYING AMERICAN FORCES TO THE ENEMY'S THRESHOLD. FAST CARRIER TASK FORCES COMING FROM THE CEN- TRAL PACIFIC JOINED IN THE BOM- BARDMENT OF JAPAN WHILE WAR- SHIPS SHELLED HER COASTAL STA-
TIONS. FOLLOWING THE DEVASTA- TION FROM THE AIR OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, THE JAPANESE GOV- ERNMENT SUED FOR PEACE; THE SUR- RENDER TERMS WERE SIGNED IN TOKYO BAY ON 2 SEPTEMBER 1945.
BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA 4-8 MAY 1942
BY MID-APRIL 1942, THE JAPANESE HAD ESTABLISHED BASES IN THE NEW GUINEA - SOLOMON ISLANDS AREA, THUS MENACING AUSTRALIA ITSELF. ON 3 MAY THEY OCCUPIED TULAGI, IN THE SOLOMONS. AIRCRAFT FROM THE U.S. CARRIER YORKTOWN ATTACKED TULAGI THE NEXT DAY SINKING AN ENEMY DESTROYER, SEVERAL MINE- SWEEPERS, SMALLER CRAFT AND SEA- PLANES. THE YORKTOWN TASK FORCE THEN TURNED SOUTH TO REN- DEZVOUS WITH U.S.S. LEXINGTON. ON 5 MAY THE ALLIED TASK FORCE MOVED
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NORTHWEST TO INTERCEPT THE JAP- ANESE PORT MORESBY INVASION GROUP WHICH WAS COVERED BY A POWERFUL AIRCRAFT CARRIER STRIKING FORCE.
ON 7 MAY, LEXINGTON AND YORK- TOWN AIRCRAFT SANK THE ENEMY CARRIER SHOHO; THE JAPANESE THEN WITHDREW THEIR AMPHIBIOUS INVA- SION FORCE. THAT SAME MORNING JAPANESE CARRIER AIRCRAFT SANK DE- STROYER SIMS AND DAMAGED OILER NEOSHO SO BADLY THAT SHE HAD TO BE SCUTTLED. THE CLIMACTIC CARRIER BATTLE OCCURRED ON 8 MAY. AMERI- CAN CARRIER AIRCRAFT, HAVING LO- CATED TWO LARGE JAPANESE CARRIERS, SHOKAKU AND ZUIKAKU, PROTECTED BY FOUR HEAVY CRUISERS, SEVERELY DAMAGED THE SHOKAKU. THE ENEMY IN TURN DAMAGED YORKTOWN AND LEXINGTON, THE LATTER BEING ABAN- DONED AND SUNK.
THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA, THE FIRST MAJOR NAVAL BATTLE IN WHICH ALL LOSSES WERE INFLICTED BY CAR- RIER-BASED AIRCRAFT WAS A STRATEGIC VICTORY OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE FOR THE U.S. NAVY. WHEN THE PORT MORESBY INVASION WAS THWARTED THE JAPANESE PUSH SOUTHWARDS WAS HALTED FOR THE FIRST TIME. OCCURRING IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SURRENDER OF CORREGIDOR, THE MORAL VALUE OF THE VICTORY WAS IMMEAS- URABLE. FURTHERMORE, DAMAGE TO SHOKAKU AND LARGE LOSS OF AIR- CRAFT BY ZUIKAKU PREVENTED THESE POWERFUL JAPANESE CARRIERS FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE CRUCIAL BATTLE OF MIDWAY.
BATTLE OF MIDWAY # 3-7 JUNE 1942
WHEN THEIR ADVANCE TOWARD AUS- TRALIA WAS CHECKED AT THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA, THE JAPANESE SHIFTED THE DIRECTION OF THEIR MAIN OFFENSIVE. ENEMY OCCUPATION FORCES, SUPPORTED BY THE JAPANESE COMBINED FLEET, MOVED AGAINST MID- WAY ISLAND, AND KISKA AND ATTU IN THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS. ON 4 JUNE AIRCRAFT FROM FOUR JAPANESE FLEET CARRIERS ATTACKED MIDWAY. IN ITS DEFENSE U.S. MARINE CORPS ANTIAIR-
CRAFT BATTERIES, AND LAND-BASED AIR- CRAFT MANNED BY MARINE, NAVY, AND ARMY AIR FORCES PILOTS, DESTROYED MORE THAN 40 JAPANESE AIRPLANES. THEREUPON NAVAL AIRCRAFT FROM U.S. CARRIERS ENTERPRISE, YORKTOWN, AND HORNET ATTACKED THE JAPANESE CARRIERS AND SANK FOUR OF THEM. ENEMY CARRIER-BASED AIRCRAFT AND A SUBMARINE IN TURN ATTACKED OUR CARRIERS AND SANK YORKTOWN AND DESTROYER HAMMANN. THE AGGRES- SIVE AMERICAN AIR RESISTANCE CAUSED THE JAPANESE MIDWAY OCCUPATION FORCE TO WITHDRAW WITHOUT AT- TEMPTING TO LAND, LOSING A CRUISER IN THE OPERATION.
FAR TO THE NORTH, JAPANESE AIR- PLANES FROM TWO OTHER CARRIERS BOMBED DUTCH HARBOR ON 3 AND 4 JUNE, MEETING RESISTANCE FROM U.S. NAVAL AND ARMY AIR FORCES AIRCRAFT. UNDER COVER OF THIS DIVERSION THE JAPANESE, WITHOUT OPPOSITION, OC- CUPIED THE ISLANDS OF ATTU AND KISKA ON 7 JUNE.
THE JAPANESE LOSS OF FOUR LARGE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND THEIR COM- PLEMENT OF 250 AIRCRAFT WITH MANY FIRST-LINE PILOTS REVERSED THE STATEGIC SITUATION IN THE PACIFIC. THIS WAS THE ENEMY'S LAST GREAT OFFENSIVE AGAINST AMERICAN TERRI- TORY. THEREAFTER THE UNITED STATES TOOK THE OFFENSIVE AND STARTED THE LONG ADVANCE TOWARD THE JAPANESE HOMELAND AND FINAL VICTORY.
NEW GUINEA AND THE SOLOMONS 4 MAY 1942-30 SEPTEMBER 1944
REACTING TO THEIR DEFEATS AT THE BATTLES OF THE CORAL SEA AND MID- WAY IN MAY AND JUNE 1942 WHICH RESTORED THE BALANCE OF SEA POWER IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, THE JAPANESE AIMED AT NEW GUINEA AND THE SOLO- MONS AS THEIR NEW OBJECTIVES. ON 21 JULY, THEY SEIZED BUNA AND GONA IN EASTERN NEW GUINEA, THEN CROSSED THE OWEN STANLEY RANGE TO WITHIN 30 MILES OF PORT MORESBY. THE JAPANESE ALSO STARTED TO BUILD AN AIRFIELD ON GUADALCANAL.
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TO BLOCK THE ADVANCE IN THE SOLOMONS WHICH THREATENED OUR VITAL SUPPLY LINE TO AUSTRALIA, U.S. FORCES TOOK THE OFFENSIVE, LAND- ING ON GUADALCANAL AND TULAGI ON 7 AUGUST 1942. THE ENEMY RE- SPONSE WAS PROMPT AND VIGOROUS. THE SERIES OF HARD-FOUGHT NAVAL BATTLES AND GRIM STRUGGLES ON LAND AND IN THE AIR WHICH FOL- LOWED MARKED THE EBBING OF THE JAPANESE ONSLAUGHT, ALTHOUGH THEIR TENACIOUS OPPOSITION FORCED US TO REINFORCE OUR LAND, SEA, AND AIR FORCES HEAVILY. SIX LONG MONTHS PASSED BEFORE AMERICAN TROOPS OVERRAN THE LAST JAPANESE POSITIONS ON GUADALCANAL.
SIMULTANEOUSLY, IN NEW GUINEA, THE AUSTRALIANS DROVE THE ENEMY BACK TO HIS BUNA-GONA BEACHHEAD AND DEFEATED ANOTHER JAPANESE FORCE AT MILNE BAY. AUSTRALIAN AND AMERICAN TROOPS THEN EX- PELLED THE JAPANESE FROM THEIR BEACHHEAD, AIDED BY THE ALLIED AIR FORCES WHICH вотн TRANS- PORTED TROOPS AND SUPPLIES AND ALSO CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED THE ENEMY.
DURING THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY 1943, AIR-TRANSPORTED AUSTRALIAN TROOPS REPULSED A THRUST AT WAU. IN MARCH, IN THE BATTLE OF THE BISMARCK SEA, U.S. AND AUSTRALIAN AIRCRAFT EXECUTED AN ANNIHILATING ATTACK ON A JAPANESE CONVOY AT- TEMPTING TO REINFORCE THEIR NEW GUINEA GARRISONS. IN JUNE, THE AL- LIES LAUNCHED HEAVY AIR ASSAULTS AGAINST THE STRONGHOLDS OF RABAUL AND KAVIENG; AFTER OCCUPYING WOODLARK AND KIRIWINA ISLANDS THEY OPENED SIMULTANEOUS AMPHIB- IOUS OFFENSIVES IN THE SOLOMONS AND NEW GUINEA. SEIZING RENDOVA, U.S. FORCES ASSAULTED NEW GEORGIA AND, AFTER A SEVERE STRUGGLE, CAP- TURED THE ENEMY AIRFIELD AT MUNDA, THEN MOVED ON VELLA LAVELLA. IN NEW GUINEA AUSTRALIAN AND U.S. FORCES CAPTURED SALAMAUA, LAE, AND FINSCHHAFEN. PRECEDED BY DIVER- SIONARY ATTACKS ON CHOISEUL AND
THE TREASURY ISLANDS, AMERICAN FORCES NEXT LANDED ON BOUGAIN- VILLE; LANDINGS ON NEW BRITAIN AND AT SAIDOR, NEW GUINEA, FOLLOWED. THE ENCIRCLEMENT OF RABAUL WAS COMPLETED WHEN OUR TROOPS SEIZED THE ADMIRALTIES IN FEBRUARY AND OC- CUPIED EMIRAU IN MARCH 1944. MEANWHILE A MAJOR COUNTEROFFEN- SIVE AGAINST OUR BOUGAINVILLE BEACHHEAD WAS REPULSED.
IN ORDER TO SPEED THE WESTWARD ADVANCE IN NEW GUINEA IT WAS NOW DECIDED TO BYPASS THE STRONG JAPA- NESE BASE AT WEWAK BY LEAPFROG- GING SOME 350 MILES TO HOLLANDIA, WITH A SECONDARY LANDING AT AITAPE TO THE EAST ; HERE A SEVERE STRUGGLE ENSUED. THEN, WHILE AUSTRALIAN TROOPS CONTINUED THE ADVANCE ON LAND, U.S. ARMY TROOPS, IN CLOSE TEAMWORK WITH U.S. NAVAL AND AIR FORCES, SEIZED WAKDE, BIAK, NOEM- FOOR, SANSAPOR, AND MOROTAI IN RAPID SUCCESSION. BY THE END OF SEPTEM- BER 1944, OUR FORCES WERE POISED FOR THE RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES.
ATTU # 11-30 MAY 1943
DURING THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY IN JUNE 1942 JAPANESE AIRCRAFT ATTACKED DUTCH HARBOR; THE EN- EMY THEN OCCUPIED ATTU AND KISKA TO BLOCK A POSSIBLE AMERICAN AD- VANCE. IN AUGUST AMERICAN FORCES STARTED WESTWARD ALONG THE ALEU- TIAN CHAIN, CONSTRUCTING AIRFIELDS AND NAVAL BASES. DESPITE PERSIST- ENTLY HAZARDOUS WEATHER U.S. NAVAL FORCES, THE ELEVENTH AIR FORCE, AND CANADIAN AIRCRAFT AT- TACKED THE ENEMY AT EVERY OPPOR- TUNITY. JAPANESE EFFORTS TO SEND REINFORCEMENTS WERE HALTED AT THE NAVAL BATTLE OF THE KOMAN- DORSKI ISLANDS, WEST OF ATTU, ON 26 MARCH 1943.
BYPASSING KISKA, THE U.S. NAVY NORTH PACIFIC FORCE SAILED FOR ATTU, A MOUNTAINOUS ISLAND 40 MILES LONG BY 15 MILES WIDE. ON 11 MAY THE REINFORCED 7TH INFAN- TRY DIVISION LANDED NORTH AND
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SOUTH OF THE JAPANESE, WHO HELD ONLY THE EAST END OF THE ISLAND. THE TROOPS MADE GOOD PROGRESS ASHORE IN SPITE OF FOG, TREACHEROUS TUNDRA, AND PRECIPITOUS SNOW-COV- ERED MOUNTAINS, UNTIL THEY EN- COUNTERED STIFF RESISTANCE ON BOTH FRONTS. ALTHOUGH SUPPORTED BY NAVAL GUNFIRE, AND BY ARMY AND NAVY AIRCRAFT WHENEVER THE WEATHER PERMITTED, THE ADVANCE WAS COSTLY AND DIFFICULT.
FINALLY ON 16 MAY THE NORTHERN FORCE BROKE THROUGH THE SKILL- FUL, DETERMINED DEFENSE. THERE- UPON OUR INFANTRY CAPTURED PREN- DERGAST AND GILBERT RIDGES, THEN SEIZED POSITIONS ON FISHHOOK RIDGE. ON THE NIGHT OF 28-29 MAY, THE ENEMY PUSHED A SUICIDAL COUN- TERATTACK 31/2 MILES THROUGH A GAP IN THE LINES UNTIL HALTED BY U.S. ARMY ENGINEERS AND ARTILLERYMEN; ORGANIZED RESISTANCE ENDED ON 30 MAY.
THE STRATEGIC SOUNDNESS OF BY- PASSING KISKA WAS THEN DEMON- STRATED. WHEN AMERICANS AND CANADIANS LANDED ON THAT ISLAND ON 15 AUGUST, THE JAPANESE HAD ALREADY DEPARTED.
BATTLE FOR TARAWA ATOLL 20-23 NOVEMBER 1943
TOWARD THE END OF 1943 THE UNITED STATES COMMITTED ITS FORCES IN AN ADVANCE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC TO CONVERGE WITH ITS THRUSTS THROUGH NEW GUINEA AND THE SOLOMONS. THE INITIAL EFFORT WAS AGAINST MAKIN AND TARAWA IN THE GILBERT ISLANDS, TO GAIN BASES FOR AN ATTACK ON THE MARSHALLS. FAST CARRIER STRIKES BY THE FIFTH FLEET AND BOMBING ATTACKS BY THE SEVENTH AIR FORCE, WHICH HAD BEEN STARTED DURING THE SUMMER, WERE INTENSIFIED IN PREPARATION FOR THE ASSAULT. ON 20 NOVEMBER, USING ITS FIRE SUPPORT, THE NORTHERN ATTACK FORCE LANDED THE 165TH AND ELE- MENTS OF THE 105TH INFANTRY REGI- MENTS OF THE ARMY'S 27TH DIVISION ON MAKIN. OVERCOMING STUBBORN
DEFENSE THE TROOPS SECURED THE ATOLL.
SIMULTANEOUSLY THE SOUTHERN ATTACK FORCE, LIKEWISE COVERED BY NAVAL AND AERIAL BOMBARDMENT, LANDED FIVE BATTALIONS OF THE 2D AND 8TH REGIMENTS OF THE 2D MARINE DIVISION ON BETIO, THE STRONGHOLD OF TARAWA ATOLL. THE CHAIN OF PILLBOXES, GUN EMPLACEMENTS AND RIFLE PITS HAD NOT BEEN DESTROYED BY THE BOMBARDMENT AND THE DE- FENDERS TOOK A HEAVY TOLL OF ALL WHO APPROACHED THE ISLAND. BY NIGHTFALL TWO SMALL BEACHHEADS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED ON THE NORTH SHORE.
REINFORCED ON 21 NOVEMBER, THE MARINES FOUGHT THEIR WAY ACROSS THE ISLAND. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY THE 6TH MARINES, FROM THEIR WEST- ERN LANDING BEACH, ADVANCED ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE TO LINK UP WITH THE 2D, AND THEN IN COOPERATION WITH THE 8TH, TO EXTEND THE FRONT- LINE TO THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE AIR- FIELD. ON 23 NOVEMBER, THE 2D DI- VISION CLEARED THE REMAINDER OF THE ISLAND.
ROI-NAMUR # 1-2 FEBRUARY 1944
EVEN BEFORE THE AMPHIBIOUS AS- SAULTS UPON THE GILBERT ISLANDS WERE LAUNCHED, THE NEXT STEP IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC ADVANCE, THE AIR ATTACK UPON THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, WAS INITIATED. AS EARLY AS NOVEMBER 1943 AIRCRAFT OF THE SEV- ENTH AIR FORCE AND CARRIER-BASED AIRPLANES OF THE FIFTH FLEET STARTED THE PRELIMINARY BOMBARD- MENT OF THE MARSHALLS; IN DECEM- BER AND JANUARY THE ATTACKS WERE PROGRESSIVELY INTEN SIFIED.
ON 29 JANUARY 1944 FIRE SUPPORT UNITS OF THE FIFTH FLEET JOINED IN THE BOMBARDMENT OF ROI AND NA- MUR, THE TWIN NORTHERNMOST ISLANDS OF KWAJALEIN ATOLL. THEN ON 31 JANUARY THE SIX ISLETS TO THE SOUTH OF, AND CLOSEST TO ROI AND NAMUR, WERE SEIZED BY THE 25TH MARINES OF THE 4TH MARINE
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DIVISION WHICH EMPLACED ARTILLERY TO FIRE IN SUPPORT OF THE MAIN ATTACK.
ON 1 FEBRUARY, THE 23D MARINES LANDED ON ROI WHILE THE 24TH MA- RINES LANDED ON NAMUR. OVERCOM- ING THE JAPANESE GARRISON THE 23D MARINES PUSHED FORWARD AND CAP- TURED ROI BEFORE NIGHTFALL. THE 24TH MARINES ENCOUNTERED MUCH STRONGER RESISTANCE ON NAMUR AND THEIR ADVANCE WAS STOPPED AFTER THEY HAD ESTABLISHED A BEACHHEAD 500 YARDS DEEP. ON 2 FEBRUARY, THEY RESUMED THE ATTACK WITH RE- NEWED AGGRESSIVENESS AND EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON NAMUR WAS DE CLARED SECURE.
KWAJALEIN ISLAND 1-4 FEBRUARY 1944
TO THE SOUTH, ARMY AND NAVAL AIRCRAFT COOPERATED IN THE PRELIM- INARY BOMBARDMENT OF KWAJALEIN, THE LARGEST ISLAND IN THE ATOLL, AS THEY HAD AGAINST ROI AND NAMUR IN THE NORTH. HERE, TOO, THE SHIPS OF THE FIFTH FLEET TOOK THE ISLAND UNDER HEAVY FIRE COMMENCING ON 30 JANUARY 1944. THE NEXT DAY THE 17TH INFANTRY OF THE 7TH DIVISION SEIZED FOUR ISLETS TO THE NORTH OF KWAJALEIN, AND ARTILLERY WAS EMPLACED.
ON 1 FEBRUARY, COVERED BY ARMY AND NAVAL AIR SUPPORT, GUNFIRE OF THE SHIPS, AND BY ITS OWN ARTILLERY, THE 7TH DIVISION LANDED ITS 32D AND 184TH INFANTRY REGIMENTS ON THE NARROW WESTERN END OF KWAJALEIN. THE TWO REGIMENTS ADVANCED STEAD- ILY AND BY NIGHTFALL HAD ESTAB- LISHED A BEACHHEAD ALMOST A MILE DEEP. THE ATTACK CONTINUED ON THE TWO SUCCEEDING DAYS AGAINST INCREASING RESISTANCE, WHICH WAS FINALLY BEATEN DOWN; CAPTURE OF THE ISLAND WAS COMPLETED ON THE AFTERNOON OF 4 FEBRUARY. THE RE- MAINING ISLETS COMPRISING KWAJA- LEIN ATOLL WERE TAKEN BY 5 FEBRU- ARY. IN THE MEANTIME OUR FORCES LANDED ON MAJURO ATOLL IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE GROUP.
IN THE WESTERN MARSHALLS, BE- TWEEN 17 AND 22 FEBRUARY, THE 22D MARINES WITH THE 106TH INFANTRY OF THE 27TH DIVISION TOOK ENIWE- TOK ATOLL, BRINGING OUR FORCES CLOSER TO THE NEXT OBJECTIVE, THE MARIANAS. THE JALUIT, MILLE, MA- LOELAP, AND WOTJE ATOLLS OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS WERE BYPASSED AND REMAINED IN JAPANESE HANDS UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR.
THE MARIANAS 15 JUNE-10 AUGUST 1944
1. TO PENETRATE THE ENEMY'S DE- FENSES AND GAIN BASES FROM WHICH AIRCRAFT COULD STRIKE AT THE JAP- ANESE HOME ISLANDS, THE UNITED STATES UNDERTOOK TO SEIZE THE MARIANA ISLANDS IN THE SUMMER OF 1944. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE LANDINGS, FAST CARRIER TASK FORCES AND AIRCRAFT OF THE SEV- ENTH AIR FORCE CONDUCTED PRELIM- INARY BOMBARDMENTS OF THE TARGET AREA.
2. ON 15 . JUNE 1944, UNDER COVER OF AIR AND NAVAL BOMBARDMENT BY THE FIFTH FLEET, THE 2D AND 4TH MARINE DIVISIONS OF THE V AMPHIB- IOUS CORPS LANDED ON SAIPAN. THE JAPANESE REACTION WAS IMMEDIATE AND VIGOROUS; THEIR CARRIER TASK FORCE STEAMED TOWARD THE MAR- IANAS TO MEET THE AMERICAN AM- PHIBIOUS EFFORT. IN THE ACTION THAT FOLLOWED, THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA ON 19-20 JUNE, JAP- ANESE CARRIER AVIATION WAS SUB- STANTIALLY IMPAIRED AS A MAJOR FORCE IN THE WAR.
3. MEANWHILE THE MARINES AND THE ARMY'S 27TH INFANTRY DIVISION FOUGHT ACROSS THEIR WAY THE ISLAND AGAINST DETERMINED RESIST- ANCE. THEY THEN TURNED NORTH- WARD AND SEIZED THE DOMINATING HEIGHTS OF MT. TAPOTCHAU ON 25 AND 26 JUNE. ON THE LATTER NIGHT AN ENEMY ATTEMPT TO BREAK OUT OF HIS ISOLATED POSITION ON NAFUTAN POINT WAS DECISIVELY DEFEATED.
AMERICAN FORCES CONTINUED
TO
13
PRESS THE ATTACK AGAINST THE MASS OF THE ENEMY, SLOWLY FORCING HIM NORTHWARD. FINALLY, ON THE NIGHT OF 6-7 JULY, THE JAPANESE MADE A DESPERATE LAST EFFORT; THEIR FURIOUS ASSAULT WAS REPULSED AND TWO DAYS LATER THE ISLAND WAS DECLARED SECURE.
4. ON 24 JULY, AFTER A LENGTHY PREPARATORY BOMBARDMENT BY U.S. SHIPS, AIRCRAFT, AND ARTILLERY FIR- ING FROM SAIPAN, THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION FOLLOWED BY THE 2D MA- RINE DIVISION LANDED ON NORTHERN TINIAN. AFTER NINE DAYS OF SEVERE FIGHTING, WITH CONTINUOUS SUPPORT BY SEVENTH AIR FORCE AND CARRIER AIRCRAFT AND BY NAVAL GUNFIRE, THE MARINES SECURED THE ISLAND.
5. PRECEDED BY ONE OF THE HEAVI- EST SUSTAINED NAVAL AND AIR BOM- BARDMENTS CONDUCTED IN THE PA- CIFIC, THE 3D MARINE DIVISION AND THE 1ST MARINE BRIGADE OF THE III AMPHIBIOUS CORPS MADE TWO SEPA- RATE LANDINGS ON THE WESTERN SHORES OF GUAM ON 21 JULY. ON 24 JULY THE 77TH INFANTRY DIVISION AS- SUMED CONTROL OF THE SOUTHERN BEACHHEAD. THE NEXT DAY, WHILE THE 3D MARINE DIVISION CONTINUED ITS ASSAULT TO GAIN THE HIGH GROUND TO ITS FRONT, THE 1ST MARINE BRIGADE BEGAN TO CLEAR THE OROTE PENINSULA. THAT NIGHT THE CRISIS CAME ON BOTH FRONTS WHEN THE JAPANESE LAUNCHED SPIRITED BUT UNSUCCESSFUL COUNTERATTACKS AGAINST BOTH UNITS.
6. THE INDIVIDUAL BEACHHEADS WERE THEN LINKED TOGETHER AND AMERICAN LINES CONSOLIDATED. SUP- PORTED BY ARMY, NAVY, AND MARINE CORPS AIRCRAFT, THE 77TH INFANTRY DIVISION AND THE 3D MARINE DIVISION LAUNCHED A COORDINATED ATTACK TO- WARD THE NORTH END OF THE ISLAND WHERE THE JAPANESE HAD CONCEN- TRATED THEIR FORCES. BY 10 AUGUST ORGANIZED RESISTANCE HAD CEASED.
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