[snippy_about_it]

Tarawa did turn out to be a "productive proving ground" for the amphibious doctrine. In fact every subsequent move in the drive across the central pacific was to be made with the mistakes of Tarawa in mind. The lessons learned and adjustments made to the doctrine helped take the Marshalls twice as fast with half the casualties. The practical lessons of amphibious warfare [at Tarawa] provided for adjustments and improvements in all six parts of the doctrine. But what must be recognized and remembered about Tarawa was that it was the individual marine, his courage, bravery and training which bought the victory and time for adjustment which sold the doctrine.



The doctrine may have been sound, and the correct method to seize an enemy base, island or hostile shore, but it was in disarray and failing on Tarawa. It took the Marines to catch and save it from failure; Marines who relied on traditional bedrock foundations of the Corps. Edwin Hoyt put it best, "without the heroism of the Marines at Tarawa, the entire course of the Central Pacific might have changed." Tarawa should not stand as the proof of amphibious doctrine, but as the symbol of raw courage and Marine tradition.

Additional Sources:

www.mcu.usmc.mil
www.history.navy.mil
www.ibiblio.org

[Iris7]

The obvious lack of proper reconnaissance of the reef structure made necessary that 700 yard wade into machine gun fire. Using the imagination I see how difficult that long wade in was.

Notice that United States Army dogfaces waded in with the Marines. An old Okinawa Marine once straightened be out about the US Army. I was told in no uncertain terms that he would tolerate only respectful reference to the men of the US Army.

Admiral Nimitz (he took care of his men) began the Navy combat swimmers so something like Tarawa would not happen again. Swimmer teams later in the war made reef and beach reconnaissances; these teams came to be called Underwater Demolition Teams, generally referred to as UDT, and nowadays called SEAL Teams. SEAL trainees still make an open ocean swim that takes all night to finish.

[Sword_Svalbardt]

Nasty amphibious landing, we received a sampling of what the Japanese would deliver throughout the rest of the war - dug in to their eyeballs. Tarawa was a logistic learning curve in amphibious operations.

Critics in the past have brought out points about whether the bombardment was long enough, or if the air to ground phase was sufficient to do the job.

In the end, as we see now in Iraq - a far call from an amphibious landing, the ground pounder was the ultimate weapon. American fortitude and discipline won the day. The price was expensive as is the wages of war in all times.

My grandfather's served in wartime, my mother's father was a B-24 Liberator pilot during the first raid on Ploesti. No comparison, but in the end a major "lessons learned" file was compiled in both cases.

The american has more tenacity, and more discipline than other fighting forces, because we have so much to lose. The price of freedom is exponentially more expensive than the price of socialism.

Good post, great art work.

Thanx.

SS