Battle of Tarawa - Term Paper Example

Task Battle of Tarawa The Battle of Tarawa was a proof of concept of the United s Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Doctrine. The drive for the Pacific during the Second World War began in the Gilbert Islands as part of a strategy laid out by Operation Galvanic. The amphibious landing at Tarawa had technological implications that helped shape the outcome of the battle. The Battle of Tarawa affected future amphibious operations in the pacific since it introduced warfare using the marine. The battle started after the Japanese had attacked the Pearl Harbor in 1941.Tarawa had a series of coral outlets and it lay in a strategic position for the military to conduct their activities. The battle was meant to stop the Japanese operations in the central regions of the pacific and the Americans initiated it. The United States marine force was the only ones that used amphibious warfare, but were opposed for the first time by the Japanese during this war. After this war, it was discovered that amphibious warfare played a big role in aiding military operations in inaccessible areas. The Political and Strategic Considerations Facing the Americans in the Central Pacific In 1943 Tarawa was the first attempt of the Americans to use amphibious warfare against a highly guarded beach. The United States were fighting to capture the island of Tarawa from the Japanese so that they could use it for their pacific military operations. During this time, the World War II was progressing into the pacific and the U.S navy needed a base in the east to launch their attacks. This was because they needed to be close to the places they were to launch attacks on and Tarawa provided the most viable base (Tucker 515). The Marianas islands were also a strategic position for the United States navy to launch attacks and hound the Japanese away. These islands provided a close range to access the Philippines, Japan and other areas in the pacific. The islands of Tarawa provided a good base that the United States military would use to capture the Marianas islands hence they needed to base their operation there so that they could capture the Island easily by attacking the Japanese army. The Japanese also knew the importance of this island sand they had increased their defense over the land so that they could use it to conduct their defense operations. The battle started on November 20, 1943 and lasted for three days, but it is among the most callous assaults involving the marines. Since the islands were inaccessible, the United States marine used the sea to launch attacks on the Japanese soldiers who had not incorporated this technology into their defense mechanisms. The United States believed that the Japanese could only be defeated by amphibious attacks and they had strategized to defeat Germany, increase pressure on Japan to leave the islands and to keep China in the war (Langone 363). Why the Central Pacific Drive Begun In the Gilbert Islands The central pacific drive was stated in the Gilbert Islands because of their strategic position. They were a territory of the British but were taken up by the Japanese in 1941.they are north and west of other islands that were owned by the Japanese and were south and east of other important bases suitable for defense. These islands provided a suitable place for the Japanese forces to get access to the other parts of their territory since it was accessible unlike other areas. The United States navy aimed at this island so that they could secure a base for attacks on the Japanese. This island would offer good communication channels and other services that would aid in increasing pressure on the Japanese. Attacks from the gilberts islands would foster the United States efforts to attack the Japanese strong holds and this is why capturing the Gilbert Islands was of significant importance. The Key Operational Concerns during the Planning Of Operation Galvanic The Operation Galvanic was started by the United States navy and was intended to take over control of the Gilbert Islands. Since the lands the US wanted to capture were had a difficult terrain to maneuver, a combination of military forces had to be applied. Three major task forces had been established to reach this endeavor of capturing Tarawa, Makin, and Apamama islands. Task force 50 was responsible for establishing and maintaining air superiority by providing aerial guidance to the soldiers on the ground. They could search the ground, provide fighter protection, and patrol over the lands so that capturing the Japanese forces would be defeated easily. Task force 54 was responsible for the amphibious attacks and was halved. Task force 52 was supposed to capture the Makin islands using the marine forces, while task 53 was to capture Tarawa and Apamama. Task force 57 was operating from Ellice, Phoenix, and Samoan islands and they were responsible for conducting photographic investigations, attacks and long-range searches, which would aid in launching attacks. There were several operational concerns including inaccessibility of the targets and lack of a consensus on the method to use to acquire the lands (Antill). The reef and tides made some areas inaccessible for the marines and they would make use of the times when the tide was low to access the areas of interest. Landing Of the Battle of Tarawa The landing was on 20 November and was faced with obstacles since the first day of the landing. They came in during the low tide and the boats had to get out of the boats while far from the shores. The marine were faced by difficulties getting to the shores because it was not easy to move to the shores since the Japanese were attacking them and it was hard to walk in the water. The next morning more marines and supplies were brought and now they were able to move inland to start their attacks for the next three days. During the battle of Tarawa, the amphibian assault vehicle (AAS) worked to the advantage of the Americans because they were able to maximize it to the fullest. Individuals were able to identify the limitations and know how they can work with them. The amphibian assault vehicle operated and maneuvered in the open sea, on the rough surface sea and on good constructed roads. This vehicle was advantageous to work with as it was able to conduct ground combat element by providing Amor, and this was extended in both waters and land. The work of the amphibian assault vehicle was to aid the landing of heavy elements that need to have access to inland objectives (Carafano 30). It also assisted in any mechanical operation that needed technical support. Technological Implication of the Landing Amphibious operation used a sophisticated C2 operating system for passing information fast and in and adequate manner. C4 systems provided holds up to efficient C2 system; these systems were exceptionally strong and capable like the amphibious force. The C4 system did provide an efficient plan that aided in provision of tactical from the humanitarian aid to the assault operations. The amphibian force was be able to come up with arrangements that were able to cater for fire, intelligence, aviation and combat departments both in waters and in land. C4 system hold up did function in agreement with the control communication, principle for authority and computer systems. The C4 system was resourceful and it ensured provision of an efficient plan that took into account operational requirements. The C4 offered protection to the C2 systems and reduced distortions of the electromagnetic spectrum; it also provided support to amphibian forces by connecting them to the joint communication electronic operations. The C4 reduced friendly attacks from other networks through the help of joint frequency network and they shielded the tactical computer networks and those that were not included in the tactical computer networks. Their radios were not well sheltered from the waters hence they did not work when reached the beaches. Marine attacks were not exceptionally successful because the Japanese hid in bunkers and pillboxes. Nearly half of the causalities were due to high tides that resulted in capsizing of the boats that were hidden by the reefs. This implied that they had to improve their technologies in order to participate satisfactorily in the war. What Happened At Tarawa and the Impact of These Events on Future Amphibious Operations in the Pacific? The battle of Tarawa marked the start of the largest amphibious operations on the pacific and it changed the marine operations during the World War II period. The United States won the battle but it brought many deaths in Japan. The United States lost over 1500 people while Japanese populace had a casualty level of nearly 5000. America gained the Tarawa Island, which they would use to launch their attacks. This battle enabled the countries to increase their technological knowhow on the marine warfare, and this has affected the amphibious operations positively since new technologies were discovered. The navy had to strategize ways of maneuvering through the areas that were hard for defense operations to be used. An amphibious approach enabled the United States marine to launch attacks from sea and this was a major breakthrough in the marine defense. Before, ships and planes were not used to destroy the enemy’s territory, but the Tarawa war saw this possible when the United States army overwhelmed the Japanese army and took over the Tarawa islands. The technologies used in the Tarawa war have been improved nowadays to manufacture sophisticated machinery used in marine warfare. Works Cited Antill, Peter. Operation Galvanic (1): The Battle for Tarawa November 1943, 22 January 2002. Web. November 18, 2011. Carafano, James J. GI Ingenuity: Improvisation, Technology, And Winning World War II: War Technology and History. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006.Pp 12-38. Print. Langone, Louis. The Star in the Window: Select Stories of World War II Veterans. Bloomington: IUniverse. Pp 362-365. Print. Stockman, James. The Battle for Tarawa, 2003. Historical Section, Division of Public Information Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps 1947. Tucker, Spencer. Battles That Changed History: An Encyclopedia of World Conflict, 2010. California: ABC-CLIO. Pp 514-518. Read More