Leader at Battle
p. 156 · Read in the full issue
of Tarawa dies in U.S.
General Holland M. Smith, who led the costly but successful US Marine assaults against the Japanese at Tarawa Atoll in the Gilberts in November, 1943, died in January in the US aged 84.
The Battle of Tarawa was one of the bloodiest and fiercest of World War 11. US Marines went ashore in assault waves at Betio Islet to encounter a withering crossfire from entrenched Japan ese.
In three days of fighting 1,026 Marines were killed and 2J557 wounded. But about 4,000 Japan ese, virtually the whole garrison, were also killed and the atoll was taken.
General Smith, who was known as “Howling Mad” Smith, also led US Marine assaults against the Japanese at Saipan and Iwo Jima. For his Tarawa victory he was deemed “the father of modern amphibious warfare”.