Craters.

This is coolbert:

Put this one in the "I wish they hadn't done that" category.

Prior to the U.S. Marine invasion of Tarawa, 1943, the U.S. Navy put on an impressive show of shore bombardment. A whole host of combat vessels, destroyers, cruisers, battleships, bombarded the Japanese held island with naval gunfire.

Destruction and suppression of the defenders was the goal.

An immense amount of shellfire from large caliber weapons was directed at the island and the sight was again, impressive. A huge cloud of dust and debris was suspended above the island prior to the amphibious assault of the Marines.

[additional attack by naval aircraft on Tarawa was actually called off as the incoming attack aircraft could not see with accuracy targets to bomb and strafe such was the cloud hanging over Tarawa!!]

From all appearances, all opposition on the island by rights should have been dead, stunned or just plain non-effective.

Click here to see a web site that describes the naval gunfire bombardment of Tarawa.

[this turned out NOT to be the case. That it was not so is the subject for another blog entry.]

Much to the chagrin of the Marines and the Navy, this bombardment actually created circumstances that were to the detriment of the Marines.

Large caliber shells from battleships, landing short and hitting in the shallows surrounding the landing beaches, created large craters that were a danger to men and machines both. Whereas men wading ashore would normally be in water up to their waist or knees, these craters were deep and presented a significant, dangerous and fatal obstacle. A lot of Marines fell into the craters, and weighed down by their equipment, drowned.

Tanks too, supporting the landings, and disembarking from suitable landing craft, would drive into a crater, flood the engine, and become marooned. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT of armor supporting the initial landings just DID NOT MAKE IT ASHORE due to crater obstacles!!

It was only in the end that the bravery and determination of the Marines prevailed and that the Battle of Tarawa was finally won, albeit at very high cost to the Marines.

coolbert.