Battle for Kwajalein
| date | January 31 to February 3, 1944 |
|---|---|
| place | Kwajalein Atoll , Marshall Islands |
| output | American victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 8,100 | 42,000 |
| losses | |
|
7,870 dead |
372 dead |
The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Kwajalein Atoll during the 1944 Pacific War, code-named Operation Flintlock . The fighting lasted from January 31 to February 3, 1944.
Kwajalein is an atoll and belongs to the group of Marshall Islands . After the Americans had drawn their conclusions from the tough battle for Tarawa , this time they attacked the main island from north and south simultaneously. The Japanese defenders stubbornly resisted, although they were clearly inferior. 8000 Japanese a few hundred survived the fighting, as many preferred to, suicide or committing to sacrifice themselves in battle, but to surrender.
For the USA , the victory meant another successful stage in " island hopping " and a moral success, as an island within Japanese territory was conquered for the first time . The Japanese finally realized that their beach defense tactics had failed. In later battles, the Japanese concentrated in the interior of the islands, causing far greater losses for the United States.
The atoll
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The Kwajalein Atoll is the heart of the Marshall Islands and is approximately 3,900 kilometers from Hawaii . The atoll consists of 97 islands and covers an area of 6.33 square kilometers. The atoll encloses one of the world's largest lagoons with an area of 839 square kilometers. Important islands are the Kwajalein Island in the south and the island chain of Roi-Namur in the north.
background
The Marshall Islands were part of the Japanese defense sector even before Japan entered the war. The ports there were used as supply bases for submarines and ships. Air raids against other archipelagos such as Samoa or the Fiji islands were to be carried out from there later . After the Americans took Tarawa and Makin in the Battle of the Gilbert Islands , their next step was against the Marshall Islands. The islands had been a German colony before World War I and then assigned to the Japanese. The islands were completely sealed off from the outside world by the Japanese army and it was internationally suspected that the Japanese erected forbidden fortifications there. The Japanese perceived the attack on the Marshall Islands as the first attack on Japanese homeland.
As early as 1921, the USA recognized the strategic importance of the Marshall Islands and integrated them into plans for a possible conflict with Japan.
After the loss of the Solomon Islands and New Guinea in 1943, the Japanese leadership had only weak forces for the defense of the Marshall Islands. The decisive battle against the USA should take place closer to Japan. Nevertheless, the troops there were reinforced at the end of 1943. The islands' commander, Admiral Masashi Kobayashi , had 28,000 troops at his disposal, but he lacked aircraft.
Japanese preparation
Although the Japanese had ten years to fortify, the positions were nowhere near as well developed as on Tarawa , which was turned into a fortress in 18 months. In addition, less than half of the Japanese were trained to fight; the rest were workers and auxiliary troops. Because as early as September 1943, the Japanese high command had written off the Marshall Islands as lost, and the enemy was only to be stopped there for a short time. The available tanks were distributed all over the atoll and had lost their effectiveness. There were about 8,000 men on Kwajalein, including many Korean workers. These troops were poorly equipped and poorly trained.
Most of the defenses on the atoll did not go deep and were aimed at the ocean, only a few bunkers covered the lagoon. Mines were hardly used. The greatest defensive advantage was the strength of the Japanese Air Force , which consisted of several squadrons of fighters and bombers. However, throughout November, American carrier aircraft attacked the airfields and destroyed 71 aircraft, not all of which could be replaced due to the war situation. It was therefore clear that the defenders should only stop the Americans, not defeat them.
American preparation
Since the Japanese positions were known due to the decryption of the radio code, the Americans planned to establish themselves first on the outer Marshall Islands. Later, however , Admiral Chester Nimitz changed the plan and decided to go straight to Kwajalein, the heart of the islands. The operation was called Operation Flintlock.
There were two main targets: the islands of Roi-Namur in the north were to be attacked by the 4th US Marine Division under Major General Harry Schmidt , the island of Kwajalein by Major General Corlett's 7th Infantry Division of the US Army . To ensure the success of the operation, control of the airspace and the waters around the islands was necessary. Therefore the airfields on Roi-Namur were attacked and badly damaged. Other airfields in the region were also constantly exposed to US bomber attacks. Before the main attack, a smaller island nearby, Majuro , had been taken without loss.
The attack
The US attack began on January 31, 1944 with the capture of a few smaller islands that were used as artillery bases in support of the main attack the next day. Since the Japanese had not realized, despite the defeat, that the American amphibious tanks could also cross coral reefs, they were surprised that the Americans attacked from the lagoon.
The original plan was to destroy the landing head with a large counterattack. The beginning artillery bombardment wreaked havoc: almost all positions were destroyed and the Americans were able to land without any problems. On the evening of February 1, the Americans estimated that of the 5,000 defenders on the island of Kwajalein, at most 1,500 were still alive. The Americans also made rapid progress in the north of the atoll and were able to take the airfield of Roi-Namur on the first day . However, a major explosion occurred when a group of engineers accidentally blew up an ammunition bunker . 21 Marines were killed and dozen injured. Of the 3,500 defenders, only 51 survived. Of the 42,000 attackers, 372 soldiers died.
consequences
The attack proved American superiority and showed a clear tactical improvement over the attack on Tarawa. This enabled the troops to advance much faster and capture the Eniwetok atoll on February 17, 1944 . The Japanese realized that they would not have had a chance with a direct beach defense and shifted their positions inland, which later led to considerably higher American losses, for example in Guam .
