1942 - US Army Center Of Military History

[ 23–25 NOVEMBER 1943 ]
to E end of airfield. 1st Bn of 8th Marines, attached
to 2d Marines, attacks strongpoint between Red
Beaches 2 and 1 and succeeds in containing it.
Thus by end of day enemy is compressed into E part
of Betio beyond airfield and retains pocket between
Red Beaches 1 and 2. 3d Bn, 6th Marines, lands on
Green Beach and moves forward along S coast behind
1st Bn, 6th Marines. Gen Julian Smith establishes
CP ashore. During night 22–23, Japanese
counterattacks are repelled by 1st Bn, 6th Marines.
SWPA—As planning for invasion of New
Britain continues, Gen MacArthur decides to make
subsidiary effort at Arawe.
NEW GUINEA—Aus 9th Div continues to struggle
for Sattelberg, 26th Brig reaching S slopes.
ITALY—15th Army Group: In Br Eighth Army
area, 5 Corps now has 5 bns on N bank of the
Sangro.
23 November
MAKIN ATOLL—Organized resistance on Butaritari
I. ends at 1030 when advance elements of
3d Bn, 165th Inf, reach tip of island. Re–embarkation
of assault forces begins.
TARAWA ATOLL—3d Bn of 6th Marines, attacking
through 1st Bn, reaches the end of Betio
shortly after 1300, and Gen Julian Smith reports
the end of organized resistance on Betio at 1330.
8th Marines, less 1st Bn, moves to Bairiki. 2d Bn,
6th Marines, moves from Bairiki to Betio and is
given task of securing rest of islands in Tarawa
Atoll. 3d Bn, 10th Marines, moves to village of
Eita, where 3d Platoon of Co D, 2d Tank Bn, is
attached to it.
BOUGAINVILLE—3d Mar Div, still strongly opposed
in Piva forks area, begins regrouping. 1st
Mar Para Bn arrives.
BURMA—In N Burma, Japanese overrun CP of
112th Regt, Ch 38th Div.
I TALY—15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth
Army’s II Corps area, 1st Special Service Force
(SSF), a highly trained group of Canadians and
Americans under Col Robert T. Frederick, is attached
to 36th Div.
24 November
MAKIN ATOLL—RCT 165, less 3d Bn, leaves for
Hawaii. 3d Bn and miscellaneous units are left
behind to conduct minor mopping up operations
and to support construction forces. Command is
turned over to Col Clesen H. Tenney, Garrison
Force commander. 27th Div casualties for Makin
total 218, of whom 58 are killed and 8 die of wounds.
Enemy casualties, aside from those subsequently
inflicted during the mop–up, are estimated at 550,
including 105 prisoners. Japanese submarine sinks
[ 149 ]
escort carrier USS Liscome Bay off Makin; 644 persons
aboard are lost.
TARAWA ATOLL—2 Marine RCT’s (8th and 2d)
leave for Hawaii. Embarking from Betio, 2d Bn of
6th Marines, guided by scouts of 2d Tank Bn,
begins uneventful search for enemy on islands up
the long east side of Tarawa Atoll.
BOUGAINVILLE—3d Mar Div makes substantial
progress, gaining commanding ground in Piva
forks area. Marine SBD makes successful forced
landing on Torokina fighter strip, although strip
has not yet been completed.
INDIA—Airfield construction personnel for Ind
air bases begin arriving.
ITALY—15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army
outlines final plan of attack to begin about 2 December.
First phase calls for capture of M. Camino–M.
la Difensa–M. Maggiore area, to be preceded on 1
December by capture of Calabritto. In second phase,
M. Sammucro is to be cleared in conjunction with
drive W along Colli–Atina road. Third phase is to
be attack into Liri Valley.
In Br Eighth Army area, 13 Corps captures Castel
Alfedena. 5 Corps’ bridgehead N of the Sangro
is now firmly established.
GERMANY—Berlin reports progress toward
Korosten, USSR.
25 November
TARAWA ATOLL—After scouting about half way
up E side of atoll, Co D of 2d Tank Bn is recalled to
village of Eita to prepare to reconnoiter other atolls.
2d Bn, 6th Marines, continues uneventful trek up
Tarawa Atoll.
A PAMAMA ATOLL—Apamama Occupation
Force, based on 3d Bn of 6th Marines, is en route to
atoll.
BATTLE OF CAPE ST GEORGE—5 Japanese DD’s
bound for Buka with reinforcements are turned
back to vicinity of Cape St George (New Ireland)
and engaged, night 25–26, by Allied DD’s, which
destroy 3 Japanese DD’s without suffering any
damage. This concludes series of night naval engagements
of the Solomon campaigns.
NEW GUINEA—Sattelberg falls to troops of Aus
9th Div.
FORMOSA—U.S. Fourteenth Air Force, in its
first attack on Formosa, destroys 42 enemy planes
while attacking Shinchiku airdrome.
BURMA—AAF and RAF begin series of coordinated
strikes against installations in Rangoon
area, despite unfavorable weather conditions.
ITALY—15th Army Group: U.S. Fifth Army’s
plan for amphibious operations at Anzio (Operation
SHINGLE) is approved. A single infantry div,
reinf, is to establish beachhead and attempt to join
main body within a week. Fr increment of Fifth