Looking for details on Tarawa

[sand sailor]

Hello all!

This is a rquest for research assistance.

I'm retired from the USN after 25 years in uniform and too many schools with Marines .

I am currently working on a master's degree in military history. My capstone paper (the university I attend's name for a master's thesis) is on the technology used by MArines at Tarawa.

I would appreciate any information on the technology used there. Having said that, I do have several areas where I know I don't know enough.

1) how well the M-1 Garand and the M-1 carbine worked in the humid sandy conditions of the tropical atolls and volcanic islands.

2) does any one know who well the naval gunfire support training range in Hawaii built after Tarawa at Nimitz's orders (after he toured the bunkers on Tarawa) worked.

3) any assistance contacting Tarawa veterans would be GREATLY appreciated. The one I previously had contact with through the 2nd Marine Division Association died recently.

4) specifics on the extremely poor close air support provided. I know the NAvy used Grumman F-6Fs and TBF/TBMs. How well did the TBF/TBMs work? Were there any dive bombers used? I have conflicting information here. Several books mention dive bombers as part of the CAS, but communications with Barrett Tillmann tell me the CVEs designated for CAS had no Douglas SBDs muchless the new SB2Cs from Curtiss.

5)artillery details. I know the 10th Marines carried ashore and assembled the 75 mm pack howitzers and later landed 405 mm howitezers on the next island over. But I don't know how well they worked against the bunkers. The artillery made a big difference in stopping the Japanese charge on the night of D+2. I don't know if the 10th Marine guns made a difference any where else on Betio.

6) Marine flame throwers - I know they were authorized 1 per platoon under a change in October 1944 but did not get any more to get up to the new TO&E before sailing. I don't know how many they had other than very few.

7) Corpsman equipment and effectiveness is totally lacking from the Tarawa books. Col. Joe Alexander (USMC Ret) is the current Tarawa subject matter expert (and is assisting me on his own time on this - THANKS Col!), but none of his works cover the corpsmen.

ANYTHING else any of y'all can think of, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant can help me to at least understand the battle, if not make a big difference. Like just what did the Marine tankers of C/2nd Tank Battalion do to repair the few remaining tanks each night to keep the three remaining M-4s (Colorado, China GAl, and I don't remember the name of the third one off the top of my head...). Or details on the work done by the shore party to sort out the supplies dumped on the end of the pier to get the ammunition and other necessities to Col Shoup and his men. I mean, just how the heck did they sort out the typewriters and filing cabinets (yes these were landed during the fighting!) landed from the important stuff?

Thank you for your assistance!

[FistFu68]

ASK SHAFFER HE KNOWS IT ALL!!!

[ramayn2430]

One story I know from my father, on the 2nd wave, (I believe) Indian co. 3rd bn. 2nd Marines... He hit the beach and was behind a coconut wall. A Japanese grenade landed between him and his comrade. My dad got it all in his face-the other Marine was evacked off the island right away. This is 1943(?) He assumes the guy is KIA. In 1966 he's watching a boxing match in Springfield MA and looks at the guy standing next to him. You bet... the same guy. I met him when my dad had him over for beers.

[jjm]

Deseret News (Salt Lake City); 3/10/2008; 38 words; The USS Tarawa Veterans Association is having its 19th annual reunion in Charleston, S.C., May 1-8. For reunion or membership information, contact Frank Grosey, 976 Holly St., Bull Head City, AZ 86442 or by e-mail at groseyjr@frontiernet.net.

[sand sailor]

GREAT!!!!!

Thank you for that information!

Now to get there...

[Syzygyone]

SandSailor;

This information comes from my Father In Law, who was in the Navy and was 18 years old when he hit the beach with the Marines on Tarawa.

I ask him why Navy went in with the Marines. His logical answer was, "my job, driving crew boats, didn't start until after the invasion and if you could carry a gun, you hit the beach". I don't have any idea what the timing was or what wave he was in, or anything like that but he tells two very compelling stories, one of which relates to technology at that time.

He has spoken very little of his WWII experience but he has told two very compelling stories. The first was as an explanation of why he holds the Thanksgiving holiday is such high regard. He explained about being bombed and strafed on Thanksgiving while they were burying their dead and every Thanksgiving for 55 years, he remembers that terrible time.

The second story he has told is related to technology and the purpose for invading Tarawa being an airstirp on the island. He explains that he and dozens of others rolled barrels of plane fuel off ships, across docs and to the airfield, by hand, for 36 hours straight. He then goes on to explain that they then proceeded to fuel aircraft with buckets because the pumps wouldn't work.

If you wish to speak with him, please let me know with a PM and I will ask him if he's willing.

[Zulu 36]

Sand Sailor,

Try this link. It is the on-line version of the official USMC monograph on the Battle of Tarawa. I have not read this monograph yet, but they often discuss weapon performance and tactics effectiveness in these monos.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC...awa/index.html



This site also has all of the other USMC monographs from WWII, plus additional histories.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/index.html#usmc

[sand sailor]

Zulu 36,

Me and Hyperwar are well aquainted. I keep finding new applicable things every week, or though other links.

Thank you for you help, even though I already had those links.

[sand sailor]

Ramayn2430,

Thanks for that. You said he was I/3/2, right? Thanks for that, I will note it as I'm covering the medical aspects as well, so a certain KIA who evac'd and was saved is great (and not just for him).

[ramayn2430]

No problem, Sand Sailor. He always said "3 I 2". He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads, but it might have been Saipan.

All you guys with marine dads who served, if and when they feel like talking, listen, and write the stuff down. I am kicking myself in the keister for letting him die without writing it down.

[Zulu 36]

No problem, Sand Sailor. He always said "3 I 2". He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads, but it might have been Saipan.

All you guys with marine dads who served, if and when they feel like talking, listen, and write the stuff down. I am kicking myself in the keister for letting him die without writing it down.

I'd have loved to have been able to do that too, but my Dad died at 45, when I was 18 and on mess duty waiting for truck driver's school.

I do remember some of his stories, he liked to tell mostly just the funny ones. He wasn't very forthcoming unless asked questions first. He was in the 6th Marines scout-sniper platoon and based on my research, they saw a lot of nastiness on Saipan and Tinian.

I would have really liked to have been able to talk with him after I got back from Vietnam. Things would have made a lot more sense then and he might have been a bit more open besides.

My daughters are both pestering me to write my autobiography (for family use only). I suppose I should now that I'm (all but) 55.

[krisshoop]

I have an 86 year old grandpa - Charles E. McHenry -who served in WWII and was one of the few that survived the bloody Battle of Tarawa. He received a purple heart and is consider by many as a war hero. He is still in excellent health. Please let me know of any contact information I can give you or questions you have . His stories are amazing! He currently resides in Milford, Ohio a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.

[sand sailor]

ramayn2430 "He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads" Maybe he meant Colorado... it was tossing shells a Tarawa.
krisshoop I would love to hear more from him EVEN if I don't use it for my paper! What did he do? Infatryman or what?

To any one in general - My thesis advisor wants me to find a copy of Major Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis' OP PLAN 712 Advanced Base Operations in Micronesia. I have FMFRP 12-46 which is a reprint with an introduction and forward, but the boss wants me to have a straight copy of OP 712. Any suggestions?

[sand sailor]

Zulu 36
Yeah, the Scout Snipers were in the nastiest part of it.

In GALVANIC, there were two groups, the 2nd Division's Scouts & Snipers under 1st LT Hawkins (who received a Medal of Honor for his efforts, posthumously, and is creditied for single handledly turning the tide of the battle by Shoup and Julian Smith; and the Corps Scouts & Snipers who worked with USS Nautilus to capture Apemama without any other V Amphibious Corps support. Gutsy!

[Zulu 36]

ramayn2430 "He also mentioned the USS California throwing shells over their heads" Maybe he meant Colorado... it was tossing shells a Tarawa.
krisshoop I would love to hear more from him EVEN if I don't use it for my paper! What did he do? Infatryman or what?

To any one in general - My thesis advisor wants me to find a copy of Major Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis' OP PLAN 712 Advanced Base Operations in Micronesia. I have FMFRP 12-46 which is a reprint with an introduction and forward, but the boss wants me to have a straight copy of OP 712. Any suggestions?

You may have to visit the National Archives for a legit copy of OP-712. Of course, the Marine Corps Museum may have a copy too. But getting one to hold onto isn't likely. The FMFRP may be your only reasonable option.

Thesis and dissertation advisers usually want original sources, but sometimes they forget how much money is involved in traveling around to see the last remaining copy or two of something. The university PhDs get those research grants which pay for all of those incidentals, like food, while digging through library stacks.