Hello everyone, and happy new year 2019! first, before you start this video,
I would like to develop some things which will not take more than 2 minutes, and
I thank those who will stay until the end.
First of all, thank you to all who are faithful to each of my videos and who
put a blue thumb, and who comment on that makes me very happy and it pushes me
to continue (I think in 3 especially who come back very often) THANK YOU VERY MUCH
! In two, writing this video dates a bit, and I really neglected the recording
of the latter because I wanted to quickly take out a video to expose the rest of
verbally.
First, I ordered a new microphone much better quality that I will use
for the next video, and so finished them audio problems, in 3 I have another project
video that will focus on armaments, units and anecdotes as well on the
Pacific war than on the countryside earlier like the Russo-Japanese war
or the invasion of Manchuria to make court In addition, I launch season 2 bloody
battles of the pacific war because I think he has sufficiently experienced the
editing / formatting and I intend to attack very heavy, and again the video
on the Battle of Makin that will follow absolutely does not represent this work because
it's a video that I've worked, but quickly, especially for audio.
In any case, I intend to give myself thoroughly to this new year, and I hope you
will be there! I wish you a all, very good videos, and thank you, again
once, of beings present at each of my video releases!
We meet today to talk of the Battle of Makin that took place on the 20th
November to 23 November 1943. The battle Makin is part of the operation
Galvanic, which also includes the Atoll of Tarawa; whose battle, famous, will remain
in memories by fanaticism and the tenacity of its former occupants.
Makin is a small coral atoll of Kiribati located in the Gilbert Islands like, still
once, the Tarawa Atoll found further south of the latter in the same group
islands.
Makin Atoll has an area of barely 8 km2 making it a little lean goal
but nevertheless interesting to address because it takes place more or less in the same place
and at the same time as the Battle of Tarawa, and that every battle has its characteristics
clean.
The atoll and more precisely the main island, Butaritari or will run the biggest of
the Battle of Makin, does not constitute a objective of great importance, already for
the Americans as I said earlier, but also for the Japanese, whose garrison
the atoll is really minimal.
Indeed, the garrison of the atoll counted, in everything and for everything (in soldiers, engineers,
workers etc,) in November 1943, only 800 men, half of whom were workers
Japanese and Koreans, and in reality, to barely 300 men are really trained,
and the garrison has only 3 light tanks type 95 Ha-Go.
All these men are under the command direct from Lieutenant Seizo Ishikawa, but
the garrison of the island of which Lieutenant Seizo Ishikawa are under direct command
officers on Tarawa.
The defenses of Butaritari Island are rudimentary, the defenses of fortunes were
in large majorities built on the coast of the island, with occasionally distorted
anti-tanks that usually sectioned the island in two, nevertheless, the defenses
of the seaplane base and therefore the equivalent an airfield for this little atoll, book
bad surprises to Americans from the judicious shooting locations (for
most of them fortified) and the land trap.
The main and only important landing american on Makin took place on the island of
Butaritari, the main island, therefore, at the same moment that the American landing on
Tarawa, on November 20 at 8:30 to be exact.
Americans landed on 2 beaches Goals of Butaritari, Red Beach 1 and Red
Beach 2, at first on Red Beach 1, the landing happened without any act
resistance from the Japanese, and on Red Beach 2 only one man stained this
peaceful operation, a Japanese sniper gets finding at the top of a tree that managed to
hold Americans breathless on the beach and who, after an exchange of fire that lasted
5 minutes, ends up being neutralized by these. It is important to note
that Red Beach 1 was strategically advantageous for the Japanese, with its coral ridges
and his rocks one meter high available on a large part of the beach but also
with the dangerous reef that was wetting in water from the shoreline of Red Beach 1 and that blocked
classic landings barges from the beginning of operations on the island
to know including the invasion, and it is clear that the absence of enemy opposition
to interfere with the American landing on Red Beach 1 allowed them to
deal with the adverse conditions of the beach without any loss.
The main obstacles on the island were the holes caused by the American bombings
preceding, who had dug the ground of the island and changed its morphology so
significant, in clear, the American tanks and even the infantry were struggling to advance
on this ravaged land.
The problem on Makin was also the psychology of the American soldiers on the spot,
indeed, they did not see each other to die for a less important goal
like Makin, a small atoll lost in the Peaceful.
So they were moving slowly, and the absence of enemies, in addition to relieving these
last, installed psychosis among the soldiers Americans.
Americans were advancing now, little inclined, both East and West
between the mangrove for some, and the vegetation and the ruins for others, moreover, has several
times, the American recognition services had, on many occasions,
keep the soldiers on site as you go their progress on possible "positions
"defensive" Japanese, which tainted, again, the American advance.
In fact, most American reports on possible 'defensive positions
Were wrong but rightly so at times, because the Japanese had,
in addition to a consequent coastal artillery for this little atoll, placed artillery
dummy at several places on the island but I do not know exactly the purpose of these "constructions
"Dummy if it can not be deterrence.
Add to this the many ruins and the other structures still standing,
some Japanese snipers, and to some difficult to access beaches, I think of
Red Beach 1 impractical for vehicles Americans, and this gives us a brief
overview of the situation on Makin at this time the.
At the beginning of the first day, the natives natives of the island had come out of their
holes, most of them struck by bombing and thirsty for 3 days by the Japanese,
for the purpose of rationing drinking water, and these gave valuable information
to Americans on the numbers of defenders Japanese on the island.
In addition, Japanese documents had been found between the two landing beaches,
that the Japanese, for lack of time, had probably neglected the cremation of these
documents and who had made themselves more back to shelter.
There was also a third landings on the island on the beach bearing the name of
next code: "Yellow Beach", which I let's talk now.
After a bombing of positions in the North (including the seaplane base) and strafing
from American planes, barges of the third wave of American assaults
headed for Yellow Beach.
Yellow Beach was right in the Japanese defense zone, and the obstacles
were going to be numerous.
While the US landings forces from Red Beach 1 and 2 were taking care of
from Flink Point and Ukiangong Point, the landing on Yellow Beach did not go as well
only on Red Beach 1 and 2.
Indeed, the landing zone was more really clear, and some soldiers were
landed beyond the prescribed area later, or worse, more than 250 meters
ribs because of a coral reef dissident, which forced some to continue
walk.
Some flowed at peaks because of the high bottoms and holes, and flamethrowers, radios
and bazookas were becoming unusable and they were in addition to shooting
from the Japanese on the island, while than others who had managed to pass
the coral reef with their barges, were now under mortar fire
Japanese and machine gun that woke up some.
Five were killed and 12 wounded during this part of the assault, then the light tanks
Americans have entered the battle.
Two of them were stuck in holes shell on arrival on the island and the
Japanese nearby made sure that people do not come out by raining a constant fire
on these, and the snipers Japanese were omnipresent on the island,
there were some everywhere, and every tree, bush, hole, or even ruin was a possible
hiding what stained, again, the landing operation.
The main strength of Japan defending Yellow Beach was well fortified, the latter
benefited from solid concrete casemates, and without flamethrowers, because, I
repeat, sea water, the Americans had to resolve to improvise a technique
on the spot.
The tanks, failing to silence these positions, however, had to charge
and fire on them to make office, in a way, "bait". Then,
American engineers were loading to silence those positions with sticks
of TNT they were sinking with the help of a perch in the Japanese loopholes, this
which is a recurrent pattern in the war of the Pacific, if you follow my other videos.
and at 5 pm the IMs had eliminated in this way 10 to 15 enemy positions
and the strong point was now cleaned up.
The other American soldiers, during the day, as for them, had cleaned all the West
of the island and much of the middle of the island, although Japanese snipers
were still in action on the island including in the West in the area allegedly "cleaned".
Then, the American tanks did however facing unprecedented resistance
on King's Wharf and had to resolve to fold.
Now the Americans had dug lines of defenses to the west, and had
buried for the night to warn of a possible Japanese counterattack during
the night.
In the night of November 20 to 21, 1944, he there was no suicide charge on the part
Japanese, on the contrary, these were, surprisingly, in the state of war spirit
attrition.
Nevertheless, there were many movements Japanese troops during the night.
Japanese in the far East have begun to fall back to the West to support their
comrades, and snipers started to invest every corner of the island the
more favorable and out of their hiding places, while the machine gunners were looking for the
best shooting position for the next day.
Nevertheless, during that night, there was many confrontations between the two
forces: Japanese and American but also and mostly friendly shots between Americans.
In addition to having managed to settle comfortably in full in the American lines, the
Japanese installed paranoia in the American ranks that were widely spaced
and which cast doubt on the silhouettes moving in the night.
On many occasions, American soldiers, in great confusion, mutually
shot at thinking to face the Japanese, and in addition to those friendly shots that were tearing apart
the Americans among them, some Japanese took the opportunity to spot the Americans
carpet.
This is how some snipers Japanese threw grenades into the holes
Americans down from the highs palm trees still standing, some
even ventured to go out directly in the open to shoot down the American enemy
they had just spotted, and that's in this climate of fear and disarray that occurred
the first night on Makin, or the Japanese managed to occupy more than 7
machine guns in the heart of the American lines who would roar the next morning to
the first hour.
At daybreak, the Americans were confronted the consequences of the movements of the forces
Japanese evening previous, gunners Japanese had managed to resettle
in King's Wharf batteries (of which the American light tanks had pained
to advance on the 20th of November and who had decided to turn back,) and reinforcements
Americans landing on Yellow Beach faced a rain of steel from
from this piece of land, from where the Japanese fired with automatic weapons,
mortars and artillery, and, having silence the Japanese resistance on King's
Wharf, the Americans discovered 18 bodies Japanese lying in the rubble of the batteries
and other makeshift facilities.
Because of the Japanese snipers, the refueling was directly transported
by tanks and infantry avoided go out uncovered without protection.
Americans faced resistance tenacious of the Japanese on the whole
width of the middle of the island from the lagoon, King's Wharf, and the sea for a great
part of the day.
The attacks succeeded one another against this position of the enemy, and the Japanese were holding
good, indeed, most defenses were Oriented PLUS to the East and not to the West
where did the American assault come from?
The Japanese would be pushed back to a second line of defenses, in full
in the area of the third landing between Yellow Beach and the sea, and eventually up
Stoner Pier.
Even after the fall of King's Wharf after fierce fighting between the infantry and the
American tanks and Japanese troops, the Japanese did not lose the face is
continued an obstinate defense.
Nevertheless, the American commanders had estimated, that day, that a day more
vigorous fighting should put an end at the Battle of Makin.
Private Johnson's writing gives us a idea of the situation during all this
day of combat: "We had support complete infantry.
We are progressing slowly, facing firing rifles and machine guns
the enemy and some snipers who were quickly eliminated.
We encountered a machine gun at right, so the infantry moved back and we
neutralized with a 75 mm shell (highly explosive tank shell (75mm)).
This testimony course immerses us briefly in battle and gives us a glimpse
of the attrition war that the Japanese at that time even without the instructions
of the headquarters of the Imperial Army Japanese who will prevail, later in the
Pacific war, the war of attrition exactly as do the defenders of
Makin.
For information, this second day of fighting marked the fall of Japanese communications
between Tarawa and Makin and the main facilities transmissions and receptions were captured
by the Americans.
The second night passed without losses for the Americans, the latter had solidly
strengthened their positions and the few Japanese who ventured to go out were made
immediately killed thanks to an impressive device Americans who had left
no room for a possible counterattack Japanese thanks to traps
ingenious like for example grenades connected by wires in front of the positions
of these the least defensible and who in the event of an attack by the enemy,
to collapse these to positions called "favorable" firing.
Indeed, said like that, the provision of traps can be blurry, but let me
tell you an anecdote with a small diagram.
During this night, a small group of Japanese tried to slip into the American lines,
one of them got into one of defense son who activated a grenade, did not
leaving him no chance.
The few others panicked to shelter but fell into
the Americans trap and all killed until the last.
On November 22 at 7 pm, the Americans pounded Japanese positions still
activities in the East, moreover, the day before, the Americans had found a map
strategic positions of Japan on the island indicating where each defense was
Japanese of the island, which allowed the Americans to move faster by locating each
enemy positions without wasting time.
At 9:20, US troops in full swing progression had reached the main
line of defense East (or was elsewhere the second Japanese anti-tank gates
), and the Americans found beyond from this line two abandoned tanks Ha-Go
of type 95 and therefore, the only two tanks that counted the Japanese garrison of Butaritari
and not Makin, because I remember that there a 3 for the entire Makin Atoll.
Throughout the day of November 22, the Americans advanced with optimism but
always so gently, not always wanting not die for this little atoll.
The Japanese, when they made themselves discreet, many times though, many
Japanese tried to reach the island of Kuma swimming to escape and all were
silenced by airplanes and American rowboats.
The day was therefore calm without much change, The calm before the storm.
Shortly after dark, a group of natives (probably forced
by the Japanese or on the run) to the American lines, followed by
many Japanese soldiers who charged with pomegranate and bayonet in anarchy
the most complete.
The Japanese, the belly full of sake, seemed acted without any order because of the disparity
events of this evening and actions messy that spanned the whole
night causing many casualties among American, and at daybreak, the Americans
counted 51 Japanese bodies in front of lines of American defenses.
The last combat operations had place on November 23, or the Americans did
face (unsurprisingly) to shooters Japanese elites and some Japanese
fearless.
After launching innumerable calls at surrender during these 3 days, none
Japanese did not answer the call of the Americans and clashes would continue
until the next day.
Butaritari was secured at 11 am 30 on the 23rd of November and the commander of the 27th
Division, Major General Smith, had radioed "Makin Taken" to admiral
Turner.
A few hours later, the biggest of troops who had taken part in the taking of
Makin had re-embarked and some detachments were however assigned to the cleaning of
the island.
In the end, the battle of Makin will have cost life to 66 men from the infantry and 697
men of the United States Navy (because yes, there were brief naval battles involving
especially Japanese submarines (I you let you know about the subject that is,
he too, fascinating) and 185 wounded, for 395 Japanese killed and 3 or 17 prisoners
(varies according to the sites) and many Korean workers released.
In the end, the battles of Makin and Tarawa were the test theaters of the army
American where was still in place the mechanism of war in the Pacific
namely amphibious assaults, cleansing objectives and the use of forces
fighting both in the air and on sea, only on earth.
The Warfare History Network site explains very well the thing and the following is a summary
information from this site but any way, when we watch the battle of
Makin in the history and in the facts, the following details are glaring! Indeed,
the relatively minor American losses bring many observers to believe
that Makin was an "easy" invasion, but the facts tell a story well
different.
The American leaders were already committing a mistake that could have been terrible in case
of grouping enemies at this place I speak well on landing beaches
and in particular Red Beach 1.
This error tainted the landing of troops at first but also from
refueling and the Americans understood that they should use something other than
barges for landing operations, in two, coordination and communication
on earth was execrable especially between the tanks and the infantry and here are the words
of the 2nd Tank Section Chief, the Lieutenant Murray Engle, who sums it up nicely
the situation "There is a great lack of communication between tanks and troops
first line.
In tanks, the vision is so limited that the crew can not identify any
target.
»The few other problems more picky concerned the movement strategy and
of attack in general rule.
In short, it was the birth of the future fashion American action for the next battles,
and despite the few problems, a lot things went well in Makin for
the Americans, and the Battle of Makin has allowed, with the Battle of Tarawa, to put
the problems and successes on the table to weigh the pros and cons for the
next battles.
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