Saturday November 20, 1943. Marines at Tarawa, Army at Mankin Island.

The U.S. Navy landed the 2nd Marine Division on Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll.

In was the first U.S. operation in the Central Pacific and the first US landing that faced serious opposition from the point of landing.   Fighting would last for three days and result in 1,009 US KIA and 2,101 wounded.  The Japanese, who defended basically to the last man, lost 4,690 killed, including both construction laborers, many of whom were Korean, and Japanese soldiers.  Only 17 Japanese soldiers and 129 Korean construction workers were taken prisoner.  40% of the Japanese casualties were sustained in pre landing bombardments.

Among those who fought there was my wife's grandfather.

The hard landing would result in the creation of what essentially became the Navy SEALs, given the difficult invasion obstacles that had been encountered.

Fighting on the three-day campaign was horrific, and in some ways this battle began to mark the image that the Marines emerged from the war with.

Often missed, on the same day, the Navy landed the Army's 27th Infantry Division on Mankin Island, also in the Gilberts.

27th Infantry Division landing at Mankin.

Much less defended, the two-day battle resulted in 763 killed, only 66 of which were soldiers.  The sinking of the USS Liscome Bay by the Japanese submarine I-175 resulted in most of the casualties.  The Japanese on Mankin lost 395 killed out of its much smaller garrison.

The British evacuated Samos Island.

British fascist Sir Oswald Mosely was released from prison due to his being ill.