In the vast theater of the Pacific War, the island-hopping campaign executed by the United States was a methodical and often brutal strategy to advance toward the Japanese mainland. Each island, no matter how small, represented a critical objective, a potential airbase, or a fortified bastion to be overcome. Among these was Makin Atoll, part of the Gilbert Islands, which became the focus of two separate American operations. The first, a commando raid in 1942, served as a prelude to the second, a full-scale invasion in November 1943. While often overshadowed by the simultaneous and far bloodier battle on nearby Tarawa, the Battle of Makin was a significant engagement that offered hard-won lessons for the U.S. military.

Right: Soldiers of the US Army's 2nd Battalion, 165th Infantry, struggle to shore on Yellow Beach on Butaritari Island. Source: Wikimedia.

By mid-1942, the United States was still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor and seeking to transition from a defensive posture to offensive operations. As part of this effort, Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson's 2nd Marine Raider Battalion was tasked with a daring raid on Makin Atoll. The objectives were multifaceted: to destroy Japanese installations, gather intelligence, test raiding tactics, and, perhaps most importantly, create a diversion for the primary American offensive underway in the Solomon Islands. It was also intended as a significant boost to home front morale.

On August 17, 1942, two submarines, the USS Nautilus and USS Argonaut, delivered approximately 211 Marines to the shores of Butaritari, the main island of the atoll. The landing, conducted in rough seas and darkness, was chaotic. Boats capsized, and weapons and equipment were lost. Despite these initial difficulties, the Raiders pushed inland. They achieved tactical surprise and engaged the small Japanese garrison, estimated at fewer than 90 men. The ensuing firefight was intense, and the Marines succeeded in eliminating much of the Japanese force and destroying a radio station and supply depots.

However, the exfiltration proved even more problematic than the landing. High surf and Japanese air attacks complicated the withdrawal. In the confusion, a group of Marines was temporarily left behind. The raid resulted in the deaths of 30 Marines, with some of those captured being subsequently executed by the Japanese. While the operation was publicly hailed as a success, its strategic value was debated. The Japanese, alerted to the vulnerability of the Gilbert Islands, heavily reinforced the atoll, particularly Tarawa. This decision would have profound and deadly consequences for the U.S. forces that returned a year later.

The 1943 invasion of the Gilbert Islands, codenamed Operation Galvanic, was a key component of the American drive across the Central Pacific. The primary objective was to seize Tarawa and Makin to establish airbases that would support subsequent operations in the Marshall Islands. Makin, though less defended than Tarawa, was a necessary target to secure the northern flank of the invasion force and eliminate the threat of air attacks originating from its airfield.

The American force assigned to take Makin was Task Force 52, which included elements of the U.S. Army's 27th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Ralph C. Smith. The ground component, designated the Northern Landing Force, consisted of the 165th Infantry Regiment, reinforced with artillery, armor, and combat engineer units. In total, approximately 6,500 soldiers were committed to the operation, supported by a powerful naval fleet that included battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay.

Facing this formidable force was a much smaller Japanese contingent. Following the 1942 raid, the Japanese had fortified Butaritari, but not to the same extent as Tarawa. The defense was centered on the island's narrow western end, where the Japanese had constructed a series of tank barriers, machine gun pits, and anti-tank ditches. The garrison was composed of roughly 800 men, including aviation personnel, construction workers, and a small number of combat troops from the 3rd Special Base Force. They were commanded by Lieutenant (j.g.) Seizo Ishikawa. The assault on Makin began on the morning of November 20, 1943, with a massive naval and aerial bombardment. Battleships, including the USS Mississippi, pounded the Japanese defenses. Following the barrage, two separate landings were executed. The main force from the 165th Infantry Regiment landed on 'Red Beach' on the western side of Butaritari, intending to attack the heart of the Japanese defensive network. A secondary force landed on 'Yellow Beach' on the northern shore, aiming to drive east and cut off any potential Japanese retreat.

Left: M3 Stuart light tank, bogged down in a shell crater, holds up the advance on the narrow causeway north of Jill lake. Source: Wikimedia.

The landings themselves met with light initial opposition. However, progress for the main force on Red Beach was slower than anticipated. The troops, many of whom were seeing their first combat, advanced with extreme caution. The terrain, dense with vegetation and water-filled craters from the bombardment, made movement difficult and provided ample cover for Japanese snipers and machine gunners who had survived the shelling. The American advance became a slow, methodical process of clearing individual spider holes and fortified positions, often with support from M3 Stuart light tanks.

General Smith, concerned by the slow pace, landed on the beach himself to assess the situation. He observed what he considered a lack of aggressive initiative and a tendency for units to become bogged down. This assessment would later become a point of significant controversy between Army and Marine Corps leadership. While the 27th Division's doctrine emphasized a deliberate, methodical advance to minimize casualties, Marine observers accustomed to the ferocious fighting on Tarawa viewed it as timid. Over the next three days, the 165th Infantry Regiment pushed across the island. The Japanese defenders, though vastly outnumbered, fought with determination, often refusing to surrender. The fighting was characterized by close-quarters engagements, with soldiers using grenades and flamethrowers to clear bunkers. By November 23, the bulk of the organized Japanese resistance had been eliminated, and Major General Smith declared the island secure. The last pockets of resistance were mopped up the following day.

The Battle of Makin concluded with an American victory. The island was captured, and the Japanese garrison was annihilated. However, the cost was not insignificant. The U.S. Army suffered 66 killed and 152 wounded. These figures paled in comparison to the losses on Tarawa, but a catastrophic event at sea amplified the human cost of the operation. On November 24, just as combat on the island was ending, the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay was struck by a single torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-175. The carrier, loaded with fuel and munitions, exploded in a massive fireball and sank within 23 minutes. The disaster resulted in the loss of 644 sailors and officers, including Rear Admiral Henry M. Mullinnix, the task group commander, and Navy Cross recipient Dorie Miller. The loss of the Liscome Bay accounted for the vast majority of American casualties in the Makin operation.

The battle provided several important lessons. It highlighted issues in inter-service cooperation and differences in combat doctrine between the Army and the Marines. The slow, cautious advance of the 27th Infantry Division, while arguably preserving the lives of its infantrymen, drew criticism and fueled a debate over leadership and tactics that would persist through later campaigns. Conversely, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated naval, air, and ground power in overwhelming a fortified island position. The capture of Makin, along with Tarawa, secured the Gilbert Islands and provided the crucial airfields needed to project American power deeper into the Pacific, paving the way for the eventual victory over Japan.

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