On November 20, l943, in the first trial by fire of America's
fledgling amphibious assault doctrine, five thousand men stormed
the beaches of Tarawa, a seemingly invincible Japanese island
fortress barely the size of the Pentagon parking lots
(three-hundred acres!). Before the first day ended, one third of
the Marines who had crossed Tarawa's deadly reef under murderous
fire were killed, wounded, or missing. In three days of fighting,
four Americans would win the Medal of Honor and six-thousand
combatants would die. The bloody conquest of Tarawa by the newly
created Central Pacific Force provided the first trial by fire of
America's fledgling doctrine of forcible amphibious assault against
a heavily fortified objective. Described by one veteran as"a time
of utmost savagery," the incredibly violent battle raged for three
days and left 6,000 men dead in an area no bigger than the Pentagon
and its parking lots. Utmost Savagery is the definitive account of
Tarawa and reflects years of research into primary sources, tidal
records, new translations of Japanese documents, and interviews
with survivors. A Marine combat veteran himself, Col. Alexander
presents a masterful narrative of the tactics, innovations,
leadership, and weapons employed by both antagonists. The book
portrays the battle's full flavor: the decisions, miscalculations,
extreme risks, lost opportunities, breakthroughs, blunders, and
vital lessons learned. Alexander describes the landing plan and its
assumptions, analyzes the freakish"tide that failed," and follows
the amphibious ship-to-shore assault as it encounters the exposed
reef and hellish Japanese fire. He renders a professional salute to
Japanese Admiral Keiji Shibasaki and his well-trained Special Naval
Landing Forces who defended Tarawa virtually to the last man. Above
all he highlights the courage and adaptability of the Marine
small-unit leaders who kept the assault moving throughout 76 hours
of unmitigated horror.
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