Battle of Kwajalein

Battle of Kwajalein
Part of World War II, Pacific War
Soldiers of the U.S. 7th Infantry Division attack a Japanese blockhouse on Kwajalein.
Date 31 January–3 February 1944 Location Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Richmond K. Turner Holland M. Smith Harry Schmidt Charles H. Corlett Thomas E. Watson	Monzo Akiyama † Masami Kobayashi Yamada Michiyuki † Yoshimi Nishida †
Units involved
V Amphibious Corps 4th Marine Division 7th Infantry Division 22nd Marine Regiment 106th Infantry Regiment 111th Infantry Regiment Additional attached units, artillery and support elements	Kwajalein Garrison: 1st Amphibious Brigade 2nd Mobile Battalion 22nd Air Flotilla Additional attached units, artillery and support elements
Strength
46,670	Kwajalein: about 5,000 Roi-Namur: about 3,000
Casualties and losses
Kwajalein: 142 killed 845 wounded 2 missing Roi-Namur: 206 killed 617 wounded 181 missing	Kwajalein: 4,300 killed 166 captured Roi-Namur: 3,500 killed 87 captured

V Amphibious Corps

Kwajalein Garrison:

The Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It took place from 31 January-3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. The Japanese defenders put up stiff resistance, although outnumbered and under-prepared. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivors of an original garrison of 3,500.

For the US, the battle represented both the next step in its island-hopping march to Japan and a significant moral victory because it was the first time the Americans had penetrated the "outer ring" of the Japanese Pacific sphere. For the Japanese, the battle represented the failure of the beach-line defense. Japanese defenses became prepared in depth, and the battles of Peleliu, Guam, and the Marianas proved far more costly to the US.

Kwajalein Atoll is in the heart of the Marshall Islands. It lies in the Ralik Chain, 2,100 nmi (2,400 mi; 3,900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii at 8°43′N 167°44′E / 8.717°N 167.733°E / 8.717; 167.733. Kwajalein is the world's largest coral atoll and comprises 93 islands and islets, it has a land area of 1,560 acres (6.33 km²), and surrounds one of the largest lagoons in the world, measuring 324 mi² (839 km²) in size.

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