Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa

by Joseph H. Alexander

"The first complete and definitive account of the Battle of Tarawa."

--Maj. Gen. Mike Ryan, USMC (Ret.)

Navy Cross recipient

Green Beach, Tarawa



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.



Now, Col. Joseph Alexander, a combat Marine himself, presents the full story of Tarawa in all its horror and the extreme risks, the horrific combat, and the heroic breakthroughs. Based on exhaustive research, never-before-published accounts from Marine survivors, and new evidence from Japanese sources, Colonel Alexander captures the grit, guts, and relentless courage of United States Marines overcoming outrageous odds to deliver victory for their country.



"Without a doubt the best narrative of the struggle ever produced."

--Richard B. Frank, Author of Guadalcanal



A MAIN SELECTION OF THE MILITARY BOOK CLUB



Winner of the 1995 General Wallace M. Greene, Jr., Award, awarded to the year's best nonfiction book pertinent to Marine Corps History



Winner of the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Outstanding Writer of the Year, presented by the Navy League of the United States



Winner of the Roosevelt Naval History Prize, awarded by the Naval War College

Genres: History, World War II, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, Military History, War, American History

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC served in the Corps for 29 years as an assault amphibian officer. He has written six books, including Utmost Savagery and Edson’s Raiders. He was the Naval Institute Author of the Year in 1996 and Naval History Author of the Year in 2010. He was the principal historian and writer on the exhibit design team throughout the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. He lived in Asheville, North Carolina.

Biography taken from http://www.usni.org/author/colonel-jo...

Reviews

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book of the fighting at Tarawa in WW2. The author has done a great job in presenting the story, it was so well told that I found it hard to put the book down. Ever since I was a kid I have had a fascination for the USMC and after reading this book I remember why. What guts! The author also presents the Japanese defenders as humans, rarely done in many books about combat in the Pacific during the war. The author has researched his story well and has used numerous maps and a number of sobering B&W photos to assist his narrative. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story, well done to the author!

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good general discussion of the battle of Tarawa. Nothing to fancy but it gets the job done.

[Bill Christman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tarawa was the first amphibious assault on a fortified position in World War II and was the test battle for the Marines amphibious doctrine. While Guadalcanal was the first offensive action the landings were away from the Japanese forces whereas at Tarawa (Betio Island) the Marines landed right into the teeth of Japanese resistance. For both sides this was a test battle. Three days after the first landings it was over and on the small island there were 3,000 dead from both sides on an island that is only 2 degrees above the equator. FDR allowed the military to show the American dead to the public and the sight of American bodies bobbing in the water brought the war home, sobered up the public. In a film shown after the battle war bonds sales rose, but volunteers for the Marines declined greatly.

Col. Alexander goes into all the technical aspects of the battle and brings out the new discoveries to lay the groundwork for the battle. The tides were lower than they were supposed to be because the moon's orbit at its apogee caused slightly higher and lower tides. The 2nd Marine division decision to land on the atoll's lagoon side, over the coral reef was a lucky choice in one sense as the Japanese had not completed their underwater defenses there. No matter where the Marines landed they would faced stiff resistance with Japanese had already pre-targeted their heavy weapons. If not for a lucky shell striking the Japanese commander and his party as they were switching base on the first day, the first night may have been a disaster for the Americans. The Japanese did not launch a counterattack until the second night and by then the Marines were firmly established.

The battle was fierce with hand to hand combat leading to horrendous casualties. The Japanese decided to die fighting and Col. Alexander points out their casualty rate ended up being over 99.5% of their soldiers killed. The Marines lost 20% of their division but when one realizes that a fifth of the 2nd Marine division did not land until after the battle then the casualty rate is over 30% of the Marines engaged.

This battle was won because of the Americans superior numbers and firepower. The Marines did not want to frontal assaulted their way across the Pacific as had happened at Tarawa. To me the best part is towards the end where we see the US military in their reports on the battle, Col. Alexander points out there was no self serving in the reports and mistakes were readily admitted. The Marines and the Navy wanted to gather all the lessons possible and the lack of ego is striking to modern eyes. Improvements would be made in equipment, leadership, logistics and planning which would greatly enhance the Americans combat abilities in the island battles to come. Tarawa became a place where lessons were learned and used to make the Marines a deadlier force.

Tarawa was a small scale battle in comparison to the larger landing to come in both theaters of the war. Yet it was probably the most savage fighting. Utmost Savagery is how a journalist, who was there, described the fighting, he was not wrong. The book is a good look at the battle, before, during and after. It got a little too technical for me in regards to equipment, especially since I listened to the book. However the book does shine a light on a battle most Americans have little knowledge of, and does elevate, justly, the significance of it.

[Wachlin007 Hotmail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the battle of Tarawa. It was a very bloody battle. Many historians argue that this battle did not need to be fought, or that it should have been fought at a later time. This book shows the pros and cons of all sides on this issue, as well as telling of the heroics of the Marines who landed there. I liked this book.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarawa is one of the nastiest battles of WWII not because it was a large battle but rather for its intensity in a small area. Colonel Joseph H Alexander, a Marine Vietnam Veteran and author on the Pacific War and Amphibious Operations, give us all that intensity and more as he explains why this early Island attack was such a close run thing. After Guadalcanal, the US Navy knew it should get to Japan through the islands of the Central Pacific- but was still developing its doctrine to do so. Thinking they were ready and actually being ready to frontally assault defended islands and atolls were to be two harshly different things entirely. The battle would take only three days, and the USMC would be victorious- but it would burn expensive lessons into the Marine Officers' minds that would save thousands of lives over the next few years- and even to today's amphibious operations. Alexander is good enough at his craft in this book for me to get a little anxious about the outcome every time I read the book- and I know the story pretty well already.

The American Planners were wise enough to plan for landing on the lagoon side of the island of Betio in the Tarawa lagoon, instead of the outer beaches the Japanese had mined and prepared kill zones for, and they have assigned the project the first Amtracs. But even these Amphibious Tracked vehicles , being early lightly armoured versions, were hard pressed to support the Marines in such a firepower dominated space. The Japanese, even caught out at first tactically, reacted with such aggressive ferocity that the battle was not won until their entire garrison had been killed , captured, wounded or committed suicide. It is bracing to read how this battle was won, a grenade fight essentially inside a phone booth (The island is only a few acres). It's a good military history- but I think more general readers can also get a lot of value with this frank portrayal of a situation out of control for two days of the three.

There are enough adult themes, mostly bureaucratic, and graphic violent passages -the whole first two days are very violent- for this to be best read by the Junior reader over 15/16 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this book is a veritable font of information. The gamer gets a close hour by hour description of the combat- but also a clear discussion about the Navy's battlefield preparation efforts- and the issues with it. This will assist with both scenario and campaign development. The Modeler gets a lot of diorama ideas from the narrative, but will need a few other sources for more photos. The Military Enthusiast gets a close look at one of the Iconic battles of the Pacific War, from both sides, in robust detail. There is a reason this book caused a bit of a ripple when it came out in 1995.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The naval battle of Midway in June 1942 meant that Japan no longer had a chance to win the war in the Pacific. With four carriers and their valuable air crews lost, Japan could no longer be aggressive in sending naval forces to oppose American advances. The question for American military planners then became, what to do about the powerful Japanese ground forces dug in on Pacific islands.
One of the toughest was the Japanese garrison in the Gilbert Islands, specifically on the island of Betio in Tarawa. The Japanese defenders were determined to fight to the death and were supported by very sound fortifications. The American planners decided to storm the island and overpower the defenders. It was the first time that American forces would engage in an amphibious operation against extreme opposition.
The American invasion of Betio started on November 20, 1943 and the battle lasted three days. With the size of Betio only 381 acres and with approximately 5,000 Japanese defenders on the island, it was little more than a killing ground. Despite the massive casualty rate among the attacking Americans, they pressed forward and cleared the island.
This book is by a retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps. It is a history of incredible bravery, valor and determination on both sides to fight to the finish. Only seventeen of the Japanese soldiers on the island became prisoners of war. Alexander is very explicit in describing the failures of American planning and the lack of communication between units once the battle started. While there were some recriminations after the fact, the American forces were effective in applying the lessons learned. Specifically, the realization that massive preliminary bombardments were needed before the troops went ashore.
While there was no true turning point battle on land in the Pacific like the action at Midway, the fight for Tarawa comes closest. One fact that is rarely noted but pointed out here is that the invasion could have easily failed. The combination of a lucky shot that killed the Japanese commander and his key staff and the lack of a Japanese counterattack on the first night helped seal the American victory. Alexander points out that such a counterattack could have succeeded, and the American forces could have been defeated. While the ultimate American victory was assured, it would have required a second invasion or at minimum a long-term siege.
This is a great book about one of the most brutal battles of World War II, one where two forces simply went at it until one was dead. To their credit, the Japanese had transported all civilians off of Tarawa, so it was strictly between the two armed forces.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarawa was one of the Marines first amphibian assualts on a Japanese defended island. In three days of fierce fighting, the Marines crossed the coral reef, assualted the island and fought, and fought. I think that the best description of the battle was "We were losing until we weren't."

Why I started this book: It never fails that multiple library books arrive within hours of each other... even/especially since you have been waiting for weeks for the holds.

Why I finished it: This is how history should be written. Multiple first hand accounts, both sides of the battle, and answering the questions of what if... I'd heard that the low tide and the long walk across the coral reef was what killed so many. But I had never considered that if it was high tide, there would have been no sea wall cover to hide behind, to recuperate and rally. This battle was a learning and testing ground. If the Marines had skipped this island the lesson would have been learned elsewhere, but they would have been learned and earned in blood there too.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

This must be the definitive book on the battle for Tarawa. Extensive research, first-hand accounts, detailed technical military facts, information from Japanese military records, and more, combine to almost overwhelm the reader. Out of the detail emerges a clear picture of what actually took place over the three days of fighting, and it's a fair, clear-eyed view of both the good and the bad. One thing for sure, this was a brutal bloodbath. Probably we always would have won, eventually, but there was a time where that was far from assured. Alexander lays it all out. Personally, I could have done with a little less of the military dispositions detail, but Alexander is telling the story and he makes it complete. One doesn't have to master all the detail to get the big picture, and be glad not to have been there. Semper fi.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The seminal work about an iconic battle, one of the costliest and fiercest fought in the Pacific War. Tarawa was the first attempt at a coordinated amphibious assault on a fortified island, what one commentator referred to as the most heavily fortified piece of land in the world. Indeed, the Japanese had almost a year to prepare for the assault. American victory at Midway gutted the Imperial Navy's ability to supply the island fully. Nevertheless, Tarawa was pivotal both in allowing war planners to assess how to launch the island hopping campaign successfully. It also gave the American public an insight into the reality of the war's brutality and cost. Ultimately, the battle was won by Marine fortitude and almost heartbreaking heroism against a tenacious enemy willing to fight to the death. This is a great book.

[Steve Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best account of the battle for Tarawa and one of the top ten accounts of any action in the Pacific War I’ve ever read. I’ve read perhaps a half dozen at the very least over the last half century.

Author Joseph Alexander gives a detailed account of the lead up and preparation for the battle from both the American and Japanese perspectives, but doesn’t leave the reader mired or bored. If anything it lends to a buildup of suspense.

This is simply superb military history.

[james blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

In depth coverage of the bloody battle for Tarawa

The author goes to great lengths to present the battle plan of the Japanese and US Marines in the battle for Tarawa with no holds barred. The behind the scenes before the battle and ultimately the lessons learned greatly improved the battle plan of the US Marines in overcoming the Japanese in future amphibious assaults throughout the Pacific.

[Matias Myllyrinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives an interesting in depth view of one of the important battles of the Pacific. While the events are not as well known as many other battles the role of Tarawa in defining the course of the war cannot be underestimated. Sadly at times the author overwhelms you with a litany of details, often losing the central point he is trying to make. A good read nine the less.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarawa lives up to its name. Some of the most hellish fighting ever occurred on that small island. The book is a strong account of what went on. I think it suffered some as an audiobook. To many similar unit names made the action hard to follow at times.

[Justinas Rastenis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly detailed account about one of the most bloody battles in the Pacific. Author not only describes the battle in detail but also carefully paints political, social, strategic and technological context.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a With the Old breed or Helmet for my Pillow but OK

The Epilogue saved it from being entirely dry

[Jack Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average Read but Decent Background

History yes, factual to a fault. Entertaining and a good read barely.
Not sure I can recommend this as a worthwhile WWII read.
JM

[Kraig Dodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. I had never learned more about the details of Tarawa. A lot of very brave men served our nation well here against a determined foe.

[Johnnyc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Detailed account of a terrible battle.

[BT Philips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colonel Alexander does his utmost to make a superbly researched and thorough account of the USMC’s conquering of Tarawa Atoll and the greater Gilbert Islands chain during late 1943. This is even more so impressive given Colonel Alexander was of the Cold War era and did not even fight in WWII.

Great information from both sides of the battle and the commanders involved is presented here. Admiral Shibasaki commanding the Japanese Naval Land Forces (Japanese equivalent of Marines, also known as “rikusentai”) is presented as a respected, dangerous, and extremely competent opponent that had dedicated much work towards making Tarawa the most impregnable speck of land in the Pacific. He does so overseeing the constructions and improvement of gun emplacements, revetments, and pillboxes across the island in the months leading up to American attack. Admiral Spruance, in charge of Operation Galvanic over the entire Gilberts chain, and Major General Julian Smith, commanding the attack force at Tarawa, are both presented as quiet, but firm leaders with an ability to inspire their subordinates to achievement while delegating flawlessly. Colonels Shoup and Edson, both under MGEN Smith, are seen as the hard-hitting and rugged task masters that push the initial landings and subsequent land fighting at Tarawa to American favor and eventual victory.

An appreciation can also be gained for the logistical side of war that led to the Marines having the tools they needed to succeed in the Gilbert Islands. Hurdles like Marine divisions being required to have a certain amount of heavyweight, bulky transport vehicles (the exact types of equipment not needed in a compact battle space like Tarawa) were overcome while ingenuity was embraced in the form of modifying some of the LVTs on the fly to be equipped with the extra armor plating needed to safely transport more Marines ashore. Logistical lessons learned were also critical, among those the facts that Marines would need more flamethrowers and bazookas in future missions to more easily knock out enemy defensive positions. Radio communications to acutely coordinate naval and air gunfire support would also receive an important baptism by fire here and be highlighted as an area for improvement.

Despite logistical hurtles, the teamwork seen by the Sailors and Marines at Tarawa is inspiring. The execution of the battle would not have been done without the infantry, combat engineers, scout snipers, coxswains, corpsmen, or Seabees that all courageously played their role to take the fight to the enemy with overwhelming force. That is above and beyond all else what cannot be taken away as anything but a point of pride from the mission.

There is not enough appreciation today of Tarawa’s lasting legacy. Battles like Midway, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima can tend to get more overall recognition while the importance of Tarawa is left by the wayside. It is important to realize the American perspective at the time of late 1943 (before the Normandy D-Day Landings) and understand that amphibious warfare had an inherent stigma of risk associated with it. The fact that victory at Tarawa was accomplished, albeit with a cost, made it to where there was confidence in American amphibious doctrine to carry out the rest of the war.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa' by Marine Col. Joseph H. Alexander is a rigorous and detailed account of one of the most important battles in WWII. Using fresh American and Japanese sources never before explored, the horror that was Betio island in the Tarawa atoll is definitive. This three day battle left “6000 dead in an area no bigger than the Pentagon and its parking lots.” The primal courage these Marines and Sailors showed while all around them was blood and chaos was nothing short of astounding. This was not a force of professional warriors but civilian warriors from all strata of American life- what is often referred to as ordinary Americans or ’the average Joe’.
Although the early part of the book is full of details that may be too technical to those not exposed to military jargon and WWII weapons type, it lays the foundation for a real and honest appreciation of sacrifice given. The cost on both sides is shocking; that cost is not only measured in the number of dead, but the awful carnage that is experienced by those who survived and by those on their way to death during those three days.
D-Day for Tarawa was 20 November 1943. Back home in my area the weather may have been in the low 40 degrees F, no precipitation, probably a bright day as late November of 1943 reported fairly ordinary weather in the Chicago area, no records set. How many families were thinking about the days chores, the coming holidays, sending their husbands and sons a special loving letter not knowing that many lay dead already -bodies floating in water so full of blood it was purple, the beach so full of the dead that it was impossible to advance without stepping on them. As Col. Alexander writes, from the memoirs and interviews of those that were there, “the horror had just begun”. It would last for three more days and nights (its consequences to the survivors would last a lifetime). We all have heard of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, but most of us have heard little about Tarawa and the taking of the brutal isle called Betio.
There seems to be more blood in the world’s history than even the sea can wash.
It was thought by some at the time to be a 'Pyrrhic Victory', this was due to the sensationalist reporting that went on to fill the void that intentional censorship left. It was thought the news would be too hard to handle on the home front. When film taken by Marine combat photographers and civilian reporters was shown uncensored- in a conflicted, troubled decision by President Roosevelt- the public was shocked but also strengthened in their determination to win in the Pacific (the film eventually won an Academy Award for documentary footage). This book is as honest an account as is possible for those who did not live it.

[Aaron Krebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my attention drawn to this book, and first read it, in the late 90s, after a dedicated historical game was released for the Advanced Squad Leader game system, and it was mentioned as a reference used by the designers, and encouraged reading to the players. It is an incredible read.

This book manages to convey the sheer scope of the loss in this fight, over an unknown and arguably not-important-enough island, without inuring me completely. That felt to me like quite a feat, since literally thousands of men died in an area smaller than the Pentagon over 3 days.

The "good" things that came from the battle: improved USMC amphibious landing doctrine, recognition of the need for waterproof (!) radios etc., a secured airstrip (of arguable value), and, in hindsight, a mass of photos that finally helped tip the public to the horrors of the Pacific theater. A number of the photos are included in the volume. "Grim" is the kindest description I can offer. I came away with a sense of understanding of why the invasion went forward, even though the defenders were literally stranded and could offer no real threat to forces that moved beyond the Gilberts. And the improvements to invasion doctrine that resulted surely saved lives later in the war.

There is also some effort put into the humanization and behind-the-scenes workings of the Japanese defenders. Now, their doctrine was brutal (prior to the invasion they had summarily beheaded many of the New Zealander captives after an Allied air raid), but it's reasonable to say the tenacity and tactical cunning on display were awe-inspiring -- not in the "cool" sense of the word awe, obviously. There is a lot of appeal to the argument that bypassing the island and letting them starve themselves into surrender was the better course, but future invasions on more important islands might not have met with as much success.

The book is vivid, thorough, and heart-breaking to (re-)read.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book about the history of WWII and the Marines who fought inthe Pacific. The story is not well known but for the Marines history and for those who fought there. This was not considered a victory at first because of the pictures that got sent back to the U.S.For this island was different than most in the Pacific. During the landing very few landing craft made it to shore they got stopped by a reef and could not make it over it, so they wrer sitting ducks. Those Marines thou left the crat and then had to go about 500 yards through the surf to get to land . Comunications broke down and they had no supplies the first night and into part of the second day. Any way some good did come out of this battle. They were able to have water proof radios, a better lvt troop carrier came about to name just a few. The 2 Marine Division would require the equivalent of four replacement battalions to restore to pre Tarawa numbers. A good book.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those with an interest in military history, this is an excellent book. The author hit the perfect balance between a high level view of strategic and tactical planning and the personal level of individual's fighting the battle. The book also discusses landings on surrounding islands as part of the overall operation. They may not have made that headlines as the main fighting on Tarawa but men still fought and died in them. The book is well illustrated with excellent maps. One map especially revealing was an intelligence summary showing the individual buildings and Japanese heavy weapon positions. Recognizing the scale of the map, one certainly appreciates the vicious yard by yard battle.

[C. G. Telcontar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knocking it down a star just due to the age now. I first read it when published and it was a revelation then. Decades later the top down style feels dated. It's understood that it's primarily a dissection of the combat and not a soldier's story yet still I feel it's sterile now. This is about as much rivet counting as I can stand in a land campaign book and still get through it. Alexander's style is brisk and clean, avoiding any cheering for the Marine Corps and giving as much an account from the Japanese side as is known, which isn't much more than 2 percent of the story. Worthwhile, still, but not top shelf material any more.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in college, there were several professors who had served in WWII and would tell us about their experiences. One was my geology prof, who told us about serving on Betio. He said that we had no maps and consequently some men were dumped off the side of the boat in full gear and drowned. He said that in subsequent assaults, he was put off the side of destroyer in a small rubber boat with a radio to send back soundings. He would then hide until the Marines deployed in the morning.

This author did a great job of describing the horrors of the battle and the strategy of the battle. He not only did a good job at this--he verified my geology's professor's story to a T.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

"For the first thirty hours the amphibious assault of Tarawa hung in precarious balance. The Japanese garrison, fighting almost to the last man, sold their lives dearly, making the U.S. Marines pay for each square yard of sand ancoral." (page 11)

"Betio is the principal island in the (Tarawa) atoll. The island is barely two miles long, less than seven hundred yards wide at its center, and scruffy. It was an unlikely spot to become 'the Gibralter of the Pacific'." (page 13)

"The struggle for Betio simply did not lend itself to neat lines and symbols on a map." (Page 193)

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a professor of military history at The Citadel, this book is more definitive, has won some awards, and included more information about the Japanese side, and about the battle’s planning (which explains some aspects that have confused and angered people for years, such as why the landing took place during neap tide, stranding many Marines hundreds of meters from the beach, without any cover). Sometimes the writing was fairly good, and sometimes it was a bit stale, but I’d still recommend this book for anyone interested in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

[Jamie Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a tremendous job of painting a picture of the savage fighting on Betio Island during the Gilbert Islands campaign. It also shows the gallantry exhibited by both sides throughout the battle. Overall, a good synopsis of how each side could have won the battle.

[John Gorski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of this brutal watershed battle. The author provides a cogent strategic and operational overview before concentrating on the tactical situation that dominated three days of fighting between US Marines and Japanese Special Naval Landing troops.

[Alex Krembs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superb detail you would expect from a battle review. Explains the elements of why this battle turned out to be so controversial. Conclusion of forward legacy to amphibious warfare and thorough review of key players and tactics/strategy are eloquent and well argued.