Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign

Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
Part of the Pacific Theater of World War II
An SBD Dauntless flies patrol over USS Washington and USS Lexington during the Gilbert and Marshall islands campaign
Date August 1942 – February 1944 Location Gilbert and Marshall Islands Result American victory
Belligerents
United States  Gilbert and Ellice Islands	Japan
Commanders and leaders
United States Navy: Chester W. Nimitz Raymond A. Spruance Richmond K. Turner Marc Mitscher Harry W. Hill Carl Henry Jones  United States Marine Corps: Holland M. Smith Thomas E. Watson  United States Army: Ralph C. Smith	Imperial Japanese Navy: Kōsō Abe Keiji Shibazaki † Monzo Akiyama † Chūichi Hara  Imperial Japanese Army: Yoshimi Nishida †
Casualties and losses
~5,100 killed or missing 6,700 wounded	~21,000 killed 375 captured

The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign were a series of battles fought from August 1942 through February 1944, in the Pacific theatre of World War II between the United States and Japan. They were the first steps of the drive across the Central Pacific by the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps. The purpose was to establish airfields and naval bases that would allow air and naval support for upcoming operations across the Central Pacific. Operation Galvanic and Operation Kourbash were the code names for the Gilberts campaign (in modern Kiribati) that included the seizures of Tarawa and Makin, during the Battle of Tarawa on 20–23 November 1943 and the Battle of Makin on 20–24 November 1943. Operation Flintlock and Operation Catchpole were aimed at capturing Japanese bases at Kwajalein, Eniwetok, and Majuro in the Marshall Islands.