The Japanese explanation as to why and how these prisoners were put to death is as follows. The story seems right out of a 1980s action movie. The purpose of the raid was to destroy Japanese installations on the island, gather intelligence, and to test the raiding tactics of the U.S. Marines. The raiders went ashore at dawn on August 17 and attacked the Japanese garrison. The total population of Makin is 1,798 (2010 Census). The Makin Atoll garrison consisted of the Japanese seaplane base led by Sgt. National Archives photo. He wrote a surrender note and then set out with his runner, Private William McCall, to contact the Japanese and deliver the message. The following is an example of how incorporating Japanese and local peoples’ information into the otherwise American narrative can shed new light on the story. Taniura and his platoon of reinforcements traveled by patrol boat from Truk in the Marianas Islands, arriving at Makin on August 23, six days after the raid. The raid had been moderately successful. The events of the U.S. Marines’ attack against the Japanese Navy garrison during the Makin Island raid has been well covered in books and magazines. Unfortunately, nine raiders were left behind on the island after the raid, and the submarine crews did not realize it until it was too late to return to rescue them. On Aug. 17, 1942, daring Marine Raiders stormed Makin Island. Dubbed the "Makin Raid" this was the first U. S. Marine Corps (USMC) operation launched from submarines. Each one could carry a company of raiders. On 10 December 1941, three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 300 Japanese troops plus laborers of the Gilberts Invasion Special Landing Force had arrived off Makin Atoll and occupied it without resistance. Kōsō Abe was subsequently tried and executed by the Allies for the murder of the nine Marines. [4] The remaining two Marines missing in action have never been accounted for. Myths of Makin Island Raid. Of these, only Makin and Kiebu islands are permanently inhabited. Not much of an island the island was directly between the Hawaiian Islands and a place called Guadalcanal. The subs were undamaged. According to Taniura’s record, four of the raiders had thought surrender would be their best option, and they had done so by making their way to the lagoon shore and waving to a Japanese seaplane that was anchored in the lagoon. But when the time came to withdraw and return to the waiting submarines, there was a problem. Using this raft, 72 exhausted Raiders sailed 4 miles from Makin to the mouth of the lagoon, where the subs picked them up. https://olive-drab.com/od_history_ww2_stories_1942makin.php Young, Howard. Major Kanemitsu with 73 naval air force personnel with light weapons. In August 1942, the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion conducted the Makin Island raid in the Central Pacific. As the ship celebrates the anniversary of the raid on Makin Island, the “Gung Ho” spirit of Carlson’s Raiders is alive and well. Makin Island was a high risk event, demonstrating both the potential of special operations forces and the hazards inherent in their use. Under cover of darkness, they took the small trading yacht Kariamakingo, owned by the local branch of the NBK (Nanyo Boyeki Kabushiki Kaisha, or South Seas Trading Company), which was the only Japanese trading company operating in the Gilbert Islands in prewar times. But just as the operation began, Japanese planes arrived and attacked, sinking the rescue boat and attacking the subs, which were forced to crash dive and wait on the bottom the rest of the day. If successful, the raid would also boost home front morale. The landing had been very difficult due to rough seas, high surf, and the failure of many of the outboard motors. The soldier was shot soon afterwards, and the message was most likely recovered several days later.” Wiles wrote this based on his own research, considering what others had previously written on the subject. Commander Abe therefore wanted an early decision on what was to be done with the nine American prisoners and, seeking advice, had made the following suggestions to Japanese Naval General Headquarters: send the prisoners to a relatively safe location within the control of the 4th Fleet, send them to mainland Japan, or execute them locally by an appropriate method. Undaunted by the lack of support, Peatross led his men inland. By Matt Fratus | August 17, 2020. Kanzaki had lived on the island for years, was also married to a part-European woman, and no doubt was a Japanese person who Emily knew well and trusted. They had also gained experience in atoll warfare and submarine troop transport. He states that Coyte entrusted the note to an islander who took it to the Japanese headquarters, which was located in the Chinese On Chong Trading Company building. Six of these Marines were returned to their families for private burial ceremonies. The raid on Makin Atoll was primarily a diversion to lure Japanese attention away from the main landings at Guadalcanal, but things went badly from the start. In his memoir, Taniura recorded the accounts given to him by two of the Marines. The remaining five raiders had opted to try to escape. The closest island of the Marshall Islands, Nadikdik Atoll, is 290 km NNW of Makin. At 09:00 on 18 August, the subs sent a rescue boat to stretch rope from the ships to the shore that would allow the remaining Raiders' boats to be pulled out to sea. They would neutralize the small Japanese garrison and destroy equipment before leaving the island and returning aboard the submarines. In fact, because the vulnerabilities to their garrisons in the Gilbert Islands were highlighted by the raid, the Japanese strengthened their fortifications and defensive preparations on the islands in the central Pacific — one of the objectives of the raid, insofar as it would dissipate Japanese material and manpower — which may have caused heavier losses for U.S. forces during the battles of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns. 1942 Raid on Makin Island - YouTube. The raid on Makin Island was prominently featured in the Treyarch video game Call of Duty: World at Waras the first level in the campaign mode. An exhausted and dispirited Carlson dispatched a note to the Japanese commander offering to surrender, but the Japanese messenger was killed by other Marines who were unaware of Carlson's plan.[3]. The two submarines had traveled for nine days from Pearl Harbor to the Gilbert … Attack by the United States Marine Corps Raiders on Japanese military forces on Makin Island (now known as Butaritari Island) in the Pacific Ocean. The Makin Island Raid: What Really Happened to the Marines? The island that is referred to as Makin Island is, in fact, the island of Butaritari. … On December 9, 1941 Japanese forces occupied Makin Island. They could not get over the reef to the deeper water where the submarines were. At 07:00, with Company A leading, the Raiders advanced from the beach across the island to its north shore before attacking southwestward. It is his observations of the actions on Makin Island. The remaining 13 were buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery after a funeral service at Fort Myer Chapel at which the Marine Commandant General James L. Jones spoke.[5]. Planners selected Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands as the target. Times when the very landscape appears to shift. Captain Ralph H. Coyte was given the responsibility of making the surrender plea. The high tide and surf worked against their rubber boats, washing them back onto the beach. And so, five days after the Makin Island raiders had left the island, their surrender note was finally delivered to a Japanese officer. The following account was provided by SGT K.L. Under command of Colonel 'Thorwald', they're trained in all imaginable forms of combat. Makin has a land area of 6.7 km² and a population of 1,798 (census of 2010). The Japanese record of Carlson’s raid begins after most of the raiders were on their way home to Hawaii, believing they had lost 30 men in battle and that all of them had died on Makin Island. They set about identifying and cremating the Japanese bodies, the ashes of which were then buried in a mass grave. According to an account related by Hayashi Koichi, who was Admiral Koso Abe’s chief of staff at Kwajalein, there was anticipation of a large-scale attack against Kwajalein. It has become the accepted version of the events. In the annals of military history magazines, this is one of those moments. Peatross, Oscar F.; John P. McCarthy and John Clayborne (editors) (1995). They are led by a controversial commander with radical new ideas. On August 17, 1942 at 3:30am two submarines USS Argonaut and USS Nautilus (SS-168) landed U. S. Marines from 2nd Raider Battalion including Company A and Company B. Japanese sources tell us that, at that time, there were only 27 Japanese survivors and that they were in hiding, widely scattered along the atoll to the east. There are moments in military history that forever alter the flow of human events. At 05:15, Lt. Oscar Peatross and a 12-man squad landed on Makin. Japanese Lieutenant Taniura Hideo describes the delivery of the note in his memoir. Taniura dispatched two military doctors who provided medical service to the village for two days. Because of space limitations aboard ship, each company embarked without one of its rifle sections. Although the raiders had lost 30 men, they had killed approximately 46 Japanese. The Makin Raid in August 1942 by the 2nd Marine Raiders Battalion — “Carlson’s Raiders” — was one of the most famous special operations missions of World War II. One of Carlson’s officers (and it is unclear which one) suggested surrender, and after some discussion, Carlson endorsed the proposal, unaware that there really was no one to surrender to. WWII Quarterly, the hardcover journal of the Second World War that is not available in bookstores or on newsstands, and can only be obtained and collected through a personal subscription through the mail. Family and friends of 13 World War II Marines killed during a 1942 raid on the Japanese-held Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, look over the caskets during funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, Friday, August 17, … Failing to contact Carlson, they withdrew to the subs at dusk as planned. Taniura arranged for the nine prisoners to be transported to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands to the north. Additional Japanese personnel may have been killed in the destruction of two boats and two aircraft. The mission was headed by Lt. Cmdr. Initially both Nimitz and Admiral Ernest J. A Hollywood movie depicting the raid was made in 1943, The raid on Makin Island was prominently featured in the, The raid on Makin was also featured as a level in the Electronic Arts video game. The Makin Island Raid (occurred on 17–18 August 1942) was an attack by the United States Marine Corps Raiders on Japanese military forces on Makin Island (now known as Butaritari Island) in the Pacific Ocean. The Marine Raiders that carried it out were among the best of the best. He resides in New Zealand. It even became the subject of a 1943 movie, Gung Ho!, starring Randolph Scott and Robert Mitchum. The next morning several boatloads of Raiders were able to fight the surf and reach the sub; but 72 men, along with just three rubber boats, were still on the island. Marine Raiders and sailors crowd the deck of USS Argonaut as she is warped into the dock at Pearl Harbor after the Makin Island raid. Despite hours of heroic effort, 11 of 18 boats were unable to breach the unexpectedly strong surf. At 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 17, 1942, 20 rubber boats carrying 11 Marine Raiders in each from 2nd Raider Battalion, launched from the USS Nautilus S-168 and the USS Argonaut SM-1. In August 1942, the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion conducted the Makin Island raid in the Central Pacific. In August 1942, the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion conducted the Makin Island raid in the Central Pacific. Thus, Peatross and his men landed where they originally planned. Rottman, Gordon; Duncan Anderson (consultant editor) (2005). The following account was provided by SGT K.L. Call Of Duty: World At War; the opening mission: Semper Fi and the online maps Makin and Makin Day, take place on the Island. Strong resistance from Japanese snipers and machine guns stalled the advance and inflicted casualties. USS Makin Island (CVE-93) enters floating drydock ABSD-6 for repairs and paint at Guam, Mariana Islands, 8 Jun 1945. He had been alerted to this need by Kanzaki Chojiro, the NBK manager, who had reported that a village on the eastern side of the island had received a random bombing attack by Japanese aircraft, killing and injuring a considerable number of villagers. The raiders approached Makin in … If successful, the raid would also boost home front morale. At 19:30, the Raiders began to withdraw from the island using 18 rubber boats, many of which no longer had working outboard motors. One plane crashed; the other burst into flames. Raid on Makin Island. Emily was originally from the island of Abaiang, 100 miles south of Makin. What happened next is unclear, as American and Japanese versions differ. Lying east of the Marshall islands, Makin was intended as an excellent seaplane base, to protect the eastern flank of the Japanese perimeter from an Allied attack by extending Japanese air patrols closer to islands held by the Allies: Howland Island, Baker Island, Tuvalu, and Phoenix and Ellice Isl… At 23:30, the attempt by most of the Raiders to reach the submarines failed. Makin Island was a high risk event, demonstrating both the potential of special operations forces and the hazards inherent in their use. The remaining planes bombed and strafed but inflicted no U.S. casualties. Immediately after Carlson’s raid, he was deployed to Makin with reinforcements for the decimated Makin Defense Force. She was part European and could read English. Master swordsmen from among the Marshall Islands Area Defense Unit were selected as the executioners. When he found the building deserted, he took the note to Emily Hugill, who had a trading store in Ukiangang Village. On a stormy night, U.S. Marines set off secretly from submarines to assault a remote island base. At 13:30, 12 Japanese planes—including two flying boats—arrived over Makin. Okada Sadatomo, who was accompanied by Ida Hideo, from the 4th Fleet. History. McCullough, a Radioman in Carlson’s Raiders during the Makin Island Raid. Pacific island nearly 60 years after they fell in battle. No reply was received, and so Abe sent another request seeking an urgent decision. Storyline Seven weeks after Pearl Harbor, volunteers form the new 2nd Marine Raider Battalion whose purpose is to raid Japanese-held islands. By using Japanese and Gilbert Islands sources of information in addition to American sources, it is now possible to clarify the matter. Even in the darkness, they believed they could see a passage out of the lagoon on the western side of the atoll, and they steered toward it. At 23:08, having managed to signal the subs to meet his Raiders at the entrance to Makin Lagoon, Carlson had a team, led by Lt. Charlie Lamb, build a raft made up of three rubber boats and two native canoes, powered by the two remaining outboard motors. On August 17, 1942 211 Marines set out from two submarines to Makin Island, the home of a Japanese seaplane base. The men selected come from different walks of life but have toughness in common. Raid on Makin Island: How U.S. Marines Launched an Attack From Submarines in 1942. The executions were performed according to Japanese tradition, and the bodies were buried in a pit with local wild flowers offered to the spirits of the deceased. In 2000, 58 years after the raid, the remains of 19 Marines were found on Makin Island and identified at the Defense Department's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. There, they were imprisoned at the 6th Naval Base Headquarters for approximately six weeks until executed on October 16. "Carlson's Raiders on Makin, 17–18 August 1942". The Marine Raiders were launched in LCRL rubber boats powered by small, 6 hp (4.5 kW) outboard motors shortly after 00:00 (midnight) on 17 August. Then they buried the bodies of the 21 dead U.S. Marines and erected a marker labeled “grave of unknown American soldiers.” The nine living U.S. Marines were brought to the burial site so that they could pay respect to their fallen comrades. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. It is his observations of the actions on Makin Island. They left the wharf in the yacht. Since 1940, Lieutenant Taniura Hideo had been a squad leader of the Japanese 6th Defense Force stationed on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. What Made the German Luger the Most Famous Pistol in Modern Warfare, The Essential Role of Navy PBR Boats in the Vietnam War, Francis Stebbins Bartow at First Manassas, Donald Malarkey: The Story of Easy Company’s Brother from Astoria, Carlson’s Long Patrol: Marine Raiders at Guadalcanal, Submarine Special Missions in the Pacific, Evans Carlson & America’s First Special Operations Team, Alex Vraciu: U.S. Navy Ace, Philippines Guerrilla. They were subsequently captured, moved to Kwajalein Atoll, and executed by Japanese forces. Battalion headquarters, A Company and 18 men from B Company—totaling 121 troops—were embarked aboard the submarine Argonaut and the remainder of B Company—totaling 90 men—aboard Nautilus. Not so well known is that on the afternoon of the first day of the Makin Island raid, Carlson’s Raiders gave up all hope of being able to get away from the island and attempted to surrender. When Lieutenant Taniura came to Makin bringing reinforcements for the decimated Makin Defense Force, Kanzaki delivered the note to him. How US Marine Raiders Used Submarines to Raid Makin Island During World War II. The boat was tied alongside Kings Wharf with nobody aboard. And the son of the sitting U.S. president is one of his officers. At a U.S. Navy tribunal held on Guam on May 15, 1946, Commander Abe was sentenced to death. The nine prisoners were brought by truck, hands tied behind their backs and blindfolded. They completed inspections at various islands, including Wake Island, Truk, and Tarawa, before reaching Kwajalein on October 14, two days before the execution of the nine prisoners. Despite heavy surf seven boats with 93 men made it to the subs. It is provided for information only and does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense, the United States Department of the Navy or the USS MAKIN ISLAND … When they surfaced, the men set out for shore in rubber boats amid heavy rains and a tumultuous sea. There is still some uncertainty over how the surrender overture was delivered to Japanese military forces and how they responded. About this time, Taniura arranged for medical care for the people of Keuea Village who had come under attack from Japanese bombers. Major Kanemitsu, knocked out a machine gun and destroyed the enemy radios; but suffered three dead and two wounded. The Marine Raiders of the Second World War were described as the United States' first special operations forces. However, the raid did succeed in its objectives of boosting morale and testing Raider tactics. The flying boats—carrying reinforcements for the Japanese garrison—attempted to land in the lagoon, but were met with machine gun, rifle and Boys anti-tank rifle fire from the Raiders. But far worse fighting faced soldiers, sailors and Coast Guardsmen when American forces returned in late 1943. "Carlson's Marine Raiders: Makin Island 1942" is an Osprey Raid Series book, authored by Gordon Rottman, with illustrations contributed by several artists. Japanese planes had bombed and strafed Keuea Village, 10 miles to the northeast. Of the remaining eleven Marines missing in action, nine were inadvertently left behind or returned to the island during the night withdrawal. There have been countless thousands of published works devoted to all or of it. But there’s NEVER been anything like THIS before. The Raiders became desperate and believed they could not escape. It was a disaster for the small village. The attack, which occurred on August 17-18, 1942, was designed to draw attention away from another U.S. Marine attack on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. [6], Butaritari (Makin Island) in the Pacific Ocean. Carlson reported that he had personally counted 83 Japanese bodies and estimated that 160 Japanese were killed based on reports from the Makin Island natives with whom he spoke. At 09:00, Lt. Peatross and his 12 men found themselves behind the Japanese who were fighting the rest of the Raiders to the east. Having lost most of their weapons and equipment, the exhausted survivors struggled back to the beach to link up with 20 fully armed men who had been left on the island to cover their withdrawal. Taniura’s next task was to interrogate these nine abandoned Marines. The Wake Island Raid. Navy Commander Ohara, who was in command at the execution site, received a sentence of 10 years imprisonment, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. The next morning, Japanese soldiers arrived, and they were captured. In June 1943 the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), to submit a plan to occupy the Marshall Islands. Two days later, at 9 am on October 16, 1942, an open area near the western shore of Kwajalein Atoll was selected for the executions. The present name of the island is Butaritari in the island nation of Kiribati. There are several gaps through which a small boat may pass to gain access to the ocean, all of them on the western side of the atoll. The Makin Island Raid. The raid 70-years ago was a … It was a daring operation, conducted in … The purpose of the raid was to destroy Japanese installations on the island, gather intelligence, and to test the raiding tactics of the U.S. Marines. It is unclear why Keuea was selected as a target, but it seems that the Japanese mistakenly believed that the Marines were sheltering there. In September, an inspection mission was sent out by Tokyo, the Southern Defense Inspection Mission, which visited several Japanese bases in Micronesia. Morison states that 60 Japanese were killed in the sinking of one of the boats. It turned out to be a fortunate error. Share. The raiders approached Makin in two submarines, Nautilus and Argonaut. At 05:13, Companies A and B of the 2nd Raider Battalion—commanded by Lt. Col. Evans Carlson—successfully landed on Makin. The plan was for 211 men from the 2nd Battalion, led by Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson, to land at night from two submarines, USS Argonaut and USS Nautilus. Two large submarines, Nautilus and Argonaut, carried Carlson’s 221-man raiding force, including Maj. James Roosevelt, the President’s son and Carlson’s executive officer, to the island. Uchiki, who had transported the prisoners to the execution site, got five years imprisonment. The remaining eleven Marines were never located. The few that even care to know about the raid that took place during 17th and 18th August 1942 in the Gilbert Islands call it the ‘Makin Island Raid.’ In reality, there is no island called Makin. USMC casualties were given as 18 killed in action and 12 missing in action. The matter was discussed when the visiting mission arrived on October 14, and Abe was informed by Okada that with regard to the three suggested options for dealing with the prisoners, General Headquarters had responded that transport was extremely difficult at the time and, furthermore, it was impossible to estimate the area of large-scale advancement of U.S. forces; under the circumstances, transfer to Japan from a distant location such as Kwajalein was impossible; therefore, there was no option other than to dispose of the prisoners locally. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, From Tolkien to Hitler: Famous Soldiers of World War I, The Battle for Omaha Beach: The Men of the D-Day Invasion, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Last Campaign: The Battle of Waterloo, Operation Barbarossa: World War II’s Eastern Front, The Battle of Gettysburg: Turning Point of the American Civil War. 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