Hi Reader, welcome back to our weekly coverage of what happened in the skies and on the ground during World War II. This week, we cover the operation that marked the beginning of the island-hopping campaign in the Pacific and the tragic loss of five siblings during the naval battle of Guadalcanal. Join us as we delve into the history of one of the most pivotal conflicts ever and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Bloody, Bloody, Tarawa
This week in history, on November 20, 1943, US Marines launched a brutal assault on the Japanese-held island of Betio in the Gilbert Islands, leading to the Battle of Tarawa. This marked the beginning of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts, and the crucial start of the island-hopping campaign. Despite being the first American offensive in the Pacific theatre, the invasion faced intense Japanese opposition, resulting in a 76-hour battle that would reshape the US strategy in the Pacific.
On November 20, following a naval bombardment, approximately 35,000 troops from the U.S. 2nd Marine Division and the Army’s 27th Infantry Division began the Battle of Tarawa with amphibious assaults on Tarawa’s Betio Island and Makin Atoll. This marked the beginning of a 76-hour conflict, pitting the U.S. forces against a heavily fortified Japanese garrison of 4,500 troops. The initial landings faced heavy resistance in the Pacific theatre, as the Japanese defenders, well-prepared and supplied, including 8-inch naval rifles, anti-aircraft guns, field artillery, and tanks. The invasion force encountered many challenges on the shore as tanks and support vehicles, intended for support, could not navigate reefs and unexpectedly low tides, leaving ground troops to bear the brutal Japanese defense alone for several hours. The support vehicles that did make it to the shore were quickly destroyed by Japanese gunfire. Despite setbacks, the Marines managed to secure the beachhead on Betio Island within a few hours of the invasion, holding a thin line against the well-entrenched Japanese forces. The first day of the intense 76-hour battle came to an end.
For the next several days following the initial assault, the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines moved through the remaining islands in the atoll, successfully clearing the area of Japanese forces by November 28. They faced fierce fighting and a deeply equipped fighting force. In this brutal campaign, only one officer and sixteen enlisted men out of the 3,636 Japanese in the garrison surrendered. Additionally, of the 1,200 Korean laborers brought to Tarawa for the construction of defenses, only 129 survived. The toll on the island's defenders was severe, with a total of 4,690 killed. The 2nd Marine Division, part of the U.S. forces, suffered the most, sustaining 894 killed in action, including 48 officers and 846 enlisted men, while an additional 84 wounded survivors succumbed to fatal wounds. The Battle of Tarawa, lasting 76 hours, resulted in nearly 6,400 casualties among Japanese, Koreans, and Americans. The grim ratio of killed to wounded at Tarawa highlighted the ferocity of the conflict, leading to public protest and raising questions about the high human cost for what initially seemed like an small and “unimportant” island.
Despite the heavy casualties faced during the Battle of Tarawa, the United States gained invaluable lessons that deeply influenced future amphibious assaults in the Pacific. These lessons, learned in blood, were applied during the later invasions of the Marshall Islands in early 1944. The amphibious assault on Tarawa became a textbook example, guiding and shaping all future landings in the Pacific. The failures experienced during the Tarawa landing led to crucial changes in tactics and equipment, leading to improvements in naval gunfire, enhanced air support, waterproof radios, and the introduction of underwater demolition teams. The high human cost at Tarawa was a major factor in the founding of the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), laying the foundation for the formation of U.S. Navy SEALs.
The Fighting Sullivans
The Sullivan brothers, five sailors from Waterloo, Iowa, served together on the USS Juneau, a light cruiser, and tragically lost their lives during and after its sinking in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. The chaos of the battle prevented a rescue mission for their sunken ship, resulting in the loss of all five brothers. In response to this tragic event, the U.S. War Department implemented the Sole Survivor Policy.
The brothers—George Thomas Sullivan, Francis Henry "Frank" Sullivan, Joseph Eugene "Joe" Sullivan, Madison Abel "Matt" Sullivan—enlisted in the US Navy on January 3, 1942, stipulating that they serve together. Although the Navy generally separated siblings, this policy was not strictly enforced. The brothers, including George and Frank, who had prior Navy service, were all assigned to the light cruiser USS Juneau.
During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942, the Juneau was struck by a Japanese torpedo and later hit again by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine as it left the Solomon Islands area. The cruiser exploded and sank, claiming the lives of three Sullivan brothers in the initial explosion. About 100 sailors, including the two remaining brothers, were left adrift for several days.
Captain Gilbert C. Hoover, in charge of the USS Helena, was hesitant to search for survivors, fearing exposure to a lurking Japanese submarine. Helena signaled a nearby US B-17 bomber on patrol to notify Allied headquarters to send aircraft or ships to search for survivors. The B-17 spotted the surviving men but did not radio headquarters until they landed several hours later. The survivors, left exposed to the elements and shark attacks, went unnoticed for several days. Only a week after the sinking, on Nov. 19-20, were the survivors collected, with only 10 men remaining. The survivors reported that Frank, Joe, and Matt Sullivan were all killed instantly, Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days, before suffering from delirium. Some sources describe him as being "driven insane with grief" at the loss of his brothers. George was last seen climbing over the side of the raft he had occupied and falling into the water. He was never seen or heard from again.
Adm. William F. Halsey, upon learning of the events, relieved Capt. Hoover of his command. The Navy, citing security reasons, did not immediately inform the family. Rumors began to spread in their hometown of the siblings' death, Alleta Sullivan, the mother, sought answers in January 1943. On January 11, 1943, the family received the heartbreaking news that all five sons were missing in action, accompanied by a personal letter of condolences from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The details of the incident were not disclosed.
The "Fighting Sullivan Brothers" became national heroes, and the parents, mourning their children's death, traveled the country advocating for the war effort. The Navy honored the brothers by naming two destroyers USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and USS The Sullivans (DDG-68). Both ships adopted the motto "We stick together." The U.S. War Department implemented the Sole Survivor Policy directly in response to the Sullivans' tragic deaths.
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Thank you for tuning in to this week's coverage of what happened on the ground and the skies during World War II. We hope to see you again next week for even more incredible true stories. And as always, see you in the skies.
-TJ
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"We Stick Together." - USS The Sullivans motto, in honor of the fallen brothers.
