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Contact Info
Home Town Newport
Date of Passing Feb 17, 2019
Location of Interment Saint Columbus Cemetery - Middletown, Rhode Island
Marshall Islands Operation (1944)/Battle of Kwajalein Atoll (Operation Flintlock)
From Month/Year
January / 1944
To Month/Year
February / 1944
Description 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.
MARSHALL ISLANDS OPERATION
Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls: 29 January - 8 February 1944.
1 Star
ASIATIC-PACIFIC RAIDS - 1944
Truk attack: 16 - 17 February 1944.
Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai raid: 30 March - 1 April 1944.
Truk, Satawan, Ponape raid: 29 April - 1 May 1944.
1 Star
HOLLANDIA OPERATION
Aitape - Humboldt Bay - Tanahmerah Bay: April - 1 June 1944.
1 Star
MARIANAS OPERATION
Capture and occupation of Saipan: 11 June - 24 June 1944.
Battle of Philippine Sea: 19 - 20 June 1944.
Third Bonins raid: 3 - 4 July 1944.
Capture and Occupation of Guam: 12 July - 15 August 1944.
Palau, Yap, Ulithi raid: 25 - 27 July 1944.
1 Star
WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS OPERATION
Capture and occupation of South Palau Islands, 6 September - 14 October 1944.
Assaults on the Philippine Islands: 9 - 24 September 1944.
1 Star
LEYTE OPERATION
Third Fleet supporting operations for Okinawa attack: 10 October 1944.
Northern Luzon and Formosa attacks: 13 - 14 October 1944.
Luzon attacks: 15 October - 16 December 1944.
Battle of Surigao Strait: 25 - 26 October 1944.
1 Star
LUZON OPERATION
Third Fleet supporting operations - Formosa attacks: 3 - 21 January 1945.
Lingayen Gulf landing: 4 January - 16 February 1945.
Third Fleet supporting operations - Luzon attacks: 6 - 7 January 1945.
Third Fleet supporting operations - China Coast attacks: 12 - 16 January 1945.
Third Fleet supporting operations - Nansei Shoto attack: 22 January 1945.
1 Star
IWO JIMA OPERATION
Fifth Fleet raids against Honshu and the Nansei Shoto: 15 February - 4 March 1945.
1 Star
OKINAWA GUNTO OPERATION
Assault and occupation of Okinawa: 17 March - 28 May 1945.