Harry Schmidt

Ten days later, the Philippine capital Manila is captured.

For the US commander in the region, it's a humiliation.

Douglas MacArthur is one of America's most decorated generals.

But outnumbered and outgunned, there's nothing he can do.

Steam on and risk being trapped by the Japanese Navy.

or launch their aircraft immediately, even though they're further from Japan than planned.

The US commanders decide it's too risky to delay the attack.

But it will mean Doolittle and his men, already flying at the limit of their range, will now have to fly even further.

He turned to four very capable men who would carry out the actual operation.

three admirals who were experts in amphibious landings fast carrier strikes and shore bombardment and major-general holland m smith who was the commanding general of the marines five amphibious corps and now also would be commanding general expeditionary troops it was he who would command the troops once they got ashore original cautious plans for stepping-stone attacks starting in the eastern marshals were modified and the daring decision was made to knife through the edges and strike directly at kwajalein atoll in the heart of the marshals cluster of thirty-two atolls more than one thousand islands and eight hundred sixty seven reefs kwajalein is the largest atoll in the world sixty miles long and twenty miles wide a semi enclosed series of eighty reefs and islets around a huge lagoon of some eight hundred square miles located six hundred twenty miles northwest of tarwa and two thousand four hundred fifteen miles southwest of pearl harbor its capture would have far-reaching strategic significance in that it would break the outer ring of japanese pacific defense lines within the atoll itself there were two objectives roye and namur a pair of connected islands shaped like weights on a four-mile barbell in the north end and crescent-shaped quadrillean island at the south end the fourth marine division under major-general harry schmidt was to assault roi namur and the army seventh infantry division under major-general charles h corlett would attack kwajalein after these islands were taken there was one more objective in the marshals eniwatak atoll this was targeted for attack some three months later by a task force comprised of the twenty second marine regiment called in the corps the twenty second marines and most of the army's one hundred sixth infantry regiment brig general thomas e watson u s m c would be in command as a preliminary to these priority operations the occupation of another atoll in the eastern marshals was planned this objective was majiro which would serve as an advanced air and naval base and safeguard supply lines to quadrillion two hundred twenty miles to the northwest because it was believed to be very lightly defended only the marine five amphibious corps reconnaissance company and the second battalion one hundred sixth infantry seventh infantry division were assigned to capture to support all of these thrusts there would be a massive assemblage of u s navy ships carriers battleships cruisers destroyers and an astonishingly varied array of transports and landing craft these warships provided a maximum potential for intensive pre-invasion aerial bombing and ship-to-shore bombardment the increased tonnage in high explosives the lengthened duration of the softening up process and the pinpointing of priority enemy targets were all lessons sorely learned from the inadequate preparatory shelling which had contributed to the steep casualties of tarawa for the marshals there were altogether three hundred eighty ships carrying eighty five thousand men with the plans in place and a very tight schedule to meet the d-day deadline the complex task of assembling and transporting the assault troops to the target area was put in motion readying the army seventh division was the easiest part of the logistical plan it was already in hawaii after earlier operations at attu and kiska in the aleutian islands off alaska the twenty second marines however had to come from samoa where it had been on garrison duty for some eighteen months and the fourth marine division was still at camp pendleton in california where it had recently been formed on thirteen january nineteen forty four the division sailed from san diego to commence the longest shore-to-shore amphibious operation in the history of warfare forty three hundred miles life at sea soon settled down into a regular routine all hands soon became acquainted with the rituals of alerts for general quarters in the blackness of pre-dawn mess lines stretching along the passageways inspections and calisthenics on the cluttered decks the loud speaker with its shrill whistle of a boatswain's pipe and its now hear this fresh-water hours and classes and weapons cleaning every day off duty the men took advantage of the opportunity to sleep play cards stand in line for ice cream write letters and of course engage in endless speculation about the division's objective which was originally known only by the intriguing title of burlesque and camouflage on twenty one january the transports carrying the marines anchored in lahaina roads off maui hawaii and visions of shore leave raced through the minds of all the men pula girls surf swimming cooling droughts and a local bar just what was needed after the long nights in the crowded humid troop compartments during the voyage over the ship's loudspeakers sad to say came a not unexpected announcement there will be no liberty after one day filled with conferences and briefings for the senior officers the task force sailed again next stop the marshall islands en route crossing the one hundred eightieth meridian there were the traditional colorful ceremonies in which the old salts initiated the men who had never before crossed the international date line into the domain of the golden dragon on thirty january the ships threaded their way through the eastern atolls of the marshals and the following morning dawn thirty one january they halted before their objectives with the northern component off roi namur and the southern component facing kwajalein island on every transport the men crowded the ships rails to stare at the low-lying islets which they must soon attack the twenty third twenty fourth and twenty fifth marines were assigned to the roi namur operation and the thirty second seventeenth and one hundred eighty fourth infantry regiments of the army's seventh division were to take the quadrillean island objectives meanwhile the small group assigned to majoro second battalion hundred sixth infantry plus the five amphibious corps

reconnaissance company

had split off from the main task force and would make its own landing on thirty one january advanced intelligence estimates of minimal enemy forces proved accurate there were no american casualties and just one japanese officer was captured on the main islet three days later more than thirty u s ships lay at anchor in the mujiro lagoon forward at the main theatre an awesome pre landing saturation bombardment begun on twenty ninth january was in full swing u s navy ships moved in on roinaumur with some at the unprecedented short range of nineteen hundred yards and poured in their point-blank massed fire continuing the repeated aerial strikes which had begun weeks earlier from the carriers waves of planes swept in low for bombing and strafing runs key enemy artillery and blockhouse strong points had earlier been mapped from submarine and aerial reconnaissance and individual attention was given to the destruction of each one the combined total of shells and bombs reached a staggering six thousand tons As a result of the underwater obstacles and beach mines uncovered at Tarawa, for the first time, Navy underwater demolition teams had been formed for future operations.

Sidebars Major General Holland M. Smith one of the most famous marines of his time general smith was born in eighteen eighty two he was commissioned a second lieutenant in nineteen o five there followed a series of overseas assignments in the philippines nicaragua santo domingo and with the marine brigade in france in world war one beginning in the early nineteen thirties he became increasingly focused on the development of amphibious warfare concepts soon after the outbreak of war with japan in nineteen forty one he was assigned to a crucial position command of all marines in the central pacific as another marine officer later described him he was of medium height perhaps five feet nine or ten inches and somewhat paunchy his once black hair had turned gray his once close-trimmed mustache was somewhat scraggly he wore steel-rimmed glasses and he smoked cigars incessantly there was one other feature that characterized him a ferocious temper that earned him the nickname howlin mad smith although his close friends knew him as hoke this characteristic would usually emerge as irritation at what he felt were substandard performances one famous example of this was his relief of an army general from his command it came when an army division was on the line alongside two marine divisions on saipan in the marianas islands campaign following the marshal's operation a huge inter-service uproar erupted Less than two years later, after 41 years of active service, during which he was awarded four Distinguished Service Medals for his leadership in four successive successful amphibious operations, he retired in April 1946 as a four-star general.

He died in January 1967.

Major General Harry Schmidt The leader of the 4th Marine Division at Roynamur was born in 1886 and entered the Corps as a second lieutenant in 1909.

By extraordinary coincidence, his first foreign duty was at Guam in the Marianas Islands, an area he would return to 33 years later under vastly different circumstances.

He died in January 1967.

Major General Harry Schmidt The leader of the 4th Marine Division at Roynamur was born in 1886 and entered the Corps as a second lieutenant in 1909.

By extraordinary coincidence, his first foreign duty was at Guam in the Marianas Islands, an area he would return to 33 years later under vastly different circumstances.

the philippines mexico cuba and nicaragua where he was awarded a navy cross second only to the medal of honor interspersed with repeated stays in china were the marks of a diverse overseas career at home there were staff schools paymaster duties and a tour as assistant commandant By the end of the war, he had been decorated with three Distinguished Service Medals.

Within the atoll itself, there were two objectives, Roi and Namur, a pair of connected islands shaped like weights on a four-mile barbell in the north end and crescent-shaped Kwajalein Island at the south end.

The Fourth Marine Division under Major General Harry Schmidt was to assault Roi-Namur, and the Army Seventh Infantry Division under Major General Charles H. Corlett would attack Kwajalein.

After these islands were taken, there was one more objective in the Marshalls, Eniwetok Atoll.

This was targeted for attack some three months later by a task force comprised of the Twenty-Second Marine Regiment, called in the Corps the Twenty-Second Marines, and most of the Army's One Hundred Sixth Infantry Regiment.

Less than two years later, after 41 years of active service, during which he was awarded four Distinguished Service Medals for his leadership in four successive successful amphibious operations, he retired in April 1946 as a four-star general.

He died in January 1967.

Major General Harry Schmidt The leader of the 4th Marine Division at Roi Namur was born in 1886 and entered the Corps as a second lieutenant in 1909.

By extraordinary coincidence, his first foreign duty was at Guam in the Marianas Islands, an area he would return to 33 years later under vastly different circumstances.

He died in January 1967.

Major General Harry Schmidt The leader of the 4th Marine Division at Roynamur was born in 1886 and entered the Corps as a second lieutenant in 1909.

By extraordinary coincidence, his first foreign duty was at Guam in the Marianas Islands, an area he would return to 33 years later under vastly different circumstances.

the philippines mexico cuba and nicaragua where he was awarded a navy cross second only to the medal of honor interspersed with repeated stays in china were the marks of a diverse overseas career at home there were staff schools paymaster duties and a tour as assistant commandant by the end of the war he had been decorated with three distinguished service medals retiring in nineteen forty eight after thirty nine years of service he was advanced to the four-star rank of general he died in nineteen sixty eight a contemporary described him as a buddha a typical old-time marine he had been in china he was regulation old establishment a regular marine the fourth marine division this division was formed as the result of the organization and redesignation of several other units the twenty-third marines began as infantry detached from the third division in february nineteen

Located 620 miles northwest of Tarawa and 2,415 miles southwest of Pearl Harbor, its capture would have far-reaching strategic significance in that it would break the outer ring of Japanese Pacific defense lines.

within the atoll itself there were two objectives roye and namur a pair of connected islands shaped like weights on a four-mile barbell in the north end and crescent-shaped quadrillean island at the south end the fourth marine division under major-general harry schmidt was to assault roi namur and the army seventh infantry division under major-general charles h corlett would attack kwajalein after these islands were taken there was one more objective in the marshals eniwatak atoll this was targeted for attack some three months later by a task force comprised of the twenty second marine regiment called in the corps the twenty second marines and most of the army's one hundred sixth infantry regiment brig general thomas e watson u s m c would be in command as a preliminary to these priority operations the occupation of another atoll in the eastern marshals was planned this objective was majiro which would serve as an advanced air and naval base and safeguard supply lines to quadrillion two hundred twenty miles to the northwest because it was believed to be very lightly defended only the marine five amphibious corps reconnaissance company and the second battalion one hundred sixth infantry seventh infantry division were assigned to capture to support all of these thrusts there would be a massive assemblage of u s navy ships carriers battleships cruisers destroyers and an astonishingly varied array of transports and landing craft these warships provided a maximum potential for intensive pre-invasion aerial bombing and ship-to-shore bombardment the increased tonnage in high explosives the lengthened duration of the softening up process and the pinpointing of priority enemy targets were all lessons sorely learned from the inadequate preparatory shelling which had contributed to the steep casualties of tarawa for the marshals there were altogether three hundred eighty ships carrying eighty five thousand men with the plans in place and a very tight schedule to meet the d-day deadline the complex task of assembling and transporting the assault troops to the target area was put in motion readying the army seventh division was the easiest part of the logistical plan it was already in hawaii after earlier operations at attu and kiska in the aleutian islands off alaska the twenty second marines however had to come from samoa where it had been on garrison duty for some eighteen months and the fourth marine division was still at camp pendleton in california where it had recently been formed on thirteen january nineteen forty four the division sailed from san diego to commence the longest shore-to-shore amphibious operation in the history of warfare forty three hundred miles life at sea soon settled down into a regular routine all hands soon became acquainted with the rituals of alerts for general quarters in the blackness of pre-dawn mess lines stretching along the passageways inspections and calisthenics on the cluttered decks the loud speaker with its shrill whistle of a boatswain's pipe and its now hear this fresh-water hours and classes and weapons cleaning every day off duty the men took advantage of the opportunity to sleep play cards stand in line for ice cream write letters and of course engage in endless speculation about the division's objective which was originally known only by the intriguing title of burlesque and camouflage on twenty one january the transports carrying the marines anchored in lahaina roads off maui hawaii and visions of shore leave raced through the minds of all the men hula girls surf swimming cooling droughts and a local bar just what was needed after the long nights in the crowded humid troop compartments during the voyage over the ship's loudspeakers sad to say came a not unexpected announcement there will be no liberty after one day filled with conferences and briefings for the senior officers the task force sailed again next stop the marshall islands en route crossing the one hundred eighty meridian there were the traditional colorful ceremonies in which the old salts initiated the men who had never before crossed the international date line into the domain of the golden dragon on thirty january the ships threaded their way through the eastern atolls of the marshals and the following morning dawn thirty one january they halted before their objectives with the northern component off roi namur and the southern component facing kwajalein island on every transport the men crowded the ships rails to stare at the low-lying islets which they must soon attack the twenty third twenty fourth and twenty fifth marines were assigned to the roi namur operation and the thirty second seventeenth and one hundred eighty fourth infantry regiments of the army's seventh division were to take the quadrillean island objectives meanwhile the small group assigned to majoro second battalion hundred sixth infantry plus the five amphibious corps reconnaissance company had split off from the main task force and would make its own landing on thirty one january advance intelligence estimates of minimal enemy forces proved accurate there were no american casualties and just one japanese officer was captured on the main islet three days later more than thirty u s ships lay at anchor in the mujiro lagoon forward at the main theatre an awesome pre landing saturation bombardment begun on twenty ninth january was in full swing u s navy ships moved in on roinaumur with some at the unprecedented short range of nineteen hundred yards and poured in their point-blank massed fire continuing the repeated aerial strikes which had begun weeks earlier from the carriers waves of planes swept in low for bombing and strafing runs key enemy artillery and blockhouse strong points had earlier been mapped from submarine and aerial reconnaissance and individual attention was given to the destruction of each one the combined total of shells and bombs reached a staggering six thousand tons as a result of the underwater obstacles and beach mines uncovered at tarawa for the first time navy underwater demolition teams had been formed for future operations fortunately they found no mines at roynamur and were not needed at kwajalein another factor which would assist the assault troops was the configuration of the atoll the two main objectives at the north end and at the south were each adjoined by islets and these neighboring locations were to be seized on d day thirty one january as bases to provide close-in artillery support for the infantry landing on either side of roinaumur the fourteenth marines would bring in its seventy five millimeter and one hundred five millimeter howitzers and dig them in to support the main landing from islets which carried the exotic names of enubing melu enuber enuminet and enugarit as is always the case in war there were problems the task was assigned to the twenty fifth marines and because of communications difficulties the different units going ashore on different islets could not coordinate their landings their radios went dead from drenching sea-swells that swept over the gunwales of the amtrak's lvt's landing vehicles tracked or amphibian tractors nevertheless by nightfall the beach heads had been secured and for the first time u s marines had landed on a japanese mandate on board the transports outside the lagoon the men of the twenty third and twenty fourth marines spent the afternoon of d day transferring to l s t s landing ships tank that night saw a muddled picture of amphibian tractors stranded or out of gas inside the lagoon with many others wandering in the blackout as they sought to find their own lst mothership while this scramble was going on the assault troops on board the lsts were facing each in his own way the prospect of intensive combat on the following morning one rifleman private first class robert f graff remembered As I thought of the landing that I would be making on the morrow, I was both excited and anxious.

yes i thought of death but i wasn't afraid somehow i couldn't see myself as dead why wasn't there fear i wondered even though i was nervous it was with excitement not fear instead there was a thrill i was headed for great adventure where i had wanted to be this was just an adventure it was grown-up cowboys and indians it was grown-up cops and robbers thoughts of glory were in my mind that night now it was my turn to carry the flag into battle it was my turn to be a part of history to top it all off i was going into battle with the elite of the elite the united states marines just prior to falling asleep i prayed my prayers were for courage for my family and i prayed to stay alive by the next morning d plus one one february the lsts had moved inside the lagoon up before dawn the infantrymen filed into the cavernous holds of the lsts and clambered on board their amphibious tractors graff described his equipment landings were made with each person loaded with weight we wore our dungarees leggings and boondockers shoes our skivvies underwear had been dyed green while we were still in the states white ones were too good a target in addition our packs were loaded with whatever gear we thought we would need such as extra socks toilet gear poncho and our d and k rations extra cigarettes were stuffed in also believe it or not some of us carried books that we were reading i wore two knives the k-bar knife that was issued was tucked into my right legging the throwing stiletto that i had purchased was on my belt a leather thong at the bottom of the sheath was tied around my leg so that the knife would not flop around my bayonet was in its sheath and attached to my pack on went the loaded pack around my waist went the cartridge belt fully loaded with ten clips of m one rifle ammo each clip holding eight rounds over my shoulder were two bandoliers of m one ammo holding an additional eighty rounds hanging from my pockets were four hand grenades only requiring a pulled pin to be activated We donned our helmets with the brown camouflage covering.

Finally, we slung our gas masks over our shoulders.

one of the most famous marines of his time general smith was born in eighteen eighty two he was commissioned a second lieutenant in nineteen o five there followed a series of overseas assignments in the philippines nicaragua santo domingo and with the marine brigade in france in world war one beginning in the early nineteen thirties he became increasingly focused on the development of amphibious warfare concepts soon after the outbreak of war with japan in nineteen forty one he was assigned to a crucial position command of all marines in the central pacific as another marine officer later described him he was of medium height perhaps five feet nine or ten inches and somewhat paunchy his once black hair had turned gray his once close-trimmed mustache was somewhat scraggly he wore steel-rimmed glasses and he smoked cigars incessantly there was one other feature that characterized him a ferocious temper that earned him the nickname howlin mad smith although his close friends knew him as this characteristic would usually emerge as irritation at what he felt were substandard performances one famous example of this was his relief of an army general from his command it came when an army division was on the line alongside two marine divisions on saipan in the marianas islands campaign following the marshal's operation a huge inter-service uproar erupted Less than two years later, after 41 years of active service, during which he was awarded four Distinguished Service Medals for his leadership in four successive successful amphibious operations, he retired in April 1946 as a four-star general.

He died in January 1967.

Major General Harry Schmidt The leader of the 4th Marine Division at Roynamur was born in 1886 and entered the Corps as a second lieutenant in 1909.

By extraordinary coincidence, his first foreign duty was at Guam in the Marianas Islands, an area he would return to 33 years later under vastly different circumstances.