But they could not be sure that even this tremendous pre-landing bombardment would wreck ... might now have evacuated Tarawa as they had Kiska. Then, suddenly, a great splash kicked up the sea ...

Rear Adm. Harry Hill, who command the task force attacking Tarawa, called Betio "a little Gibraltar" and said "only the Marines could have made such a landing." Four Marines were awarded the Medal ...

The Tarawa-class LHAs and Wasp-class LHDs provide the Marine Corps with a means of ship-to-shore movement by helicopter in addition to movement by landing craft. Three LHAs -- which have extensive ...

The lessons of Tarawa were written into bills authorizing more landing craft, which were rushed through Congress last week. The Navy’s landing-craft program now totals 80,000, from the huge (450 ...

The USS Tarawa (Tarawa class ... hangar capable of handling 35 helicopters and eight vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft. The ship could transport up to 1,800 Marine Corps soldiers ...