Roi Namur Landings

Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands - Eager to set up forward air bases capable of supporting operations across the mid-Pacific and into Japan, the U.S. desperately needed to take the Marianas Islands. But this archipelago of volcanic mountains was so heavily …

1944-02-01

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Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands - Eager to set up forward air bases capable of supporting operations across the mid-Pacific and into Japan, the U.S. desperately needed to take the Marianas Islands. But this archipelago of volcanic mountains was so heavily defended that a land-based bombers campaign was a pre-requisite to any invasion. The nearest islands capable of supporting such an effort were the Marshall Islands; capturing them would provide the base needed to launch an offensive on the Marianas. Employing the hard-learned lessons of Tarawa, the U.S. launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. The defenders on Roi-Namur, primarily members of the Imperial Japanese Air Service had little ground combat experience and were ill-equipped. They put up a stiff Resistance but were decimated: Of an original garrison of 3,500, only 51 survived the battle and were captured.

Roi-Namur, Marshall Islands

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.

Wikipedia: Battle of Kwajalein

Japanese

American

Game Type: Overlord

Board Type: Beach

Website Access: Classified