Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Battle of Tarawa—Operation Galvanic—began on November 20, 1943. Many historians focus on the brutal fighting on the beaches, but during the landings the Marines were stunned to discover they were also taking fire from the lagoon. The source was a ship stranded on the coral just off Red Beach 2.
This was the Japanese freighter Sadu Maru, occupied by Japanese soldiers armed with heavy machine guns. Historians have also identified another vessel involved in the battle: the inter-island steamer Nimanoa. It had been scuttled by its British owner on the reef to keep it from falling into Japanese hands after the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.
In this video, we’re going to take a close look at both vessels and their roles in the Battle of Tarawa.
#usmc #wwii #ww2 #thepacific #tarawa #sfrproductions #historyadventures
The Battle of Tarawa—Operation Galvanic—began on November 20, 1943. Many historians focus on the brutal fighting on the beaches, but during the landings the Marines were stunned to discover they were also taking fire from the lagoon. The source was a ship stranded on the coral just off Red Beach 2.
This was the Japanese freighter Sadu Maru, occupied by Japanese soldiers armed with heavy machine guns. Historians have also identified another vessel involved in the battle: the inter-island steamer Nimanoa. It had been scuttled by its British owner on the reef to keep it from falling into Japanese hands after the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.
In this video, we’re going to take a close look at both vessels and their roles in the Battle of Tarawa.
#usmc #wwii #ww2 #thepacific #tarawa #sfrproductions #historyadventures
