THE GILBERT ISLANDS

Grey River Argus, 2 December 1943, Page 5

THE GILBERT ISLANDS

WHAT THEY ARE LIKE Makin and Tarawa Islands, captured by American forces were the first atolls of the Gilbert group to be attacked, seized and occupied by Japan in December, 1941. Makin was developed as a seaplane base, and Tarawa as another air base. Tarawa is a triangular-shaped atoll, a series of islets on a reef about 22 miles long. Makin, or Butaritari,. as it is locally called, is about 11 'miles from east to west. On Tarawa the natives have built their villages on the strips of land or coral sandbanks which form the longest side of the triangle, running roughly from north-east to northwest, and the shorter base, running roughly from east to .west, on the south end of the atoll. The western side of the triangle is formed by a series of reefs and shoals extending from 30 to 35 miles. There is a good entrance for ships up to 5000 and 6000 tons near the south-west angle of the atoll and the anchorage in the lagoon is off an island named Betio, at the> south-west corner of the atoll. On this islet, in addition to the native village, stood the Central Government administrative offices, a good hospital, quarters for the European administrative officers, and the doctor and their staffs, the colonv’s central gaol, the head station and store of the Burns, Philp Trading Company, and stations of the London Missionary Society and; Catholic missions.

The Japanese first landed on Betio islet, and they also chose it for the air base which they developed there for raids on American naval and air bases to the south and east. This islet must be the principal objective of the Americans’ assault.

Makin Isiand, north of Tarawa, is a large, irregularly-shaped atoll with .an extensive lagoon surrounded by numerous coral islets. The principal settlement is on the islet called Butaritari, near the south-west corner of the atoll. There is a good entrance for ships on the western side of the atoll, but the passage is intricate and there are many coral patches and shoals. The seaplane base, which the Japanese established very quickly after seizing the island in 1941, was later attacked by a force of American Marines. The Gilbert Islands, together with those of the Ellice group, which help to form one of Britain’s newest and smallest colonies, are all low-lying islands of coral formation. Many are true atolls, that is, either circular or irregular rims of coral sandbanks, enclosing extensive lagoons. These sandbanks are seldom more than six to eight feet above high water level and range from a few; hundred feet to half a mile or soffie*.' times nearly a mile in width; Usual.-;; ly there is a fringing coral reef some/, hundreds of feet in width on ./the. eastern, or weather side, and alagoqrti! between the inhabited -sandbank .and the outer reef on the western'..tsid'e;/ of the island. A few 1 of the islands have fringing reefs but no_ others have lagoons extending t0..40: miles in length. ‘ . V; ■ Few of the atolls possess ehtrancesg to the lagoon deep enough! fqr;-ships!: to negotiate. Usually there/ low boat passage which can ; lje‘useC.at.high water or half often almost as dry reef at low tide. Landing on the 'Teef&t is a dangerous business'./. .. As the islands coral rock and sand, with very: little* surface soil, vegetatibri-,Jsalmost'/ confined to the übiquitbtis„(?n6egnpVi palm and the pine. These twcr palmS;and dant fish supply provide- the plainfood for the 30;000 ■hardy-.people (who/ inhabit the colony. J f