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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan > Central Pacific > Marshall Islands, © 2026 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 29 Dec 2025

The Marshall Islands, 31 January - 22 February 1944

The Marshall Islands were a former German colony administered by Japan as a League of Nations mandate after WWI. They were sometimes called the Eastern Mandates, to distinguish from the Mariana and Caroline islands further to the west, which the Japanese also administered.

US forces had captured the Gilbert Islands to the south in November 1943. The Marshall Islands were far better suited to serve as advance operating bases during attacks on the Mariana and Caroline islands.

US Marine and Army forces attacked three major atolls in the Marshall Islands: 

• ​Majuro in the southeast Marshalls was lightly defended and was taken without US casualties by a force of about 1,000 on 31 January.
• Kwajalein in the central Marshalls is about 300 miles northwest of Majuro.
• Eniwetok, also spelled Eniwetak, in the extreme northwest Marshalls is about 400 miles northwest of Kwajalein.

Resistance on each of Kwajalein and Eniwetok atolls, though moderate, was far less than had been experienced on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands. US casualties were accordingly lighter, but were still in the moderate to heavy range.

Kwajalein Atoll, 31 January - 3 February 1944:

• V Amphibious Corps (Holland Smith).
• 4th Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division.
• ​531 US dead, about 8,000 Japanese dead.
  
• The US attack struck at the atoll's two major island clusters, Kwajalein and Roi-Namur.

Kwajalein Atoll, January 1944

Eniwetok Atoll, 17-23 February 1944:

• Eniwetok Expeditionary Group (TG 51.11, Harry W. Hill), an ad-hoc group.
• 22nd Marine Regiment
• 106th Infantry Regiment
• ​390 US dead, about 3,400 Japanese dead.
• The US attack struck in succession Engebi Island, Eniwetok Island, and Parry Island.

Eniwetok Atoll, 1944

With the Marshall Islands in US control, they were developed as base areas for the mid-1944 operations in the Mariana Islands.

Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Japan > Central Pacific > Marshall Islands webpage:​​

• The Kwajalein Atoll, January 1944 map is courtesy of the United States Military Academy at  https://www.westpoint.edu/academics/academic-departments/history/world-war-two-asia.
• The Eniwetok Atoll, 1944 map is courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Eniwetok_map.png.

Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Japan > Central Pacific > Marshall Islands:

• Access full individual records through bigpigeon.us > WWII Dead > Roster Records.

07-02 - WWII Japan > Central Pacific > Marshall Islands: (two dead, updated 14 Nov 2025)
† Jones, Paul Bernard, SN 297,023, US Marine Corps, Webster Co.

• Co. C, 1st Bn., 22nd Marine Regt.; KIA 22 Feb 1944 Parry Is., near Eniwetok Is., Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Is.
• WWII Japan > Central Pacific > Marshall Islands @ Battle of Parry Is.

​† Smith, Lyle Calvin, SN 37-038-662, US Army, Burt Co., NE 

• perhaps Battery B, 143rd Field Artillery Bn., 40th Inf. Div., although I have found no record of this battalion having fought at Kwajalein; WIA Kwajalein, Marshall Is. 2 Feb 1944, DOW 3 Feb 1944.
• WWII Japan > Central Pacific > Marshall Islands @ Battle of Kwajalein, Southern Attack Force