A US Marine poses with his gun beside the body of a Japanese soldier killed by US troops in early February 1944 during the Battle of Kwajalein Island in the Pacific War.

 　　A U.S. Marine poses with his gun next to the body of a Japanese soldier killed by U.S. forces during the Battle of Kwajalein Island in the Pacific War. The ground battle of Kwajalein Island lasted from February 1 to 5, 1944, during which more than 80% of the approximately 6,000 Japanese garrison members were killed.　

　In the Pacific War, American forces approached Kwajalein Island with battleships and transports to land on the island beginning February 1, 1944. The first wave of American troops landed at 7:30 a.m. from outside the reef near the south battery. The attack by the Japanese was heavy and they temporarily retreated. American troops landed on the islands west of Kwajalein Atoll and landed on Enubu Island. Although the Americans retreated from Kwajalein for a time, the Japanese defensive positions were destroyed and about one-fifth of the garrison was killed or wounded.

　On February 2, the American attack continued to intensify. From early morning, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and transports approached the main island of Kwajalein, and after repeated bombardment, landed on the west coast at 8:10 am. Amphibious vehicles and amphibious light tanks were launched from the bow of the tank landing craft into the sea. Landing craft invaded Kwajalein at 9:00 AM. The front-line rocket gunboats fired a tremendous barrage of shells at the landing site.

　The American landing began with amphibious light tanks leading the way. The Americans carefully spotted Japanese tochkas built under palm trees. Each time, the light tanks fired tank shells, but they only made small holes in the concrete. The Japanese soldiers, who had been soundly defeated, began to fight back. Mortars and mortars flew into the sturdy tochka from American naval fire.

　The Americans introduced a new method of attack: the flamethrower. Although the flamethrowers were effective in attacking the tochka, American soldiers carrying flamethrowers were slaughtered by Japanese snipers. The tank then brought a portable flamethrower inside the vehicle, approached the tochka with its entire body, and sprayed firebombs into the tochka through a small hole in the front of the vehicle. The U.S. Army frequently utilized the flamethrower from the Battle of Kwajalein.

 The Americans pressed their offensive, reaching the western edge of the airfield by noon on February 2. The Japanese were ordered to hold their positions until they were reduced to a single man, and to defend the main island until reinforcements arrived. The Japanese garrison in the southern sector of the island, with a mixed force of land and sea troops, launched a night attack on the American forces. The American forces were repulsed near the water's edge. The counterattack was frustrated by concentrated fire from naval guns and Enivuj Island, and on February 2, the Americans also landed on Ruot and Namur islands in Kwajalein Atoll. Ruot Island was completely occupied by 3 pm. Namulu Island was also crushed at night by all Japanese troops after a night raid.

　By February 3, fierce fighting continued throughout the day on the main island of Kwajalein over the eastern area of the airfield, and American troops continued to fire at night with field and ship guns. The Japanese forces counterattacked with their remaining forces, but casualties continued to mount, and on February 4, at dawn, Japanese positions were breached one after another by American tanks. At 10:00 a.m., the entire Japanese military leadership committed suicide. The remaining Japanese soldiers charged the American troops but were stopped, and the Japanese garrison lost most of its strength by nightfall.

　By February 5, the remaining Japanese garrisons were still holding strong on the eastern coast, and at midnight on February 6, the battle ended with the Americans in control of almost the entire island of Kwajalein. American forces also occupied Ebize Island in the northern part of Kwajalein, and over the course of February 6, they also occupied Loi and Gugueguebigue, thus completely seizing Kwajalein Atoll.

　The total number of casualties on the main island of Kwajalein was approximately 4,030 Japanese Army and Navy troops. In fact, more than 80% of the entire garrison was killed in action. In contrast, the U.S. forces lost only 177 of the 21,342 men who participated in the war. Outside of the main island, the Japanese forces lost 3,200 men out of 3,560, while the U.S. forces lost 195 out of 2,044.