Admiral All Against

Admiral Koga's Combined Fleet, whose P.C. was installed in Truk, was responsible for the total defense of the Marshall Islands. But he had little to add to the forces on the islands themselves, since his carrier air force had been decimated over Rabaul the previous November. He could not attack the American fleet with aircraft carriers whose decks were empty! As for the defense of the Marshalls from planes based on the archipelago, it was not to be counted on, in the absence of new reinforcements.
Indeed, Admiral Spruance's airmen had shot down all the enemy aircraft of the Marshalls that they had not destroyed on the ground about 150. The defense of Kwajalein therefore rested only on its garrison ashore, about 9,000 men spread over 87 islands. Barely half of these troops were made up of fighters, the rest were made up of workers — Japanese, Koreans and Okinawans — who had practically no experience in fire.
Making a striking contrast with the relative weakness of the Japanese, General Smith's 5th Amphibious Corps looked enormous with its 63,000 assault and reserve troops, all well prepared for the mission ahead.
After having undergone extensive training and participated in rehearsals in the Hawaiian Islands, Admiral Turner's Southern Attack Force had sailed on 19 January. As is the rule, the slower landing craft started first, followed a little later by the fast transport ships which were to arrive at the same time at the "rendezvous".
According to the schedule, the northern attack force, fourteen days earlier, had left San Diego. She was placed under the command of Rear Admiral Conolly, a newcomer to the Pacific, but a veteran of the Sicilian campaign. The 4th Marine Division had participated in rehearsals on the California coast before setting sail.
As Turner's ships converged on Kwajalein, fast carriers launched attacks on bases enemies of the Marshalls. Divided into four groups, the pilots of the "Hellcat" and "Avenger" began their mission on January 29 and finished it on January 30. They had "treated" Wotje, Maloelap, Kwajalein, Roi and Eniwetok.
Like a curtain raiser before the main room, Majuro took his place before “Flintlock”. Admiral Hill had a reconnaissance company of marines and a sub-group of the 106th Infantry:not to mention the impressive support of aircraft carriers and support ships, enough to ensure the success of the toughest landings. The marines landed in inflatable boats on the evening of January 30 on one of the many islands of the atoll. This was empty. The Japanese had evacuated it a few weeks before and only an officer remained, who was soon taken prisoner. Thus, on January 31, at 9:55 a.m., the American flag was hoisted on the island of Darrit, the first territory of the pre-war Japanese possessions to fall into the hands of the Allies. Wasting no time, Admiral Hill moved his boats forward into the lagoon and the troops immediately began to disembark. Construction of an airfield began immediately, and within a week Majuro had a magnificent naval base which was to serve as the main refueling point for the Fifth Fleet.
On the Kwajalein Atoll, the same plan was to be adopted for the two planned attacks. Very early in the morning of January 31, Turner and Conolly were to land small reconnaissance units to seize the small islands that control the access routes to the huge lagoon. These attacks were to be followed by assaults in force led by elements of a regiment whose mission was to take the islands from which artillery could harass Kwajalein and the Roi-Namu complex.
Admiral Conolly was about to earn a nickname that day, which he incidentally gave himself during the preliminary bombardment, when from his command ship, the Appalachian, he sent this message to the vessels who pounded King:"I ask Maryland to come really close this afternoon for the counter-battery and counter-blockhouse fire..." This preliminary bombardment led by "All against" Conolly was to prove devastating as well because of
planes than because of naval guns. According to General Schmidt, who took stock at the end of the battle, the shells and bombs had killed more than half of the garrison. All the important pieces of coastal artillery of the enemy had been totally destroyed or rendered unusable by this infernal bombardment.
The only flaw that could be detected in the day's landings J did not come from the enemy - who were too few in number, but from the disorder caused by a set of circumstances among which we could note a strong undertow, a particularly tough reef barrier and the inexperience of the LVT and LST crews . Many amphibious vehicles were damaged or disabled. Despite this unfavorable situation, the preliminary objective was achieved. Four groups of 75 and 105 howitzers had been able to be deposited on the shore in time to support the main assault:access to the lagoon was now assured.