NARRATOR: November 19, 1943.
Enterprise and her task group are
within striking distance of her main target
in the Gilberts, Makin Atoll.
The invasion will be a two-pronged assault.
While Marines make an amphibious landing at Tarawa,
Enterprise will support the simultaneous invasion of Makin
by soldiers from the Army's 27th Division.
The two forces will attempt to capture
both atoll at the same time.
Makin Atoll's main island is Butaritari,
an important seaplane and air base
that is manned by nearly 800 Japanese sailors,
Marines, and Korean laborers.
Butaritari's land defenses include two tank barriers,
one on the east near a village and one to the west
near On Chong's Wharf.
Each barrier is made of logs, barbed wire,
concrete pillboxes, and anti-tank guns connected
by a series of rifle pits.
To the south, along the ocean shore,
are three 80-millimeter coastal guns, 10 machine
gun nests, and 85 rifle pits.
Along the lagoon to the north, Butaritari
is defended by 80-millimeter coastal guns,
flak guns, and machine guns.
[gunfire]
For six solid days, American shell fire has hammered away
at these defenses.
[gunfire]
Softening them up for an invasion.
But now, it's the Big E's turn to deliver
a heavy dose of shock and awe.
[music playing]
Dawn-- Enterprise turns into the wind
as the first strike groups prepare to launch.
33 bombers and fighters roll off Enterprise's deck,
climb into the morning sky, and head for Makin.
Their mission, destroy the enemy guns and pillboxes.
75 miles from Enterprise, the Japanese garrison at Makin
is just beginning to stir.
As the sun rises over the atoll, they
have no idea of the new force that's about to hit them.
Enterprise Hellcats drop out of the sky,
blasting the pillboxes and lagoons
with lethal 50-caliber machine gun fire.
The one-two punch of Hellcat fire and Enterprise bombs
has reaped nightmarish results.
Day one of the battle for Makin is a gruesome success.
[explosion]
As one savage day of fighting ends,
the US fleet prepares for the next deadly phase of battle.
[gunfire]
November 20, 1943.
As assault troops from the 27th Division climb over the sides
of transports into landing craft,
Enterprise air groups storm off on another set
of ferocious attacks on Makin.
5:30 AM, the first strike group launches
from the deck of Enterprise.
[engines whining]
70 miles away, Japanese forces on Makin
await the coming onslaught.
Suddenly, the dark shapes of cruisers,
destroyers, and transports appear
through the morning haze.
There are dozens of them.
Enterprise SBDs and torpedo planes
begin their descent on the island,
ready to parole the enemy defenders to hell.
Enterprise warplanes unleash a ferocious series
of attacks on the Japanese positions,
while the cruisers and destroyers
move in for the kill.
Now, with more Enterprise bombers screaming
through the skies and US warships taking aim,
the enemy garrison at Makin is about to get an even closer
look at American firepower.
[engines whining]
75 miles away, as Enterprise planes storm the skies,
cruiser USS Baltimore and the American gunships
take aim at Makin Atoll.
[gunfire]
Baltimore and the destroyer escorts
open up and pepper the island with explosive naval gunfire.
[gunfire]
The enemy positions shake from the deadly impact
of American shells.
By 8:30 AM, US soldiers are hitting the beaches,
as bombs and shells continue to nail the enemy bunkers
and pillboxes further inland.
[explosion]
Enterprise Hellcats and bombers sweep in
and strafe Japanese machine gun nests with merciless firepower,
as ground forces begin the savage process of clearing
enemy positions with rifles, machine guns,
and artillery on the beaches.
For the next four days, Enterprise pilots
and Army riflemen share a working partnership.
[explosion]
The Big E's air groups never let up,
and each day brings another meal of blood and body parts,
as the assault on the maze of pillboxes and bunkers
continues.
But the Enterprise airstrikes have done their job.
The Japanese are unable to mount a strong defense.
As November draws to a close, the Gilbert Islands
are now firmly in the hands of US forces.
Unlike the months-long campaign for Guadalcanal,
the US Navy now has the power to deliver a faster killing blow.
[explosion]
What begins at Makin and Tarawa will continue until the enemy
is brought to its knees.
For the mighty Enterprise, the Gray Ghost,
it is only the beginning of a long campaign.
[music playing]