The major catalyst that altered Smith’s plans was a series of vicious Japanese counterattacks during the night of D+2/D+3. As Edson put it, the Japanese obligingly “gave us very able assistance by trying to counterattack.” The end result was a dramatic change in the combat ratio between attackers and survivors the next day.
Major Jones sensed his exposed forces would be the likely target for any Banzai attack and took precautions. Gathering his artillery forward observers and naval fire control spotters, Jones arranged for field artillery support starting 75 yards from his front lines to a point 500 yards out, where naval gunfire would take over. He placed Company A on the left, next to the airstrip, and Company B on the right, next to the south shore. He worried about the 150-yard gap across the runway to Company C, but that could not be helped. Jones used a tank to bring a stockpile of grenades, small arms ammunition, and water to be positioned 50 yards behind the lines.
BETIO
TARAWA ATOLL, GILBERT ISLANDS
ATTACH OF THE 2d BN., 8th MARINES
NOV. 22, 1943
TAKEN FROM 2d BN 8th MARINES SPECIAL ACTION REPORT.
The first counterattack came at 1930. A force of 50 Japanese infiltrated past Jones’ outposts in the thick vegetation and penetrated the border between the two companies south of the airstrip. Jones’ reserve force, comprised of “my mortar platoon and my headquarters cooks and bakers and admin people,” contained the penetration and killed the enemy in two hours of close-in fighting under the leadership of First Lieutenant Lyle “Spook” Specht. An intense fire from the pack howitzers of 1/10 and 2/10 prevented the Japanese from reinforcing the penetration. By 2130 the lines were stabilized. Jones asked Major Kyle for a company to be positioned 100 yards to the rear of his lines. The best Kyle could provide was a composite force of 40 troops from the 2d Marines.
Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 63640
Destruction along the eastern end of Red Beach Three leads toward the long pier in the distant background. Japanese gunners maintained a deadly antiboat fire in this direction, as witnessed by these two wrecked LVTs and the various sunken craft.
The Japanese struck Jones’ lines again at 2300. One force made a noisy demonstration across from Company A’s lines—taunting, clinking canteens against their helmets, yelling Banzai!—while a second force attacked Company B with a silent rush. The Marines repulsed this attack, too, but were forced to use their machine guns, thereby revealing their positions. Jones asked McLeod for a full company from 3/6 to reinforce the 2d Marines to the rear of the fighting.