Tarawa Atoll – Tawara Atoll is located in the Gilbert Islands, south and slightly east of the Marshall Islands.  Tarawa’s principal island of Betio was assaulted and captured by the Marine Corps in November of 1943 following three brutal days of fighting.  Following the capture of Betio, the airstrip was improved and immediately became operational for American dive-bombers and fighter aircraft.  Due to its location to the Japanese occupied islands of Ocean and Nauru to the southwest, its airfield became a base of operations in July 1945 for VMB-613 when reconnaissance and snooper flights to these islands became part of the squadron’s patrol area.    

Map: Office of Planning and Statistics, 1989