Show Ranks Most Bombarded I Island In Pacific Ask any veteran of the Pacific c warfare which bastion was the th e most shot at Island during World Worl d War II and hell he'll probably answer r Iwo Jima Okin Okinawa wa Tarawa Tarawa Tarawa Tara Tara- I wa or one of the other Japanese e strongholds But that dubious distinction b belongs belongs be be- e- e longs to the small desolate insi insignificant insignificant g- g waterless uninhabited i iland island is island is- is s- s land of in the Hawaiian n chain Former smugglers' smugglers havethe haven have n the island only eight miles by five e and of rugged terrain has been r reduced reduced re re- e- e to a mass of rubble b by y countless shells hells and bombs The explanation is that naval an and d marine forces used u uninhabited un n- n inhabited and commercially worthless worthless worth less as a testing ground for theories s of naval gunfire support of landin landing g forces More than ships ranging fro from m small amphibious craft to battlewagons battlewagons battle battle- e- e wagons poured thousands upon n thousands of rounds into Kaho o- o lawes lawe's barren sides The tiny viny island islan d took a greater shelling than either eithe r Iwo Jima or Okinawa where nav naval al gunfire reached its peak In the P Pa Pa- a- a |