Show Battle for Tarawa Toughest in U. U S. S Marine History I rv 0 t t S t qt 4 l SW I 4 Y fr frY a 40 t R RAfter sr a y s I y T I t After 76 hours of the bitterest fighting ever to be encountered by the United States marine corps in its years of brilliant battling the island of Tarawa was wrested from Japanese defenders most of whom were killed Lower left An American tank after it had been disabled Right front corner of the tank has been torn away and the treads wrecked Center Marines 1 inspect a wrecked Jap plane Top right Legs of a dead Tap Jap protrude from a pillbox |