Utmost Savagery by Col. Joseph H. Alexander

Last night I polished off my second book on WWII in the Pacific when I finished Utmost Savagery by Col. Joseph H. Alexander. I got a bit lost in some of the military nomenclature, but I really enjoyed this book which described the 3-4 day battle between the US and Japan on Betio, an island in the Tarawa atoll.

The fighting was pretty bloody since the US had to wade through 1000 yards of shallow water to get to the island. The Japanese could use their anti-aircraft guns to mow down the incoming Marines. The US eventually figured out a good strategy for bringing troops to shore which helped in later battles on Saipan and Iwo Jima. The US also realized it needed waterproof radios and tanks with fording kits.

I highly recommend this book.