Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign were a series of battles fought from November 1943 through February 1944, in the Pacific theatre of World War II between the United States and Japan. They were the first steps of the drive across the central Pacific by the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps. The purpose was to establish airfields and naval bases that would allow air and naval support for upcoming operations across the Central Pacific. Operation "Galvanic" and Operation "Kourbash" were the code names for the Gilberts campaign (in modern Kiribati) that included the seizures of Tarawa and Makin, during the Battle of Tarawa of 20–23 November and the Battle of Makin of 20–24 November 1943. Operation "Flintlock" and Operation "Catchpole" were aimed at capturing Japanese bases at Kwajalein, Eniwetok, and Majuro in the Marshall Islands.