Japanese Garrison - Before 19 November 1943
Rear Adm. Keiji Shibasaki. IJN, the Base Commander.
(Courtesy War History Office, Japan)
Officer members of the Tarawa Garrison. Notice
the arms and equipment in the background ready for immediate use (Jersey
collection)
These three appear to be clerks at headquarters
(Jersey collection).
Standing 2nd Lt.(MC) Hiroshi Konoe of Osaka,
Japan and sitting is 2nd Lt. (MC) Yoshiaki Sugimoto both doctors in the
111th Encampment Corps. (Jersey collection)
Another picture of 2nd Lt.(MC) Hiroshi Konoe of Osaka, Japan with other
medical personnel. (Jersey collection)
Rikusentai troops on Betio. (2d Marine Division
Association).
"Fire!" (Jersey Collection). Updated 3 April 2006
Two unidentified Rikusentai Officers on Betio.
(Jersey collection)
Another unidentified Rikusentai Officer. (Jersey
collection)
Medics at work (Jersey collection).
Tokubetsu Rikusentai (TN: Special Naval Landing
Troops) conducting signal exercises on Betio. (National Archives).
One of the coconut log structures on Betio. The commander did not want
to denude the island of its trees so his construction men collected the logs
from other islands. (Jersey collection).
One of the 8-inch guns before it is put in place. (Jersey collection).
A later view showing the breech. (Jersey collection)
An 8 inch weapon being put in place by the construction men of the 111th
Encampment Corps (Jersey collection).
Number 4 eight inch gun almost in place. (Jersey
collection).
Possibly another 8 inch (one of the four) being set up by the construction
crew. (Jersey collection)
One of Betio's weapons is ready to be test fired while commanders watch.
Note the sandbagged bunker in the foreground and others in the background
.(National Archives).
Weapon in place. (Jersey collection).
Commander Takeo Sugao, 7th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force and his staff
at Betio, Tarawa (Jersey collection).
A Rikusentai with his baby. Was this his son? This man was soon sent to
Tarawa.