The strategic Battle of Tarawa Atoll was the first American offensive in the crucial central Pacific region, and it was part of Operation Galvanic. The United States Marine Corps fought for four days on 20-23 November 1943 against Japan. At the end of the fierce battle, almost one thousand brave American Marines were dead, and two thousand were wounded. But, there were nearly 4,700 casualties of those defending the island, and only seventeen Japanese soldiers surrendered. This Academy Award-winning documentary features authentic, never-seen-before footage, and some of the most graphic and shocking images of warfare ever taken by combat cameramen.