The marine TANKERs
151 men from Charlie Company took part the brutal fighting on the island of Betio from 20 November 1943. Five men remained back in New Caledonia and didn't take part in the assault: NAMES.
The names of those who fought on Tarawa are listed on the following page HERE. For more information on one of these Marines, do not hesitate to contact us. We will assist you as much as we can.
For the particular case of the Missing In Action, please, follow this link HERE.
The names of those who fought on Tarawa are listed on the following page HERE. For more information on one of these Marines, do not hesitate to contact us. We will assist you as much as we can.
For the particular case of the Missing In Action, please, follow this link HERE.
Charlie Company tankers' uniforms and equipment
at Betio
The uniform worn by the crewmembers was the then brand-new initial production version of the reversible P1942 camouflage “dungarees” or “utilities”. This uniform was so-called because it was originally intended as a work uniform when performing heavy or dirty labor, not as a combat uniform. The fabric was heavy cotton herringbone twill, an early type of rip-resistant fabric. The uniform was reversible, with a dominantly green and brown “jungle” printed camouflage pattern on one side, and a dominantly brown and tan “beachhead” pattern on the other.
A short-billed cap often called a “Raider cap” was designed to go with the uniform, but many men still wore the older round narrow-brimmed cloth hat since it provided better protection from the sun.
Footwear was the low-topped, rubber-soled, brown leather, rough side out “boondocker” field boots, used by the Marine Corps since 1938. Canvas leggings fitted over the low-topped boots to prevent sand and other debris from getting into the boots, and the trouser legs were supposed to be tucked into the tops of the leggings. However in combat many Marines wore the leggings with the trouser legs over them, or didn’t wear the hot leggings at all.
Doctrine called for the use of the “beachhead” or “brown-side-out” pattern to disguise the shape of the body among the sandy ground and battlefield debris of Betio. However color photographs indicate that some Marines wore the “jungle” side out; it is not known if this was done by any of the tank crewmen. Like other members of the 2nd Division, the C Company tankers were issued the new uniforms while stationed in New Caledonia.
Normally a white T-shirt and boxer-style undershorts or “skivvies” were worn under the dungarees. However in the heat of Tarawa most Marines removed the underwear and kept only the dungarees.
All Marines were issued standard “782 gear”, consisting of a steel helmet with camouflage cover and plastic-fiber liner; canvas leggings; two-piece pack system; heavy “web” belt with numerous metal eyelets for attaching various other items like a pistol holster, and supporting belt-suspender straps; ammo pouches; mess kit with fork, spoon, and knife; canteen with cup and carrying pouch; rain poncho; shelter tent half with poles and stakes; first aid kit; blanket; and bayonet for the rifle if appropriate.
For an assault landing some of this gear would be left aboard ship, and of course tank crewmen could store the remainder in or on the tank. Fighting knives – generically called Ka-Bars after a popular brand – were usually privately purchased; these had a brown leather sheath.
Tank crewmen could not wear or carry most of this gear on them because of the confined space inside the tank. In addition, most crewmen feared fires or explosion, and would not wear anything that might snag and trap them inside. Inside the tank a crewman typically wore only the utility uniform and shoes, and perhaps the pistol (see below).
While inside the tank the crew wore the Rawlings armored force helmet. Their eyes were protected from the sand and glare by Resistol commercial goggles (early model). When they exited the tank, the men would exchange this helmet for the M1 steel helmet mentioned above, to protect their head from shrapnel and other threats.
A short-billed cap often called a “Raider cap” was designed to go with the uniform, but many men still wore the older round narrow-brimmed cloth hat since it provided better protection from the sun.
Footwear was the low-topped, rubber-soled, brown leather, rough side out “boondocker” field boots, used by the Marine Corps since 1938. Canvas leggings fitted over the low-topped boots to prevent sand and other debris from getting into the boots, and the trouser legs were supposed to be tucked into the tops of the leggings. However in combat many Marines wore the leggings with the trouser legs over them, or didn’t wear the hot leggings at all.
Doctrine called for the use of the “beachhead” or “brown-side-out” pattern to disguise the shape of the body among the sandy ground and battlefield debris of Betio. However color photographs indicate that some Marines wore the “jungle” side out; it is not known if this was done by any of the tank crewmen. Like other members of the 2nd Division, the C Company tankers were issued the new uniforms while stationed in New Caledonia.
Normally a white T-shirt and boxer-style undershorts or “skivvies” were worn under the dungarees. However in the heat of Tarawa most Marines removed the underwear and kept only the dungarees.
All Marines were issued standard “782 gear”, consisting of a steel helmet with camouflage cover and plastic-fiber liner; canvas leggings; two-piece pack system; heavy “web” belt with numerous metal eyelets for attaching various other items like a pistol holster, and supporting belt-suspender straps; ammo pouches; mess kit with fork, spoon, and knife; canteen with cup and carrying pouch; rain poncho; shelter tent half with poles and stakes; first aid kit; blanket; and bayonet for the rifle if appropriate.
For an assault landing some of this gear would be left aboard ship, and of course tank crewmen could store the remainder in or on the tank. Fighting knives – generically called Ka-Bars after a popular brand – were usually privately purchased; these had a brown leather sheath.
Tank crewmen could not wear or carry most of this gear on them because of the confined space inside the tank. In addition, most crewmen feared fires or explosion, and would not wear anything that might snag and trap them inside. Inside the tank a crewman typically wore only the utility uniform and shoes, and perhaps the pistol (see below).
While inside the tank the crew wore the Rawlings armored force helmet. Their eyes were protected from the sand and glare by Resistol commercial goggles (early model). When they exited the tank, the men would exchange this helmet for the M1 steel helmet mentioned above, to protect their head from shrapnel and other threats.
In this photo of Private Howard “Tex” Rudloff, a tank crewman on Tarawa, we can clearly see the camouflage pattern of the P1942 utility jacket, and the special armored vehicle crewman’s helmet with goggles. Rudloff is standing on the driver’s seat of Colorado.
This photo was taken after the fighting ceased, close to the C Company CP on the airstrip.
Source: NARA
This photo was taken after the fighting ceased, close to the C Company CP on the airstrip.
Source: NARA
In addition to the tank’s .30caliber machine guns, which could be dismounted and used on the ground, each tank carried one M1928A1 Thompson submachine gun. It was a standard weapon, supplied when the tank was issued from the manufacturer. Each tank carried 660 rounds for this weapon in 22 30-round clip magazines. The weapon was carried in a bracket above the turret radio. This weapon, intended to be used by the tank commander, was not popular among the tankers because of its heavy weight and its high rate of fire.
The more common personal weapon carried by crewmen was the M1911A1 .45caliber semiautomatic pistol. This weapon fired the same round as the Thompson gun, but was favored for its light weight, reliability, and considerable stopping power. The pistol could be carried attached to the web belt, or in a more preferred shoulder holster.
The more common personal weapon carried by crewmen was the M1911A1 .45caliber semiautomatic pistol. This weapon fired the same round as the Thompson gun, but was favored for its light weight, reliability, and considerable stopping power. The pistol could be carried attached to the web belt, or in a more preferred shoulder holster.
These men are wearing the P1942 uniform, typical of all the Betio tankers. The man on the right wears the Rawlings armored helmet with first model Resistol goggles. The man at left seems to be wearing the camouflage cloth helmet cover over the liner, without the heavy steel helmet itself. This was sometimes done to provide protection against the sun, but without the considerable weight of the helmet. Note that neither is wearing the canvas leggings. The man on the left has cut the lower part of the very long trouser legs off with a knife, another common practice. The man on the right has neatly hemmed his trouser legs.
Source: NARA
Source: NARA
Back to Main Menu