Location
Lat 8° 49' 60N Long 167° 34' 60E Gehh Island is a small island in Kwajalein
Atoll.
Wartime History
On January 31, 1944, American forces
of the 7th Infantry Recon landed on Gehh
island, while the Destroyer Overton shelled the wreck of the Shonan
Maru No. 6 sunk a day earlier by air attacks. 39 members of crew
of the ship had retreated to the island's center and formed a defensive
position in a shallow trench, with the two machine guns from the tug.
The American forces attacked the trench, and an intense battle ensued.
As Japanese gunners in the trench were killed, new ones took their places
and the bodies of the dead were stacked lengthwise in front of the trench
for more cover. A total of 114 Japanese were killed on the island and
2 captured. Americans lost 2 KIA and 15 wounded.
Shonan
Maru No. 6
Sunk January 30, 1944
Daihatu
Landing Craft
Sunk during the war
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Last Updated
March 20, 2022
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