The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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Nanomea (176.127E
5.683S) is an atoll at the
extreme northwest end of the Ellice
Islands group and 460 miles (740 km) southeast of Tarawa. It is seven miles (11 km) long
and its small, reef-enclosed lagoon
provides no anchorage for large ships, though U.S. engineers dredged a shallow channel
for boats later in the war.
The island was occupied by 7 Marine Defense Battalion on 18 August 1943. The Japanese retaliated with air raids on 7 September and 7 November, but a 6000' (1830 meter) bomber runway with a 3000' (910 meter) fighter runway across it was ready by late September.The first raids against the Gilberts were staged through the airfield the next month.
References
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