U.S. Forces Capture Gilbert IslandsU.S. Marines crouch behind fallen trees in Tarawa atoll as they attack Japanese positions that were shelled by American destroyers offshore during the fighting for the South pacific Gilbert Islands. In the background, smoke rises from an enemy oil dump set afire by a direct hit. U.S. Navy warships hurled 2,200 tons of shells and U.S. airplanes dropped 700 tons of bombs on the three atolls comprising the Gilberts, which were seized by combined U.S. forces A tota