Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Makin

Battle of Makin was a battle fought on 21 November 1943 at Makin, in what is now Kiribati; it lasted 2 days. It was part of Q2920892. The recorded result: American victory.

See it on the globe Read the article

General notes: Use War and Conflict Number 1167 when ordering a reproduction or requesting information about this image.
General notes: Use War and Conflict Number 1167 when ordering a reproduction or requesting information about this image.. Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought21 November 1943lasted 2 days
WhereMakin, Kiribati3.070N, 172.789E
OutcomeAmerican victory
BelligerentsUnited States; Gilbert and Ellice IslandsagainstEmpire of Japan
Part ofQ2920892

Where it sits in Q2920892

Battle of Tarawa, 1943Battle of Makin, 1943Battle of Kwajalein, 1944Battle of Eniwetok, 194419431944Battle of Makin, 1943
4 placed engagements of Q2920892 in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date21 November 1943
to 23 November 1943
PlaceMakin, Kiribati
3.070N, 172.789E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength6,470 soldiers; 3 escort carriers; 4 old battleships; 4 heavy cruisers; 16 destroyers; 9 transports & landing ships400 soldiers; 400 Japanese and Korean labourers; 3 light tanks; 4 anti-tank guns; 1 submarine
Casualties and losses821 killed; (755 Navy, 66 Army); 185 wounded; 1 escort carrier sunk; 1 battleship lightly damaged395 killed; 17 soldiers captured; 129 Korean labourers captured; 1 submarine damaged
Commanders
Battle of MakinBattle of Makin100 km3.070N, 172.789E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1943

Battle of Makin is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 3 in present-day Kiribati.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2670873, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Makin, revision 1379026776, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.