On this day in 1943, U.S. troops stormed the Japanese-held Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. The bloody, 76-hour Battle of Tarawa is remembered as the first major American offensive in the central Pacific. For the full story, watch this clip from The Pacific War in Color: Island Hopping. | Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation

Battle of Makassar Strait - Pacific War #11 Animated DOCUMENTARY

WWII's Battle of the Philippines Sea was the biggest carrier battle in naval history. See footage of the deadly dogfights on The Pacific War in Color: https://bit.ly/2WctjEF | Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation