Tanks on Roi-Namur

Private First Class N. E. Carling of Company C, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, stands surrounded by tanks on Roi-Namur. His left hand is on a Type 95 Ha-Go, a 7.4-ton vehicle with a crew of three, one 37mm main gun and two 7.7mm machine guns. Slow but effective against unsupported infantry, it was no match against any Allied armor. The type 95 was the basis for an amphibious version. Behind Carling is a M4A2 Sherman tank; note the raised exhaust at rear of the tank to prevent flooding while landing on the beach. Nicknamed "Killer" it has wooden armor added to prevent attachment of magnetic mines. This tank, along with the rest of Company C, landed on Red Beach 3 at 1150 Hours on February 1, 1944. On the rear deck of "Killer" is a type 94 Te-Ke tankette. Based on the British Carden-Lloyd carrier, it served as a prime mover for artillery and weapons. It had a small, manually operated turret with a single 7.7mm machine gun. These Japanese tanks were part of the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Sea-Mobile Brigade commanded by Colonel Tarokichi Aso. They were probably disabled by the heavy preliminary bombardment from battleships, cruisers and artillery on nearby islands seized the day before the Marines landed on Roi-Namur.