BETIO TARAWA ATOLL, GILBERT ISLANDS ATTACH OF THE 2d BN., 8th MARINES NOV. 22, 1943 TAKEN FROM 2d BN 8th MARINES SPECIAL ACTION REPORT. ] The first counterattack came at 1930. A force of 50 Japanese infiltrated past Jones’ outposts in the thick vegetation and penetrated the border between the two companies south of the airstrip. Jones’ reserve force, comprised of “my mortar platoon and my headquarters cooks and bakers and admin people,” contained the penetration and killed the enemy in two hours of close-in fighting under the leadership of First Lieutenant Lyle “Spook” Specht. An intense fire from the pack howitzers of 1/10 and 2/10 prevented the Japanese from reinforcing the penetration. By 2130 the lines were stabilized. Jones asked Major Kyle for a company to be positioned 100 yards to the rear of his lines. The best Kyle could provide was a composite force of 40 troops from the 2d Marines. [Illustration: Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 63640 _Destruction along the eastern end of Red Beach Three leads toward the long pier in the distant background. Japanese gunners maintained a deadly antiboat fire in this direction, as witnessed by these two wrecked LVTs and the various sunken craft._] The Japanese struck Jones’ lines again at 2300. One force made a noisy demonstration across from Company A’s lines--taunting, clinking canteens against their helmets, yelling _Banzai!_--while a second force attacked Company B with a silent rush. The Marines repulsed this attack, too, but were forced to use their machine guns, thereby revealing their positions. Jones asked McLeod for a full company from 3/6 to reinforce the 2d Marines to the rear of the fighting. A third attack came at 0300 in the morning when the Japanese moved several 7.7mm machine guns into nearby wrecked trucks and opened fire on the Marine automatic weapons positions. Marine NCOs volunteered to crawl forward against this oncoming fire and lob grenades into the improvised machine gun nests. This did the job, and the battlefield grew silent again. Jones called for star shell illumination from the destroyers in the lagoon.