th ▁Inf . ▁Div . ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁with ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Marine ▁Division ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁V ▁Am ph ib ious ▁Corps ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁inv ading ▁and ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁Gilbert ▁Islands ▁in ▁the ▁Central ▁Pacific . ▁While ▁the ▁Mar ines ▁took ▁the ▁major ▁objective , ▁Tar awa ▁At oll ▁( Operation ▁Gal van ic ), ▁the ▁Army ▁was ▁task ed ▁with ▁capt uring ▁Mak in ▁At oll ▁( Operation ▁K our bash ) ▁appro x . ▁ 1 2 0 ▁stat ute ▁miles ▁to ▁the ▁north . ▁The ▁corps ▁commander , ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁Lieutenant ▁General ▁Holland ▁M . ▁" How lin ' ▁Mad " ▁Smith , ▁expected ▁the ▁Army ' s ▁ 6 , 5 0 0 ▁men ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁over wh elm ▁the ▁ 8 0 0 ▁Japanese ▁def enders ▁in ▁a ▁day . ▁Fur ious ▁upon ▁being ▁informed ▁of ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁progress , ▁Holland ▁Smith ▁went ▁to ▁Mak in ▁to ▁assess ▁the ▁situation : ▁" When ▁he ▁arrived ▁at ▁Ralph ▁Smith ' s ▁H Q ▁he ▁was ▁told ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁heavy ▁fighting ▁in ▁progress ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁island . ▁Com mande ering ▁a ▁je ep , ▁he ▁drove ▁to ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁the ▁' b attle ' ▁and ▁found ▁it , ▁in ▁his ▁words , ▁' As ▁quiet ▁as ▁Wall ▁Street ▁on ▁a ▁Sunday .' ▁... ▁This ▁incident ▁was ▁the ▁catal yst ▁for ▁a ▁serious ▁break down ▁in ▁relations ▁between ▁the ▁Mar ines ▁and ▁the ▁army ▁that ▁continued ▁until