Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Munguva yeHondo yePacific (Hondo Yenyika II) zviwi zveEllice zvakashandiswa senzvimbo yokugadzirira kurwiswa kwakazotevera kwegungwa paGilbert Islands (Kiribati) iyo yakanga iri
rakagarwa nemauto eJapan. United States Marine Corps yakasvika paFunafuti musi wa2 Gumiguru 1942. PaFunafuti vagari vepachitsuwa vakachinjirwa kuzvitsuwa zviduku kuitira kubvumira mauto eAmerica kuvaka nhandare yendege (zvino Funafuti International Airport), chipatara chine mibhedha 76 uye nzvimbo dzezvikepe zvegungwa nezvivako zvengarava pachitsuwa cheFongafale.