What is the correct option to complete the paragraph below?

The Battle of Tarawa was a disaster from the start. _______ November 1943, _______ their first big foray in the central Pacific Ocean, US forces invaded this atoll _______ the Gilbert Islands, hoping to dislodge Japanese troops and push closer to Tokyo. But as soon as the assault began, it literally ran aground. Most of the landing boats smashed _______ a shallow coral reef, forcing marines to flounder their way to shore _______ Japanese gunfire. One in five US troops died in the battle - 300 _______ the reef alone.

(Adapted from https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-02287-6)