Questão de Língua Inglesa

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)