| UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II
Stetson Conn, General Editor Advisory Committee
| |
| Elmer Ellis
University of Missouri
| Maj. Gen. Hugh M. Harris
U.S. Continental Army Command
|
| Samuel Flagg Bemis
Yale University
| Brig. Gen. Edgar C. Doleman
Army War College
|
| Gordon A. Craig
Princeton University
| Brig. Gen. Frederick R. Zierath
Command and General Staff College
|
| Oron J. Hale
University of Virginia
| Brig. Gen. Kenneth F. Zitzman
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
|
| W. Stull Holt
University of Washington
| Col. Vincent J. Esposito
United States Military Academy
|
| T. Harry Williams
Louisiana State University
| |
| Office of the Chief of Military History | |
| Col. Warren H. Hoover, Acting Chief
| |
| Chief Historian | Stetson Conn |
| Chief, Histories Division | Lt. Col. Joseph Rockis |
| Chief, Publication Division | Lt. Col. E. E. Steck |
| Editor in Chief | Joseph R. Friedman |
| Chief, Cartographic Branch | Elliot Dunay |
| Chief, Photographic Branch | Margaret E. Tackley |
| Foreword | vii | ||
| The Author | viii | ||
| Preface | ix | ||
| PART ONE Introduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter | Page | ||
| I. | Background of Strategy | 1 | |
| Prewar Origins of the Central Pacific Concept | 2 | ||
| War in the Pacific: First Year | 4 | ||
| Revival of the Central Pacific Concept | 6 | ||
| General MacArthur's Strategy | 9 | ||
| Enter the Army Air Forces | 11 | ||
| Cairo Conference | 12 | ||
| Scheduling Operations | 13 | ||
| Acceleration of Operations | 14 | ||
| Washington Planning Conferences: February-March 1944 | 15 | ||
| II. | The Marianas | 21 | |
| In History | 21 | ||
| The Japanese Invasion of Guam | 22 | ||
| Description of the Islands | 24 | ||
| PART TWO Saipan | |||
| III. | Planning the Invasion | 33 | |
| Organization and Composition of the Attack Force | 33 | ||
| Tactical Planning | 39 | ||
| Training and Rehearsals | 45 | ||
| Loading and Embarkation | 47 | ||
| The Prospects Ahead: Intelligence of the Enemy | 50 | ||
| IV. | The Enemy | 53 | |
| Prewar Japanese Activities in the Marianas | 53 | ||
| From Pearl Harbor to Invasion | 55 | ||
| Japanese Doctrine for Island Defense | 62 | ||
| Enemy Troop Strength and Dispositions on Saipan | 64 | ||
| Japanese Expectations | 69 | ||
| V. | Invasion | 71 | |
| Softening the Target: Pre-D-Day Bombardment | 71 | ||
| D-Day Bombardment and Ship-to-Shore Movement | 78 | ||
| Breakdown of the Landing Plan | 85 | ||
| Expanding the Beachhead | 87 | ||
| Summary of the Situation at Nightfall | 93 | ||
| VI. | Capture of Aslito Airfield | 95 | |
| Counterattack: Night of 15-16 June | 95 | ||
| Consolidating the Beachhead: 16 June | 96 | ||
| Night of 16-17 June | 98 | ||
| Change of Plans | 98 | ||
| First Landings of the 27th Infantry Division | 99 | ||
| D Plus 2: 17 June | 101 | ||
| D Plus 3: 18 June | 111 | ||
| The Japanese Situation | 116 | ||
| VII. | Supporting Arms and Operations | 119 | |
| Battle of the Philippine Sea | 119 | ||
| Logistics | 123 | ||
| Postlanding Naval Gunfire Support | 129 | ||
| Close Air Support | 131 | ||
| Artillery | 133 | ||
| VIII. | The Capture of Nafutan Point | 137 | |
| Action of 19 June | 138 | ||
| Action of 20 June | 141 | ||
| Action of 21 June | 144 | ||
| Change of Plan: Relief of the 165th Infantry on Nafutan Point | 148 | ||
| Action of 22 June | 150 | ||
| Stalemate on Nafutan: 23-24 June | 151 | ||
| Nafutan Secured: 25-28 June | 155 | ||
| IX. | The Fight for Central Saipan--I | 163 | |
| Preparations for the Drive to the North | 163 | ||
| 22 June: The Jump-off | 167 | ||
| 23 June: Into Death Valley | 170 | ||
| The First Night in Death Valley | 179 | ||
| 23 June: Marines on the Flanks | 180 | ||
| 24 June: Action of the 27th Division | 181 | ||
| 24 June: Action on the Flanks | 187 | ||
| X. | Smith Versus Smith | 191 | |
| Relief of Major General Ralph C. Smith | 191 | ||
| Interservice Controversy | 192 | ||
| Conclusions | 197 | ||
| XI. | The Fight for Central Saipan--II | 203 | |
| 25 June | 203 | ||
| The Plight of the Japanese | 211 | ||
| 26 June | 213 | ||
| 27 June | 216 | ||
| Japanese Reactions | 221 | ||
| 28 June | 221 | ||
| 29 June | 227 | ||
| 30 June | 230 | ||
| Central Saipan: Sum-up | 232 | ||
| XII. | The Capture of Northern Saipan | 235 | |
| Drive to Tanapag | 235 | ||
| Change of Direction | 244 | ||
| 5 July | 244 | ||
| 6 July | 247 | ||
| 7 July | 256 | ||
| Final Victory | 262 | ||
| PART THREE Tinian | |||
| XIII. | American and Japanese Plans | 269 | |
| Plan for the Invasion | 271 | ||
| The Enemy | 278 | ||
| XIV. | Invasion and Capture | 285 | |
| Preliminary Bombardment | 285 | ||
| The Landings | 288 | ||
| Japanese Counterattack: 24-25 July | 293 | ||
| Capture of Northern Tinian | 294 | ||
| Drive to the South | 296 | ||
| Tinian Secured | 301 | ||
| PART FOUR Guam | |||
| XV. | Plans and Preparations | 307 | |
| The Island | 307 | ||
| Plans for the Invasion | 309 | ||
| Change of Plans | 314 | ||
| 77th Infantry Division Training and Preparation | 315 | ||
| Loading and Embarkation | 318 | ||
| Preliminary Bombardment | 320 | ||
| Intelligence of the Enemy | 326 | ||
| XVI. | The Enemy | 329 | |
| Troops and Troop Dispositions | 329 | ||
| Supporting Weapons | 333 | ||
| Fortifications | 334 | ||
| Japanese Situation on the Eve of Battle | 335 | ||
| XVII. | The Fight for the Beachhead | 339 | |
| W-Day Preliminary Bombardment | 339 | ||
| From Ship to Shore | 342 | ||
| The Northern Beaches | 343 | ||
| The Southern Beaches | 344 | ||
| Landing the 305th Infantry | 345 | ||
| Japanese Counterattack | 347 | ||
| Consolidating the Southern Beachhead: 22-24 July | 348 | ||
| Landing the Reserves | 354 | ||
| Consolidating the Northern Beachhead: 22-24 July | 356 | ||
| Initial Supply Over the Beaches | 357 | ||
| XVIII. | The Assault Completed: 25-30 July | 361 | |
| Preparations for the Assault on Orote: 25 July | 362 | ||
| The Fight in the North: 25 July | 363 | ||
| Japanese Counterattack: 25-26 July | 364 | ||
| The Capture of Orote | 367 | ||
| The Capture of Fonte and the Force Beachhead Line | 371 | ||
| Reconnaissance of Southern Guam | 374 | ||
| XIX. | Pursuit to the North | 377 | |
| The Japanese Withdrawal | 377 | ||
| Drive to the O-2 Line: 31 July-1 August | 378 | ||
| Supply Problems | 383 | ||
| To Barrigada and the O-3 Line: 2-4 August | 386 | ||
| 77th Division: 3 August | 398 | ||
| 77th Division: 4 August | 402 | ||
| The Marines: 2-4 August | 407 | ||
| XX. | Guam Secured | 409 | |
| 77th Division: 5-6 August | 409 | ||
| 3d Marine Division: 5-6 August | 417 | ||
| Capture of Mount Santa Rosa: 7-8 August | 417 | ||
| The Marines: 7-8 August | 434 | ||
| The End on Guam | 436 | ||
| PART FIVE Conclusion | |||
| XXI. | Fruits of Victory | 441 | |
| APPENDICES | |||
| A. | Tactical Units of Northern Troops and Landing Force on Saipan | 449 | |
| B. | Pacific Ocean Area Unit of Fire for Ground Weapons | 452 | |
| C. | Japanese Order of Battle on Saipan | 453 | |
| D. | Troop List of the 77th Infantry Division for the Guam Operation | 455 | |
| E. | Order of Battle of III Amphibious Corps (less 77th Infantry Division) for the Guam Operation | 456 | |
| Bibliographical Note | 459 | ||
| List of Abbreviations | |||
| Glossary of Code Names | |||
| Basic Military Map Symbols | |||
| Index | 475 | ||
Photographs are from Department of Defense files with the following exceptions: photographs on pages 37 and 38 from the personal files of Col. Robert C. Richardson, III; the photograph on page 418 from the Bishop Museum, Oahu, Hawaii; and that on page 444, by J.R. Eyerman-Life. (c) 1950 Time Inc.
