"Now we are up against mountains and caves where the Japs can really dig in.
A week from now there will be a lot of dead Marines."
-Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith, V Amphibious Corps
 U.S. Troops proceeding towards the beach (credit: National Archives 531194)
For the first time in WWII, American troops set foot on Japanese soil on June 15, 1944. Over the course of an hour more than 8,000 troops hit the beach. Almost all in the first wave of troops died. To declare the island secure, the U.S. first had to capture the beach, then the brush and after that, the towns, sugarcane fields, and caves. Only then, they were able to climb Mount Tapochau, the highest point in Saipan to successfully defeat the Japanese and their artillery.
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Marines managed to take Mt. Tapochau, Saipan's highest point
(credit: Historynet.com)
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Marines fought in Garapan, capital of Saipan (credit: Dept. of Defense USMC Photo 85222)
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On June 22nd, the Marines started their slow advance through "Death Valley." It was a deep valley that the Japanese, had control of on either side. The Japanese not having enough forces to overpower the Americans, also hid in the sugarcane fields and ambushed them. The Marines responded by torching the fields with flamethrowers. |
Marines surprised the Japanese by assaulting on opposite coast (credit: USMC Museum)
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U.S. flamethrower tank torching fields ( credit: Dept. of Defense USMC photo)
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Marines take cover behind a M4A2 Sherman (credit: Dept. of Defense USMC photo)
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"Fleet is attacked", The New York Times, June 1944
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Credit : Soundbible.com
