"The Battle of Saipan" was crucial to American victory in the Pacific, but it was the most tragic battle in the Pacific war to that date. At the end, was the triumph worth the tragedy?
Marines securing storehouse of supplies in cave
(credit: Marine Corps History Division)
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The Battle of Saipan, launched on June 15, 1944, was an operation, intended to capture the Northern Mariana Islands because U.S. B-29 Bombers launched from Saipan could deal devastating damage to the Japanese homeland.
The battle expected to go on for only three days lasted for twenty-four days! More than 40,000 people died in the battle, Japanese and American alike. But at the end, was the triumph worth the tragedy? |
Sugar Mill Wreckage on Saipan (credit: Marine Corps History Division)
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