Английская Википедия:Battle of Saipan
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox military conflict The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June to 9 July 1944 as part of Operation Forager. The assault fleet departed Pearl Harbor days before Operation Overlord in Europe, invading on the island nine days later. The U.S. 2nd Marine Division, 4th Marine Division, and the Army's 27th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Holland Smith, defeated the 43rd Infantry Division of the Imperial Japanese Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saitō. The loss of Saipan, with the deaths of at least 29,000 troops and heavy civilian casualties, precipitated the resignation of Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tōjō and left the Japanese archipelago within the range of United States Army Air Forces B-29 bombers.
Background
American strategic objectives
Up to early 1944, Allied operations against the Japanese military in the Pacific was focused on securing the lines of communications between Australia and the United States. These operations had recaptured the Solomon Islands, eastern New Guinea, western New Britain, the Admiralty Islands, and the Gilbert and Marshall Islands.Шаблон:Sfn
To defeat Japan, Admiral Ernest J. King, Chief of Naval Operations for the United States, sought to execute War Plan Orange,Шаблон:Sfnm which the Naval War College had been developing for four decades in the event of a war.Шаблон:Sfnm The plan envisioned an assault through the Central Pacific that originated from Hawaii, island-hopped through the Micronesia and the Philippines, forced a decisive battle with the Japanese navy, and brought about an economic collapse of Japan.Шаблон:Sfnm
General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, objected to King's proposed offensive through the Central Pacific.Шаблон:Sfn MacArthur argued that it would be costly and time-consuming, and it would pull resources away from his drive in the Southwest Pacific toward the Philippines.Шаблон:Sfnm The Joint Chiefs of Staff decided in favor of King's plan,Шаблон:Sfn seeing it as strategically promising. MacArthur could continue his campaign, but priority was given to a Central Pacific drive led by Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief, U. S. Pacific Fleet.Шаблон:Sfn
King had decided that after capturing the Gilberts and Marshalls, the Marianas would be the next objective.Шаблон:Sfn This goal been formally endorsed by the Allies at the Cairo Conference in November 1943, which set their invasion for 1 October 1944.Шаблон:Sfn The occupation of these islands–specifically Saipan, Tinian and Guam–would cut the sea and air route from the Japanese home islands to the western Pacific.Шаблон:Sfnm King also thought that the strategic importance of the Marianas could draw the main Japanese fleet out for a major naval battle.Шаблон:Sfnm General Henry H. Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Forces, supported the idea:Шаблон:Sfn The Marianas could provide secure airfields to sustain a strategic bombing offensive, as much of Japan's population centers and industrial areas were in the Шаблон:Convert range of the new B-29 bomber.Шаблон:Sfn
The speed with which the Marshalls were occupied moved up the timetable for assault on the Marianas,Шаблон:Sfnm which was codenamed Forager,Шаблон:Sfn and the invasion of Saipan was set for 15 June 1944.Шаблон:Sfn The invasion fleet, consisting of over 500 ships and 300,000 men,Шаблон:Efn got underway days before the Allied forces in Europe invaded France in Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944.Шаблон:SfnmШаблон:Efn Nimitz assigned Admiral Raymond Spruance, commander of the Fifth Fleet, to oversee the operation. Spruance put Rear Admiral Richmond Turner in charge of the amphibious fleet and Major General Holland Smith in charge of the ground forces of the V Amphibious Corps.Шаблон:Sfnm These consisted of the 2nd and 4th Marine Division. Additionally, the 27th Infantry Division was held in reserve to be available for use anywhere in the Marianas.Шаблон:Sfnm
Japanese defensive preparations
American intelligence had estimated that there would be between 15,000 and 18,000 Japanese troops on Saipan at the time of the invasion.Шаблон:Sfnm In actuality, there were double that number.Шаблон:Sfn Nearly 32,000 Japanese military personnel were on the island, including 6,000 naval troops.Шаблон:Sfn The Japanese hurriedly reinforced the island before the invasion, but many of the troop transports were sunk by U. S. submarines.Шаблон:Sfn For example, five of seven ships transporting the Japanese 43rd Division were sunk.Шаблон:Sfnm Most of the troops were saved, but most of their equipment–including hats and shoes–were lost, which reduced their effectiveness.Шаблон:Sfn The island also acquired survivors who were headed to other islands but were stranded when their ships were sunk.Шаблон:Sfn There were also about 80 tanks on the island, substantially more than the Americans had encountered in previous battles with the Japanese.Шаблон:Sfn
The Japanese defenses were set up to defeat an invading force at the beaches, when the invading troops were most vulnerable.Шаблон:Sfn These defenses focused on the most likely invasion locations, the western beaches south of Garapan. Шаблон:Sfn This made the defenses brittle. If an invading force broke through the beach defenses, there was no organized fallback position: the Japanese troops would have to rely on Saipan's rough terrain, especially its caves, for protection.Шаблон:Sfn The original plans called for a defense in depth that fortified the entire islandШаблон:Sfn if time allowed.,Шаблон:Sfn but the Japanese were unable to complete their defenses by the time of the invasion. Much of the building material sent to Saipan, such as concrete and steel, had been sunk in transit by American submarines,Шаблон:Sfn and the timing of the invasion surprised the Japanese, who thought they had until November to complete their defense.Шаблон:Sfn As of June, many fortifications remained incomplete, available building materials were left unused, and many artillery guns were not properly deployed.Шаблон:Sfn
Japanese leadership on the island suffered from poor command coordination. Although Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, Commander of the Central Pacific Area Fleet, had nominal oversight of the defenses in the Central Pacific. Lieutenant General Hideyoshi Obata, the commander of the Thirty-first Army who was responsible for the army's defense of the Marianas, refused to subordinate his command to a naval officer.Шаблон:Sfnm Because Obata was not on the island when the invasion started, command of Saipan's army units fell to the senior army officer on the island, Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saitō, commander of the 43rd Division.Шаблон:Sfnm But Obata's chief of staff, Major General Keiji Igeta, maintained a separate headquarters that was often out of touch with Saitō.Шаблон:Sfnm
Saipan's military geography
Unlike the small, flat coral atolls of the Gilberts and Marshalls,Шаблон:Sfn Saipan is a volcanic island with diverse terrain well suited for defense.Шаблон:Sfnm It is approximately 47 square miles,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn and has a volcanic core surrounded by limestone.Шаблон:Sfn In the center of the island is Mount Tapotchau, which rises to 1,554 ft. From the mountain, a high ridge ran northward about seven miles to Mount Marpi.Шаблон:Sfnm This area was filled with caves and ravines concealed by forest and brush,Шаблон:Sfn and the mountainous terrain would force tanks to stay on the island's few roads, which were poorly constructed.Шаблон:Sfn
The southern half of the island was where the principle airfield of the Marianas, Aslito Field, was located.Шаблон:Sfnm It served as a repair stop and transit hub for Japanese aircraft headed toward other parts of the Pacific.Шаблон:Sfnm This half of the island was flatter but covered with sugar cane fieldsШаблон:Sfn because the island's economy became focused on sugar production after the Japanese government had taken over Saipan from Germany in 1914,Шаблон:Sfnm Seventy percent of Saipan's acreage was dedicated to sugar cane.Шаблон:Sfn It was so plentiful that a narrow-gauge rail was built around the perimeter of the island to facilitate its transportation.Шаблон:Sfn These cane fields were an obstacle to attackers: they were difficult to maneuver in and provided concealment for the defenders.Шаблон:Sfn
Saipan was the first island of the war where the United States forces encountered a substantial Japanese civilian population,Шаблон:Sfnm and the first where U. S. Marines had to engage in house-to-house urban combat.Шаблон:Sfn Approximately 26,000Шаблон:Sfn to 28,000Шаблон:Sfn civilians lived on the island primarily serving the sugar industry.Шаблон:Sfn The majority of them were Japanese subjects, most of whom were from Okinawa and Korea; a minority were Chamorro people.Шаблон:Sfn The largest towns on the island–the administrative center of Garapan with its population of 10,000, Charan Kanoa, and Tanapag– were on the western coast of the island, which was where the best landing beaches for an invasion were.Шаблон:Sfn
Opposing forces
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United States
US Fifth Fleet
Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
- Northern Attack Force (Task Force 52)
- Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner
- Expeditionary Troops (Task Force 56)
- Lieut. General Holland M. Smith, USMC
- Approx. 59,800 officers and enlisted
- V Amphibious Corps (Lt. Gen. Smith)
- 2nd Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Thomas E. Watson, USMC)
- 4th Marine Division (Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt, USMC)
- Expeditionary Troops reserve (Lt. Gen Smith)
- 27th Infantry Division (Army) (Maj. Gen. Ralph C. Smith, USA)
- V Amphibious Corps (Lt. Gen. Smith)
Japan
Central Pacific Area Fleet HQ
Vice Admiral Chūichi NagumoШаблон:Efn
Approx. 6,200 navy personnel
- Thirty-first Army
- Lieut. General Hideyoshi ObataШаблон:Efn
- Defenses of Saipan
- Lieut. General Yoshitsugu SaitōШаблон:Efn
- Approx. 25,500 army personnel
- 43rd Division
- 47th Independent Mixed Brigade
- Miscellaneous units
Battle
June 11–14: Preparatory attacks
On June 11, over 200 F6F Hellcats from Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher's Task Force 58 launched a surprise attack on Japanese airfields in Saipan and Tinian,Шаблон:Sfnm putting approximately 130 Japanese aircraft out of operationШаблон:Sfnm at the cost of 11 American aircraft.Шаблон:Sfnm The attack took out nearly one-third of the 435 planes in Vice Admiral Kakuji Kakuta's 1st Air Fleet, which had been deployed to defend the Marianas,Шаблон:Sfn and gave the Americans air superiority over Saipan.Шаблон:Sfnm Planes from the task force continued their attacks until June 14,Шаблон:Sfn harassing fields, bombing military targets, and burning cane fields on the southern half of Saipan.Шаблон:Sfn By end of the week, the 1st Air Fleet had been reduced to about 100 aircraft.Шаблон:Sfn
On 13 June, seven fast battleships and 11 destroyers under Vice Admiral Willis Lee began the naval bombardment of Saipan.Шаблон:Sfnm The bombardment damaged much of Garapan and Charan Kanoa,Шаблон:Sfn but was relatively ineffective at destroying the island's defenses because most of the battleship crews had not been trained in shore bombardment and the ships fired from more than Шаблон:Convert to avoid potential minefields.Шаблон:Sfn The following day, seven older battleships,Шаблон:Efn 11 cruisers, and 26 destroyersШаблон:Sfn commanded by Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf took over the attack.Шаблон:Sfn The crews were trained in shore bombardment, Шаблон:Sfn and moved closer to shore because the sea was found to be free of mines.Шаблон:Sfn The attacks destroyed many emplaced anti-aircraft positions,Шаблон:Sfn but most of the beach defenses remained intact.Шаблон:Sfnm
June 15: D-Day
American amphibious landing
June 15 was D-Day for the amphibious landing,Шаблон:Sfn which began around 08:40.Шаблон:Sfnm Naval and aerial bombardments in preparation for the landings began earlier in the morning,Шаблон:Sfn disrupting the Japanese's communications network.Шаблон:Sfnm The guns of the warships would provide supporting fire continued throughout the day.Шаблон:Sfn
The V Amphibious Corps landed on the southwest beaches of Saipan.Шаблон:Sfn The 2nd Marine landed on two beaches, named Red and Green, of Charan Kanoa, and the 4th Marine landed on the beaches, named Blue and Yellow, south of the town.Шаблон:Sfnm Approximately 700 Amphibious vehicles participated in the assault,Шаблон:Sfnm including 393 amphibious tractors and 140 amphibious tanks.Шаблон:Sfnm Within 20 minutes, there were 8000 men on the beaches.Шаблон:Sfnm
The beaches were fortified by trenches and the occasional pillbox,Шаблон:Sfn but the landings were mainly contested by constant and intensive fire by Japanese artillery, mortars,Шаблон:Sfn and machine guns.Шаблон:Sfn The Japanese had concentrated at least 50 large artillery pieces on the high ground and reversed slopes around the invasion beaches,Шаблон:Sfn and had placed pennants on the beach for accurate ranging.Шаблон:Sfnm The Americans suffered over 2,000 casualties,Шаблон:SfnmШаблон:Efn the majority were due to artillery and mortar fire.Шаблон:Sfnm Additionally, 164 amphibious tractors and amphibious tanks, about 40% of those engaged during the day, had been destroyed or damaged.Шаблон:Sfn
By the end of the day, the Marines managed to establish a bridgehead about Шаблон:Convert along the beach and Шаблон:Convert inland,Шаблон:Sfnm and had unloaded artillery and tanks.Шаблон:Sfn But the bridgehead was only about two-thirds the size of the planned objective.Шаблон:Sfn It was had a wide gap just north of Charan Kanoa that separated the two Marine divisions,Шаблон:Sfnm that would take three days to close.Шаблон:Sfnm and the Japanese artillery was still intact on the high ground surrounding the beach.Шаблон:Sfnm
When darkness fell, Saito launched a series of night attacks to push the Americans back into the sea.Шаблон:Sfnm Japanese launched repeated counterattacks during the night and the early hours of the following morning,Шаблон:Sfnm mostly by poorly coordinated small units.Шаблон:Sfn All the attacks were repulsed,Шаблон:Sfnm partly by the firepower provided by the tanks and artillery that had been during the day as well as by American warships that also illuminated the combat areas with star shells.Шаблон:Sfn
Less than a half hour after the start of the amphibious invasion,Шаблон:Sfn Admiral Soemu Toyoda, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet announced the implementation of Operation A-Go,Шаблон:Sfnm the Japanese Navy's current plan to destroy American naval power in a single decisive battle between the their main fleets.Шаблон:Sfnm He then sent a message to the entire fleet that repeated Admiral Heihachirō Tōgō's before Japan's decisive naval battle against Russia at Tsushima in 1905: "The fate of the Empire rests upon this single battle. Every man is expected to do his utmost."Шаблон:SfnmШаблон:Efn
Originally, the Japanese Navy sought to have the battle take place in the Palaus or Western Carolines,Шаблон:Sfnm and MacArthur's invasion of Biak had led them to believe that they could lure the American fleet there.Шаблон:Sfnm After the preinvasion bombardment of Saipan, Toyoda guessed Saipan was the target and ordered Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki who commanded the super battleships Yamato and Musashi to rendezvous with Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa, commander of the 1st Mobile Fleet and to rendezvous in the Philippine Sea to attack the American fleet around Saipan.Шаблон:Sfnm The Japanese fleet, which had 9 aircraft carriers, 5 battleships, and nearly 500 airplanes was outnumbered by the American fleet,Шаблон:Sfn which had 16 aircraft carriers, 7 battleships, and almost 1000 airplanes.Шаблон:Sfn But the longer range of the Japanese planes allowed them the opportunity to strike the Americans without fear of immediate retaliation,Шаблон:Sfn the availability of airbases on the Marianas gave the carrier planes a place to land and quickly rearm for additional strikes,Шаблон:Sfn and there were supposed to be around 500 land-based planes from Kakuta's First Airfleet available to help destroy the American fleet.Шаблон:Sfnm
June 16–20: Southern Saipan
Japanese tank attack and the capture of Aslito field
On 16 June, Holland Smith committed his reserves to reinforce the beachhead, ordering two of the three regiments of the 27th Infantry to land,Шаблон:Sfnm and the proposed 18 June invasion of Guam was indefinitely postponed.Шаблон:Sfnm The two Marine divisions on Saipan spent most of the day consolidating the beachhead.Шаблон:Sfnm The 2nd Marines closed the gap between the two divisions north of Charan Kanoa, and the 4th Marines cleared the area around Aginan point on the southwest of the Island.Шаблон:Sfn
During the night, Saitō launched a tank assault on the flank of the beachhead just north of Charan Kanoa with approximately 30 Type 97 medium tanks and Type 95 light tanksШаблон:Efn and about 1000 soldiers.Шаблон:Sfnm The attack was poorly coordinated.Шаблон:Sfn Nagamo's naval troops, who were supposed to be part of the attack, did not cooperate.Шаблон:Snf The attack was broken up by bazookas, 37 mm anti-tank guns, M4 medium tanks, and self-propelled 75mm howitzers.Шаблон:Sfnm around 31 Japanese tanks were destroyed.Шаблон:Sfnm
In the following days, the 2nd Marines on the northern half of the bridgehead cleared the area around Lake SusupeШаблон:Sfn and reached the objectives for the first day of the invasion,Шаблон:Sfn and slowly moved north toward Garapan and Mount Tapotchou.Шаблон:Sfn In the southern half of the bridgehead, the 4th Marines, including elements of the 27th division, began their advance on Aslito Field. On 18 June, the 27th Infantry, which was now fighting as a division,Шаблон:Sfnm captured the fieldШаблон:Sfn as the Japanese withdrew to Nafutan Point in the southeast of the island.Шаблон:Sfnm The 4th Marines had reached the island's eastern coast, cutting off the Japanese troops at Nafutan Point from the north.Шаблон:Sfn During this time, Saitō was falsely rumored to have been killed.Шаблон:Sfnm Igeta erroneously reported Saitō's death to Tokyo, though he corrected the report the later.Шаблон:Sfn
Holland Smith ordered the 27th Infantry to quickly capture Nafutan Point but it was unable to do so.Шаблон:Sfn Intelligence had estimated that there were no more than 300 Japanese soldiers in the area, but there were more than 1000 defending the rough terrain.Шаблон:Sfnm The battle for the point would continue for over a week.Шаблон:Sfn
By 19 June, the Japanese forces on the island had been reduced by about half.Шаблон:Sfnm Saitō began withdrawing his troops to a new defensive line in the center of the island.Шаблон:Sfn By this time, the Americans had suffered over 6,000 casualties.Шаблон:Sfnm The Marine divisions headed north toward the new Japanese defenses,Шаблон:Sfnm and Holland Smith called for the final reserve of the Expeditionary Forces, ordering the last regiment of the 27th infantry to land on Saipan on June 20.Шаблон:Sfn
Battle of Philippine Sea
To prepare for the upcoming naval battle, the American transports continued to unload supplies and reinforcements throughout June 17. The following day, the transports sailed east toward safety while the warships prepared to engage the Japanese fleet. On June 19-20, the fleets fought an aircraft carrier battle.Шаблон:Sfn The Japanese struck first,Шаблон:Sfn launching four large air attacks on the American fleet,Шаблон:Sfnm But the Japanese aviators were inexperienced. They were also outnumbered: Very few of the anticipated land-based planes were available,Шаблон:Sfnm and those that were had little effect.Шаблон:Sfn
The Japanese lost almost 500 planesШаблон:Sfn and almost all their aviators;Шаблон:Sfn their carrier forces had only 35 operable aircraft.Шаблон:Sfn The Americans lost about 130 planesШаблон:Sfn and 76 aviators.Шаблон:Sfn An American counterstrike sunk a Japanese carrier, and American submarines sunk two others, including Ozawa's flagship Taihō.Шаблон:Sfn The battle sealed the fate for the Japanese forces defending Saipan. Though they did not know it, they could not expect expect further assistance.Шаблон:Sfn The Japanese command was determined to fight to the last person,Шаблон:Sfn but it was doomed to lose a battle of attrition.Шаблон:Sfnm
21-24 June: Central Saipan, initial attack
Saitō's new defense line stretched from Garapan on the west coast to the southern slopes of Mount Tapachou across to Magicienne Bay on the east coast.Шаблон:Sfnm It held most of the island's high ground, which allowed the Japanese to observe American movements, and the rough terrain was filled with caves concealed by brush.Шаблон:Sfn
The American forces prepared for a frontal assault on Saitō's line using all three divisions.Шаблон:Sfn The attack began on June 22. The 2nd Marine division was on the western coast moved toward Garapan and Mount Tapotchau; the 4th Marine division advanced along the eastern coast.Шаблон:Sfn but their advance which created gaps in the lines in the hilly ground between the two divisions.Шаблон:Sfnm That evening, the 27th Infantry, less the regiment left to reduce Nafutan point,Шаблон:Sfn was ordered to move up into the difficult terrain between the two Marine divisions.Шаблон:Sfn
The next day, the Marine divisions on the flanks made progress, but the 27th Infantry, which started its attack late, stalled in its assault on a valley surrounded a low lying ridge that was defended by about 4,000 Japanese soldiers.Шаблон:Sfnm The battle around these features, which American soldiers nicknamed these "Death Valley" and "Purple Heart Ridge",Шаблон:Sfn beginning to bend the line of the American advance into a horseshoe,Шаблон:Sfn creating gaps in the Marine divisions flanks and forcing them to halt.Шаблон:Sfnm
Frustrated by what he saw as lack of progress by the 27th Division, Holland Smith relieved its commander, Major General Ralph Smith, and temporarily replaced him another Army officer, Major General Sanderford Jarman.Шаблон:Sfnm The appropriateness of Holland's Smith action–a Marine general dismissing an Army general–immediately created an inter-service controversy.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn Despite the replacement of the 27th Infantry's commander, it would take six more days for the valley to be captured.Шаблон:Sfn
25-30 June: Central Saipan, breakthrough
American firepower
The United States' forces had built up substantial firepower to continue their northward drive. On 22 June, P-47s from the Seventh Air Force landed on Aslito field and immediately began launching ground assault missions.Шаблон:Sfnm On the same day, the XXIV artillery corps had moved 24 155 mm field guns and 24 155 mm howitzers, which were in place to fire on Japanese positions.Шаблон:Sfn The American warships had returned from the Battle of Philippine sea, and by June 24 they were once more available to provide fire support.Шаблон:Sfnm Spotters flying in L-2 Grasshoppers helped direct ground artillery,Шаблон:Sfnm and joint assault signal companies directed much of the naval fire support.Шаблон:Sfnm
The Americans had other assets as well. Over 150 tanks–over 100 of which were M4 medium tanks–had been committed to the invasion.Шаблон:Sfn The M4 medium tank was superior to the Japanese Type 97 tank.Шаблон:Sfn It was primarily used to support infantry and was considered one of the most effective weapons for destroying enemy emplacements.Шаблон:Sfn Flame throwers were extensively used. Smith had seen the need for motorized flamethrowers and had requested that the Army's Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) in Hawaii install them in M3 light tanks. Seabees with the CWS had 24 of the vehicles, dubbed "Satans", available in time for the invasion They were very effective for destroying pillboxes, cave defenses. buildings, canefields, and brush.Шаблон:Sfn In the hills, soldiers relied on personal flamethrowers, particularly in locations where the motorized flamethrowers could not reach.Шаблон:Sfn The Americans gradually developed tactics for effectively reducing caves, using a combination of flamethrowers and demolition charges to clear them, or sometimes using demolitions to seal them off.Шаблон:Sfnm
The American's firepower devastated the Japanese. On 27 June, Igeta's 31st Army Headquarters sent a telegram from the island stating the Japanese would not be able to hold due to the American preponderance in artillery, sea and air power, as well of a lack of equipment and supplies, including food and water. Шаблон:Sfn. Saito singled out naval gunfire undermining the Japanese' ability to fight successfully against the Americans.Шаблон:Sfn Igeta reported that some soldiers hadn't had water for three days and were surviving on snails and tree leaves.Шаблон:Sfn Japanese communications were so disrupted that at one point during the week, Igeta could only account for 950 of the Japanese soldiers.Шаблон:Sfn
American advance and Japanese break out at Nafutan Point
On 25 June, the 27th Infantry was not able to make much headway in their fight for Death Valley. But the 2nd Marines to the west gained control of Mount Tapotchau, the key artillery observation posts in Central Saipan.Шаблон:Sfn On the east coast, the 4th Marines quickly occupied most of the Kagman peninsula, meeting little organized resistanceШаблон:Sfnm because the Japanese had evacuated the peninsula.Шаблон:Sfn Between 26 June and 30 June, the 2nd Marines and the 27th Infantry had made little progress. The second Marines remained south of Garapan and were slowly fighting their way north of Mount Topatchau. The 4th Marines were able to advance up the eastern coast to a line just north of the village of Hashigoru.Шаблон:Sfn
About 500 Japanese soldiers broke out of Nafutan point on the night of June 26. They headed toward Aslito field, destroying one P-47 and damaging two others.Шаблон:Sfn They then ran into a unit of Marines who were in reserve and a unit of Marine artillery. Almost all the Japanese soldiers were killed in the ensuing firefight.Шаблон:Sfn The next day, the elements of the 27th Infantry that had been fighting at the point moved in to occupy the area, no survivors were found.Шаблон:Sfn
Army Major General George Griner, who had been sent for from Hawaii, took over from command of the 27th Infantry on 28 June. Jarman, whose command had been temporary, returned to his assign role as garrison commander of the island.Шаблон:Sfn On 30 June, the 27th Infantry captured Death Valley and Purple Heart Ridge, and advance far enough to reestablish contact with the two Marine divisions on their flanks. The Saitō's main line of defense in Central Saipan had been overrun;Шаблон:Sfn and the Japanese began their retreat north to their final defensive line.Шаблон:Sfn To date, American casualties were about 11,000.Шаблон:Sfn
Northern Saipan
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By 6 July the Japanese had nowhere to retreat. Saitō made plans for a final suicidal banzai charge. On the fate of the remaining civilians on the island, Saito said, "There is no longer any distinction between civilians and troops. It would be better for them to join in the attack with bamboo spears than be captured."Шаблон:Sfn At dawn of 7 July with a group of 12 men carrying a red flag in the lead, the remaining able-bodied troops — about 4,000 men — charged forward in the final attack. Behind them came the wounded, with bandaged heads, crutches, and barely armed. The Japanese surged over the American front lines, engaging both Army and Marine units. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 105th Infantry Regiment were almost destroyed, losing well over 650 killed and wounded. The two battalions fought back, as did the Headquarters Company, 105th Infantry, and supply elements of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Artillery Regiment, resulting in over 4,300 Japanese killed and over 400 dead US soldiers with more than 500 more wounded. The attack on 7 July would be the largest Japanese banzai charge in the Pacific War.Шаблон:Sfn
By 16:15 on 9 July, Turner announced that Saipan was officially secured.Шаблон:Sfn Saitō, along with commander Igeta, committed suicide in a cave. Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, the naval commander who led the Japanese carriers at Pearl Harbor, also committed suicide in the closing stages of the battle. He had been in command of the Japanese naval air forces stationed on the island.
In the end, almost the entire garrison of troops on the island—at least 29,000—died. For the Americans, the victory was the most costly to date in the Pacific War: out of 71,000 who landed, 2,949 were killed and 10,464 wounded.[1]Шаблон:Sfn
Aftermath
With the capture of Saipan, the American military was only Шаблон:Convert away from the home islands of Japan. Holland Smith said: "It was the decisive battle of the Pacific offensive [...] it opened the way to the [Japanese] home islands."Шаблон:Sfn The victory would prove to be one of the most important strategic moments during the war in the Pacific Theater, as the Japanese archipelago was now within striking distance of United States' B-29 bombers.[2] From this point on, Saipan would become the launch point for retaking other islands in the Mariana chain and the invasion of the Philippines in October 1944. Four months after capture, more than 100 B-29s from Saipan's Isely Field were regularly attacking the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands and the Japanese mainland. In response, Japanese aircraft attacked Saipan and Tinian on several occasions between November 1944 and January 1945. The U.S. capture of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) ended further Japanese air attacks.
The loss of Saipan brought the collapse of Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tōjō's cabinet. Emperor Hirohito, who was disappointed with the progress of the war, withdrew his support of Tōjō, who resigned on 18 July. Шаблон:Sfn He was replaced by former IJA General Kuniaki Koiso, who was a less capable leader.Шаблон:Sfn In July, the Chief of the War Guidance department of the Imperial General Headquarters, Colonel Sei Matsutani,Шаблон:Sfn drafted a report to the Army General Staff that after Saipan Japan had "no future prospect of reversing the general situation of the war."Шаблон:Sfn After the war, Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Miwa stated "Our war was lost with the loss of Saipan"Шаблон:Sfn Fleet Admiral Osami Nagano also stated that Saipan was the decisive battle of the war, saying "When we lost Saipan, Hell is on us."Шаблон:Sfnm
Saipan also saw a change in the way Japanese war reporting was presented on the home front. Initially as the battle started, Japanese accounts concentrated on the fighting spirit of the IJA and the heavy casualties it was inflicting on American forces. However, any reader familiar with Saipan's geography would have known from the chronology of engagements that the U.S. forces were relentlessly advancing northwards. No further mention of Saipan was made following the final battle on 7 July, which was not initially reported to the public.Шаблон:Sfn However, after Tōjō's resignation on 18 July, an accurate, almost day-by-day account of the defeat on Saipan was published jointly by the army and navy. This was the first time Japanese forces had accurately been depicted in a battle since Midway. It mentioned the defender's use of use of "human bullets", people who attempted to blow up the enemy by wearing strapped explosives, as well as the near total loss of all Japanese soldiers and civilians on the island. The reports had a devastating effect on Japanese opinion; mass suicides were now seen as defeat.Шаблон:Sfn
Further resistance
While the battle officially ended on 9 July, Japanese resistance still persisted with a group of about 50 men lead by Captain Sakae Ōba who survived after the last banzai charge.Шаблон:Sfn After the battle, Oba and his soldiers led many civilians through the jungle to escape capture by the Americans, while also conducting guerrilla-style attacks on pursuing forces. The Americans tried numerous times to hunt them down but failed. In September 1944, the Marines began conducting patrols in the island's interior, searching for survivors who were raiding their camp for supplies.Шаблон:Sfn Oba's primary goal was self-preservation, but his resistance was so successful, he earned the nickname "the Fox".Шаблон:Sfn Oba's holdout lasted for approximately 16 months before finally surrendering on 1 December 1945, three months after the official surrender of Japan.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Civilian casualties
Approximately 40% of the civilians on Saipan were killed. Around 14,000 survived and were interned,Шаблон:Sfnm but an estimated 8,000Шаблон:Sfn to 10,000Шаблон:Sfn died during the fighting or shortly afterwards. Many civilians died from the bombing, shelling and cross-fire.Шаблон:Sfn Others died because they hid in caves and shelters that were indistinguishable from Japanese combat positions, which the Marines typically destroyed with explosives, grenades and flamethrowers.Шаблон:Sfn Though many civilians were able to surrender early in the battle.Шаблон:Sfnm surrender became more difficult as the battle moved into the northern mountains. Obscuring terrain made it hard to distinguish combatants and surrendering civilians, who risked being killed by both sides.Шаблон:Sfn Many refused to surrender because they believed rumors that the Japanese fleet was coming to rescue them.Шаблон:Sfnm
An unknown number of civilians committed suicide. Some were driven by fear spread by Japanese propaganda that Americans would rape, torture and kill them; others were coerced.Шаблон:Sfn A number of these suicides occurred in the last days of the battle,Шаблон:Sfn when approximately 1000 civilians jumped from places that would become known as "Suicide Cliff" and "Banzai Cliff".Шаблон:Sfn
Memorial
Suicide Cliff and Banzai Cliff, along with surviving isolated Japanese fortifications, are recognized as historic sites on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The cliffs are also part of the National Historic Landmark District Landing Beaches; Aslito/Isley Field; & Marpi Point, Saipan Island, which also includes the American landing beaches, the B-29 runways of Isley Field, and the surviving Japanese infrastructure of the Aslito and Marpi Point airfields.[3] The American Memorial Park commemorates the American and Mariana people who died during the Mariana Islands campaign.[4] The Central Pacific War Memorial Monument is dedicated to the memory of the Japanese soldiers and civilians who died.[5]
See also
Footnotes
Notes
References
Books
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Journal articles, reports and theses
Online resources
- Шаблон:Cite report
- Шаблон:Cite web
- Шаблон:Cite web
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite news
- Шаблон:Cite report
Primary Sources
- Шаблон:Cite book
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- Шаблон:Cite journal
- Шаблон:Cite report
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- Шаблон:Cite report
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Further reading
Books
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- Шаблон:Cite book – Firsthand account of naval gunfire support by a crewmember of USS Maryland.
- Шаблон:Cite book
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Web
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite web
- Шаблон:Cite web Contains 18 images depicting the surrender of the "hold-out" Japanese forces under the command of Captain Oba in December 1945.
- Шаблон:Cite web
- Шаблон:Cite web
- Шаблон:Cite web A 2nd Marine Division pamphlet published just before the invasion describing certain expected features of the invasion and combat, including the presence of a large civilian population.
- Шаблон:Cite web Images and descriptions of Saipan, Tinian and Attu from a Japanese perspective.
External links
Шаблон:Commons category Шаблон:Cite video.
- Шаблон:YouTube
- Small Unit Actions: The Fight on Tanapag Plain; 27th Division 6 July 1944 Шаблон:Webarchive
Шаблон:Northern Mariana Islands Шаблон:Authority control Шаблон:Coord
- ↑ Battle of Saipan – The Final Curtain, David Moore
- ↑ Philip A. Crowl, "Campaign in the Marianas", vol. 9., United States Army in World War II, The War in the Pacific
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
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