D Day in the Pacific The Battle of Saipan

In June 1944 the attention of the nation was riveted on events unfolding in France. But in the Pacific, the Battle of Saipan was of extreme strategic importance. This is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic engagements of World War II. The conquest of Saipan and the neighboring island of Tinian was a turning point in the war in the Pacific as it made the American victory against Japan inevitable. Until this battle, the Japanese continued to believe that success in the war remained possible. While Japan had suffered serious setbacks as early as the Battle of Midway in 1942, Saipan was part of her inner defense line, so victory was essential. The American victory at Saipan forced Japan to begin considering the reality of defeat. For the Americans, the capture of Saipan meant secure air bases for the new B-29s that were now within striking distance of all Japanese cities, including Tokyo.

"The bloody seizure of Saipan by US amphibious forces in 1944 spelled certain doom for Imperial Japan. Harold Goldberg's riveting story of this conflict brings the dead back to life by blending rigorous research with dramatic narratives by hundreds of survivors. He has written a superb account of a pivotal, little-known, and heart-breaking battle." --Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (ret.), author of Storm Landings: Epic Amphibious Battles in the Central Pacific Indiana University Press Indiana University Press Indiana University Press

"[U]sing recent interviews he conducted with extant US veterans, [Goldberg] skillfully develops the soldiers' view of the battle for Saipan in an engaging, clearly written and interesting volume that should be recommended to all students studying the Pacific war." --The Journal of Military History, October 2009

"The book's great strength is its collected recollections of U.S. participants, chiefly former Marines. This alone would commend its publication." --Spencer C. Tucker

A dramatic account of the bloody fight for Saipan, June 1944

Harold J. Goldberg is the David E. Underdown Distinguished Professor of History and Chair of the Asian Studies Program at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.

List of Illustrations

List of Maps

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Admiral King and General MacArthur

2. The Target

3. Operation Forager

4. "A Condemned Man's Breakfast"

5. The 2nd Marine Division Lands

6. The 4th Marine Division Lands

7. The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot

8. The 2nd Marine Division Moves Forward

9. The 4th Marine Division Moves Forward

10. Marines under Fire

11. The 27th Infantry Division on Southern Saipan

12. Into Death Valley

13. The Gyokusai

14. Suicide Cliff and Banzai Cliff

15. Tojo and Tinian

Conclusion

Appendix A. Holland Smith and the Army

Appendix B. Coming Home

Appendix C. Principal Military Units with Commanding Officers

Notes

Bibliography

Index