Battle of Saipan
Part of World War II, Pacific War
LVTs heading for shore on 15 June 1944. USS Birmingham in foreground; the cruiser firing in the distance is Indianapolis
Date 15 June 1944 – 9 July 1944 Location Saipan, Mariana Islands Result American victory
Combatants
United States	Empire of Japan
Commanders
Richmond K. Turner Holland Smith	Yoshitsugu Saito † Chuichi Nagumo †
Strength
71,000	31,000
Casualties
3,426 killed; 13,160 wounded	24,000 KIA and 5,000 suicides; 921 prisoners

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 1944 to 9 July 1944. The American 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions and 27th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Holland Smith defeated the 43rd Division of the Imperial Japanese Army commanded by Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Japan (from 1937)  Germany (1941) Thailand (from 1942) Manchukuo Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki Tojo... LVTs going in at the battle of Saipan, 15 June 1944. ... LVTs heading for shore in the battle of Saipan, 15 June 1944. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... USS Birmingham (CL-62), a light cruiser named for the city of Birmingham, Alabama, the Steel City, was a Cleveland class light cruiser laid down at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Newport News in Virginia on 17 February 1941 and launched on 20 March 1942 by... USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was a Portland-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Saipan seen from the air A map of Saipan, Tinian & Aquijan Saipan (IPA: in English) is the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10... The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Islands of Thieves) are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Slogan: Fukoku Kyohei Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military (a. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (27 May 1885 – 12 February 1961) served in the United States Navy during World War II. Vice Admiral Turner, on board Eldorado Turner was born in Portland, Oregon. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Holland Smith Gen Holland McTyeire Howlin Mad Smith (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a general in the US Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the father of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... That general is a fake and dont listen to this battle. ... Temporary grave of an American machine-gunner during the Battle of Normandy. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Japan. ... Chuichi Nagumo (Japanese: 南雲 忠一, Nagumo ChÅ«ichi, March 25, 1887–July 6, 1944) was a Vice Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and Commander of the 1st Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy for a while. ... Temporary grave of an American machine-gunner during the Battle of Normandy. ... In the Pacific theater of World War II, the American Marianas Campaign, known as Operation Forager, pushed westward from the Marshall Islands in the summer of 1944 to capture the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. ... Combatants United States Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Ray Spruance Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 7 heavy carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes 6 heavy carriers, 3 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes Casualties 123 planes... The battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July 1944 to 1 August 1944. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders William H. Rupertus, USMC Kunio Nakagawa Strength 2 divisions (1st Marine Division and the USA 81st Infantry Division) Approximately 11,000 men Casualties 2,336 killed and 8,450 wounded 10,695 killed, 202 captured The Battle of Peleliu, like the bloody World War II... Battle of Angaur Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 17 September 1944 – 30 September 1944 Place Angaur, Palau Islands Result American victory The battle of Angaur was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Angaur in the Palau Islands from... Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Japan (from 1937)  Germany (1941) Thailand (from 1942) Manchukuo Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki Tojo... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Saipan seen from the air A map of Saipan, Tinian & Aquijan Saipan (IPA: in English) is the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10... The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Islands of Thieves) are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels... June 15 is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. ... The 4th Marine Division is a reserve infantry division of the United States Marine Corps. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the 27th Infantry Division. ... Holland Smith Gen Holland McTyeire Howlin Mad Smith (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a general in the US Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the father of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ... That general is a fake and dont listen to this battle. ...

Background

In the campaigns of 1943 and the first half of 1944, the Allies had captured the Solomon Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands and the Papuan peninsula of New Guinea. This brought the Allies up against the main Japanese defense line in the Pacific: the Caroline Islands, Palau Islands and Mariana Islands, occupied by the Japanese since the end of World War I and heavily fortified. Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Gilbert Islands are a chain of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of the nation Kiribati. ... Sunset at Colonia on Yap The Caroline Islands form a large archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. ... The Republic of Palau (also spelled Belau) is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, located some 500 km east of the Philippines. ... The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Islands of Thieves) are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

The Allies embarked on two campaigns to break this line: General Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Area command advanced through New Guinea and Morotai toward the Philippines. Admiral Chester Nimitz's Pacific Ocean Areas command attacked the Mariana Islands. The selection of the Marianas as a target was influenced by the introduction of the new B-29 Superfortress long-range bomber. If the Marianas were in Allied hands, then Tokyo would be well within its range of 1,500 miles (2,400 km). Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 - April 5, 1964), was an American Field Marshal (only in the Philippines) and general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II. He was poised to command the invasion of Japan in November 1945 but was instead instructed to accept... A map of the Pacific Theater. ... Morotai Island (695 sq mi/1,800 km²) is an island located in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesias Maluku Islands (Moluccas). ... Chester William Nimitz (February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was the Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces for the United States and Allied forces during World War II. He was the United States leading authority on submarines, as well as Chief of the Navys Bureau of Navigation in 1939. ... Map of Pacific Theater Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command during World War II. It was one of four major commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific theatre of operations. ... The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and other military organizations afterwards. ... The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most recognizable and famous bombers of World War II. A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ...   , literally Eastern capital) is a unique subnational administrative region of Japan with characteristics of both a prefecture and a city. ...

The Japanese were expecting an attack somewhere on their perimeter—though an attack on the Caroline Islands was thought most likely. To reinforce and supply their garrisons, they needed naval and air superiority, so Operation A-Go, a major carrier attack, was prepared for June 1944. Sunset at Colonia on Yap The Caroline Islands form a large archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. ... Battle of the Philippine Sea Conflict World War II, Pacific Theater of Operations Date 19–20 June 1944 Place The Philippine Sea Result Decisive American victory The Battle of the Philippine Sea was an air-sea battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought between the US...

Battle

Map showing the progress of the Battle of Saipan

Marines taking heavy artillery and mortar fire on Red Beach 2.

A Marine talks a terrified Chamorro woman and her children into abandoning their refuge.

Bombing of Saipan began on June 13, 1944. Fifteen battleships were involved, and 165,000 shells were fired. Seven modern fast battleships delivered 2,400 sixteen-inch shells, but to avoid potential minefields fire was from a distance of 10,000 yards or more and crews were inexperienced in shore bombardment. The following day the eight pre-Pearl Harbor battleships and eleven cruisers under Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf replaced the fast battleships, but were lacking in time and ammunition. ^[1] Download high resolution version (450x720, 69 KB)Map of the battle of Saipan Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (450x720, 69 KB)Map of the battle of Saipan Downloaded from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Depiction of latte stone colonnades on the island of Tinian. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article is about the harbor in Hawaii. ... Jesse Bartlett Oley Oldendorf (16 February 1887 - 27 April 1974) was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II. Graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1909, he served on cruisers and destroyers before...

The landings began at 07:00 on June 15, 1944. More than 300 LVTs landed 8,000 Marines on the west coast of Saipan by about 09:00. Careful Japanese artillery preparation—placing flags in the bay to indicate the range—allowed them to destroy about 20 amphibious tanks, but by nightfall the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions had a beachhead about 10 km wide and 1 km deep ^[2]. The Japanese counter-attacked at night, but were repulsed with heavy losses. On 16 June, units of the U.S. Army's 27th Infantry Division landed and advanced on the Aslito airfield. Again the Japanese counter-attacked at night. On 18 June Saito abandoned the airfield. June 15 is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) was an amphibious vehicle used by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. It was widely known as amphtrack, amtrak, amtrac etc. ... An amphibious vehicle is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water - just like an amphibian. ... The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. ... The U.S. 4th Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps. ... A beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit (by sea) reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements (hopefully) help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the 27th Infantry Division. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ...

The invasion surprised the Japanese, who had been expecting an attack further south. Admiral Toyoda Soemu, commander-in-chief of the Japanese Navy, saw an opportunity to use the A-Go force to attack the U.S. Navy forces around Saipan. On 15 June, he gave the order to attack. But the resulting battle of the Philippine Sea was a disaster for the Imperial Japanese Navy, which lost three aircraft carriers and hundreds of planes. The garrisons of the Marianas would have no hope of resupply or reinforcement. Soemu Toyoda (豊田副武 Toyoda Soemu, May 22, 1885 - September 22, 1957) was a Japanese admiral of World War II. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1905 and joined the Imperial Japanese Navy and by 1941 had reached the rank of admiral and was commander of the... June 15 is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants United States Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Ray Spruance Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 7 heavy carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes 6 heavy carriers, 3 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes Casualties 123 planes... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍   or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force...

Without resupply, the battle on Saipan was hopeless for the defenders, but the Japanese were determined to fight to the last man. Saito organized his troops into a line anchored on Mount Tapotchau in the defensible mountainous terrain of central Saipan. The nicknames given by the Americans to the features of the battle—"Hell's Pocket", "Purple Heart Ridge" and "Death Valley"—indicate the severity of the fighting. The Japanese used the many caves in the volcanic landscape to delay the attackers, by hiding during the day and making sorties at night. The Americans gradually developed tactics for clearing the caves by using flamethrower teams supported by artillery and machine guns. Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy shooting ignited napalm from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war. ... Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

The operation was marred by inter-service controversy when Marine general Holland "Howling Mad" Smith, unsatisfied with the performance of the 27th Division, relieved its commander, Army general Ralph C. Smith. Interservice rivalry is a military term referring to rivalries that can arise between different branches of a countrys armed forces, such as between a nations land forces (army) and naval forces. ...

Navajo codetalkers played a key role in directing naval gunfire onto Japanese positions. The Navajo Nation (Dineé in Navajo language) is a Native American sovereignty. ... Page one of Navajo recommendation letter, 1942. ...

By 7 July, the Japanese had nowhere to retreat. Saito 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." At dawn, with a group of a dozen men carrying a great red flag in the lead, the remaining able-bodied troops—about 3,000 men—charged forward in the final attack. Amazingly, behind them came the wounded, with bandaged heads, crutches, and barely armed. The Japanese surged over two battalions of American GI's, killing or wounding 650 of them. But by 4:15 pm on July 9, Admiral Turner announced that Saipan was officially secured.^[3] Saito, along with commanders Hirakushi and Igeta, committed suicide in a cave. July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... Banzai charge (or banzai attack) is a term related to the Japanese samurai spirit and ideology of not accepting the shame of defeat. ...

Many hundreds of Japanese civilians committed suicide in the last days of the battle, some jumping from "Suicide Cliff" and "Banzai Cliff". Efforts by U.S. troops to persuade them to surrender instead were mostly futile. Widespread propaganda in Japan portraying Americans and British as "devils" who would treat POWs barbarically, deterred surrender.

In the end, about 22,000 Japanese civilians died needlessly. Almost the entire garrison of troops on the island—at least 30,000—died. For the Americans, the victory was the most costly to date in the Pacific War. 14,111 Americans were killed, wounded, or missing in action out of 71,000 who landed.^[4] Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Japan (from 1937)  Germany (1941) Thailand (from 1942) Manchukuo Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill John Curtin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki Tojo...

Guy Gabaldon

A Marine saves a tiny Japanese baby after its family committed suicide. The infant, found covered in dirt, was rushed to a hospital in a jeep.

PFC Guy Gabaldon, a Mexican-American from Los Angeles, California, is officially credited with capturing more than 1,000 Japanese prisoners during the battle. PFC Gabaldon, who was raised by Japanese-Americans, used a combination of street Japanese and guile to convince soldiers and civilians alike that US troops were not barbarians, and that they would be well treated upon surrender. For his outstanding bravery, Guy received a Silver Star, which was upgraded to the Navy Cross ^[5]. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Guy Gabaldon speaking at Pentagon ceremony honoring Hispanic World War II veterans, September 2004. ... Mexican Americans are citizens of the United States of Mexican descent. ... Look up Barbarian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Silver Star is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. ... The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. ...

During the war, his commanders had requested that he receive the Medal of Honor for his actions; however, his initial award was the Silver Star. In 1998, efforts re-initiated to secure the Medal of Honor for PFC Gabaldon.^[6]. The effort is still ongoing ^[7] The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ...

Aftermath

As a result of the Japanese defeat in the battle, Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo fell from power. Immediately after the news of the defeat reached Tokyo, Tojo was relieved as head of the Japanese Army; and on 18 July 1944, Tojo and his entire cabinet resigned. ^[8] Hideki Tojo (KyÅ«jitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機;  ) (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during the time when Japan was Empire of Japan; he served as prime minister during much of World War II, from October 18, 1941... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

After the battle, Saipan became an important base for further operations in the Marianas, and then for the invasion of the Philippines in October 1944. Bombers based at Saipan attacked the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands and Japan. Combatants United States, Australia and Philippines Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Walter Krueger Franklin C. Sibert John R. Hodge Ruperto C. Kangleon Tomoyuki Yamashita Sosaku Suzuki Shiro Makino Strength 200,000 U.S. troops 3,189 Filipino guerrillas 55,000 Japanese troops Casualties 3,500 killed 12,000 wounded 49,000... Location of Ryukyu Islands The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands ) are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. ...

Japanese Army Captain Sakae Oba held out in the mountains with forty-six men until he surrendered on December 1, 1945. Captain Oba, holding the regimental color, surrendered his tiny force to the American on Saipan. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945and died 2007 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

See also

• Battle of Saipan order of battle

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Battle of Saipan

Battle of Saipan order of battle is a description of the major ground combat formations that participated in the Battle of Saipan during World War II. The battle took place between June 15 and July 9, 1944. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

References

Notes

1. ^ U.S. Army in World War II: Campaign in the Marianas, Ch. 5. United States Army. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.
2. ^ "Selected June Dates of Marine Corps Historical Significance". This Month in History. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2006-06-07.
3. ^ John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1936-1945, Random House, 1970, p. 516
4. ^ John Toland, ibid, p. 519
5. ^ Burlas, Joe (September 24, 2004). "Pentagon salutes military service of Hispanic World War II veterans". Army News Service. Retrieved on 2006-03-24.
6. ^ Burbeck, James (1998). "An Interview with Guy Gabaldon". War Times Journal. Retrieved on 2006-03-06.
7. ^ PFC Guy Gabaldon, WWII, The Pacific. America USA. Retrieved on 2006-03-06.
8. ^ Hoffman, p. 260.

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Books

• Denfeld, D. Colt (1997). Hold the Marianas: The Japanese Defense of the Mariana Islands. White Mane Pub. ISBN 1-57249-014-4. 
• Goldberg, Harold J. (2007). D-day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34869-2. 
• Jones, Don (1986). Oba, The Last Samurai. Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-245-X. 
• Morison, Samuel Eliot (2001 (reissue)). New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944-August 1944, vol. 8 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Champaign, Illinois, USA: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-07038-0. 
• O'Brien, Francis A. (2003). Battling for Saipan. Presdio Press. ISBN 0-89141-804-0. 
• Petty, Bruce M. (2001). Saipan: Oral Histories of the Pacific War. McFarland and Company. ISBN 0-7864-0991-6. 
• Rottman, Gordon; Howard Gerrard (2004). Saipan & Tinian 1944: Piercing the Japanese Empire. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-804-9. 
• Sauer, Howard (1999). "Torpedoed at Saipan", The Last Big-Gun Naval Battle: The Battle of Surigao Strait. Palo Alto, California: The Glencannon Press. ISBN 1-889901-08-3. - Firsthand account of naval gunfire support by a crewmember of USS Maryland.

RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976), USN historian Samuel Eliot Morison, RAdm, USNR (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing scholarly works that were both authoritative and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ... The History of United States Naval Operations in World War II is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy in World War II, written by eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison and published by Little, Brown and Company between 1947 and 1962. ...

Web

• Chen, C. Peter. "The Marianas and the Great Turkey Shoot". World War II Database. Retrieved on 2005-05-31.
• Saipan -- a 2nd Marine Division pamphlet describing certain expected features of the invasion and combat, including the presence of a large civilian population.
• Breaching the Marianas: The Battle for Saipan (Marines in World War II Commemorative Series)
• Banzai charge in Saipan: Gyokusai (Japanese) Suicide for the Emperor?
• Hoffman, Major Carl W., USMC (1950). Saipan: The Beginning of the End. USMC Historical Monograph. Historical Branch, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2005-12-19.
• U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II: Western Pacific. CMH Pub 72-29, U.S. Army Center of Military History (2003). Retrieved on 2004-11-03.

2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ...

Audio/visual media

• Woo, John (Director). (2002) Windtalkers [Feature-length film]. (Filmed in Hawaii and southern California): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).