Operation Forager

The Battle of Saipan, Tinian and Guam. One of the most important battles of WWII in the Pacific was the Battle of Saipan. The assault on Saipan began on June 15,1944.

The fall of Japan's inner defense ring began with the execution of Operation Forager and the capture of Saipan, one of the key islands within the strategic Marianas Archipelago in the Western Pacific. On 15 June 1944, U.S. Marines of the 2nd and 4th Divisions began their invasion of Saipan, landing on the southwestern coastline. They were joined by the Army's 27th Infantry Division. Despite three days of bombardment by ships and planes prior to the invasion, Japanese resistance was fierce. Over 4,000 American casualties were suffered in the first two days of fighting. The Battle of Saipan was one of the bloodiest confrontations in the Pacific theater. As Lito Airfield was captured, followed by Mt. Tapochau as U.S. forces drove towards the northern point of the island. On 9 July 1944, twenty-five days after the Americans hit Saipan's beachheads, the island was secured. Neighboring Tinian was invaded on the 24th of July and was secured by 1 August after only nine days of intense fighting