Contents Foreword jjj Preface j v Chapter 1. Plans and Preparations 1 Strategic Situation p. 1 Historical Background p. 2 Saipan p. 3 Japanese Defenses p. 8 Japanese Organization p. 10 High-Level Planning p. 13 Casablanca Conference p. 13 Washington and Quebec Conferences p. 15 Cairo Conferences p. 17 Campaign Plan Granite p. 18 JCS Directive of 12 March 20 Command Relations 22 Logistics and Administration p. 23 Intelligence Information p. 25 Tactical Plans p. 27 Training and Rehearsal p. 30 Movement to the Objective 34 Naval Gunfire and Air Bombardment 35 Related Covering Actions p. 43 Final Approach of the Northern Attack Force p. 43 Chapter II. D-day— 15 June 1944 45 Pre-H-Hour Preparations p. 45 Tanapag Demonstration p. 47 The Landing p. 48 Red Beach Action p. 51 Green Beach and Afetna Point p. 54 Yellow Beach and Aginan Poinl p. 55 Blue Beach and Oharan Kanoa p. 58 4th Division Tanks Land p. 60 14th Marines Land p. 62 General Schmidt's Command Post p. 64 2nd Division Tanks 64 Minor Enemy Tank Thrusts p. 65 10th Marines' 75mm Pack Howitzers Land p. 66 2d and 24th Marines Land p. 66 Darkness D-Day p. 67 A Noisy and Restless Night p. 71 Reports — Impending Naval Action p. 74 Chapter III. Expansion of the Beachhead 77 D-plus 1—16 June p. 77 Spruance's Decisions p. 77 6th .Marines Consolidate; 8th Captures Afetna Point p. 70 Remainder of 2d Marines Lands p. 80 Artillery Build-Up p. 81 The Push to O-l p. 81 27th Division Begins to Land p. 84 Night of 16-17 June— Tank Counterattack p. 86 D-plus 2—17 June p. 92 Through Susupe's Marshes p. 92 The Move to Aslito Airfield p. 94 More Corps Troops Ashore p. 96 Night of 17-18 June p. 99 Japanese Air Strikes p. 100 D-plus 3—18 June p. 101 Into the Coconut Grove 102 Drive to the East p. 102 Seizure of Aslito Airfield p. 104 Japanese Air Activity p. 106 Night of 18-19 June p. 107 D-plus 4 — 19 June p. 107 The Approach to Nafutan Point p. 107 The 4th Division Left Progresses p. 108 Active Patrolling p. 108 Artillery Situation p. 109 Refer Installations p. 116 Night of 19-20 June, p. 110 Battle of the, Philippine Son p. 112 D-plus 5—20 June p. 118 Surge to CM: p. 114 The Capture of Hill 500 111 Securing the CHS p. 115 Punches in the Point p. 117 Night of 20-21 June p. 120 D-plus 6—21 June p. 120 The Pause Before the Northern Bush p. 120 Searching the Swamp p. 121 "...Hold Present Front Bines..." p. 121 Night of 21-22 June p. 123 Summary of Medical Activities to Date p. 124 Chapter IV. Drive to the North 126 D-plus 7—22 June p. 125 Intermediate Objective CM-A p. 126 To Tipo Bale's Summit p. 128 Commitment in the Center 181 Night of 22-25 June p. 152 Japanese Situation p. 152 Air Activity p. 188 D-plus 8 — 2:5 June p. 184 The Introduction to Death Valley p. 184 Operations at Hill 600 p. 186 ". . . Focal Points of Combat" p. 187 Night of 23-24 June p. 130 Japanese Plans and Actions p. 140 D-plus 9—24 June p. 111 To Garapan's Outskirts p. 141 The Troublesome CI ill' p. 144 To Chacha and Laulau p. 148 General Ralph Smith Believed 146 Night of 24-25 June p. 147 Japanese Thoughts p. 147 D-plus 10—25 June p. 148 Kagman Peninsula p. 148 Failure of a Plan p. 150 Seizure of Mr. Tapotchau 151 Stalemate at Nafutan Point p. 155 Night of 25-20 June p. 156 "There Is No Hope for Victory . . ." p. 156 D-plus 11—26 June p. 157 Mop-Up on Kagman Peninsula p. 157 Colonel Stebbins Takes Over 106th Infantry p. 158 By-Passing the Pocket 159 "Seven Lives for One's Country" p.161 Progress in Unloading p. 164 Medical Situation p. 165 Belated Raids by IT. S. Navy p. 166 Chapter V. Swing to Tanapag 167 D-plus 12—27 June 1944 p. 167 Japanese Situation on D-plus 12 p. 167 Rapid Progress on the Right p. (.68 Important Localities Seized p. 170 Pinch, Shift, Adjust, Consolidate p. 171 Night of 27-28 June p. 174 D-plus 1:5- -28 June L944 p. 174 Four "Pimples" p. 175 General Griner Assumes Command of 27th Division 177 "Hold Present Positions . . ." p. 179 Night of 28-29 June p. 180 D-plus 14 and D-plus 15 (li!) :50 June) 150 Waiting and Patrolling p. 151 Vertical (Jap Reduced p. 181 A Successful Ruse p. 182 Nights of 2!) and 30 June p. 185 D-plus K> and D-plus 17 (1-2 July) p. 188 The Limestone Hill 186 Gaining Momentum p. 191 The Surge to 0 -6 A p. 198 Nights of 1 and 2 July p. 194 Saito Changes His Defense D-plus 18 and D-plus 1!) (8-4 July) p.151 Garapan Seized p. 106 The Thrust to Flores Point p. 201 The Struggle for the Hills p. 208 Change of Direction 206 Naval Activities from 27 June to 4 July p. 207 Chapter VI. Saito's Last Battle 208 D-plus 20—5 July p. 208 Tanapag Plain p. 208 From 0-7Z to O-8Z p. 210 Night of 5-6 July p. 212 D-plus 21—6 July p. 212 The Ditch and the Gulch p. 212 Expansion of the Front 218 Night of 6-7 July p. 221 The Banzai Attack p. 222 The 2d Division's Mop-Up of 8 and 9 July p. 230 D-plus -2-2,. 23 and 24 (7, 8 and !) July) p. 235 To the Shore at Marpi Point p. 235 Naval Activity p. 243 The Crowning Horror 246 Maniagassa Island p. 246 Chapter VII. Conclusions 247 Summary p. 247 Naval Gunfire p. 247 Air Support p. 248 Artillery p.. 250 Landing Vehicles p. 251 Tanks 253 Engineers p. 254 Signal Communications p. 251 Logistics p. 251 Medical 255 Japanese Tactical Lessons II. 258 Japanese Strategical Summary p. 259 The Assessment p. 261 Appendices 263 I. Bibliography p. 213 II. Chronology p. 265 III. Casualties p. 268 IV. Command and Stall' List of Major Units p. 270 V. Kyle's Mission p. 275 VI. Basic Organization Higher Echelon Task Forces facing p. 278 VII. Task Organization p. 27!) VIII. .Japanese Order of Battle p. 2s 1 IX. The Last Days of General Saito p. 283 X. Navy I nil Commendation p. 285 XL Distinguished Unit Citation p. 286 Digitized by Google.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-265)

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