The Marianas: Invasion of Tinian (July 24-August 1, 1944)


Figure 1.--Once Saipan was secure, the Marines attacked neighboring Tinian. It proved to be the most brilliantly executed of the Pacific Island assaults. Here a Marine on Tinian is rescuing an injured boy with a broken arm that was hiding in a cave. This is a Japanese boy becuse there were vrtually no Chamoros left on the island.

The American invasion of Tinian is generally seen as the most brillantly executed amphibious invasion of World War II, yet has received relatively limited attention. And this despite the fact that the airfields obtained played a central role in ending the Pacific War. The small island of Tinian is only 8 km southeast of Saipan across an ocean channel. The Japanese operated Tinian as a sugar plantation. There were also Japanese civilans on Tinian, but far less than on Saipan. While lightly populated, the Japanese heavily garrisoned Tinian. The Americans bombed Tinian for a month. Once the Marines had largely secured Saipan, they struck at the smaller Japanese garrison on Tinian (July 24). The operation conducted showed just how much the Marines had learned. Two Marine divisions assaulted Tinian under the command of Lt. Gen. Harry F. Schmidt. The Marines were assigned the infantry missions. Supporting Army units provided artillery and engineer support. The Marines feinted an invasion at San Jose Village beach located in the center of Tinian. The landing craft approached Tinian from the north, drawing the attention of the Japanese. The landing craft at the rear of the invasion force then peeled off and executed a surprise real landing at a beach located to the northwest. The Army 708th Amphibian Tank Battalion stood by offshore, ready to support the Maines if needed. As the Marines pushed inland, the Army 1341st Engineer Battalion took over the beachead sending landing personnel and supplies forward and transporting casualties to waiting hospital ships. The Marines at first encountered light Japanese resistance. By the end of the day, they had a beachhead 2 miles wide and 1 mile deep. The Japanese used the same tactics employed on Saipan. They launched massive night time attacks. The Americans could not employ their firepower or call in air support at night. The Japanese as was always the case, fought tenaciously. Even so, the Japanese were unable to dislodge the Marines, but lost more than 1,200 men in the process. The terrain on Tinian was not as rough as on Saipan giving the Japanese less cover. The rolling terrain allowed the Marines to employ armor and they advanced rapidly, seizing the the first airfield and Mount Lasso (July 26). A typpoon ended the rapid advance (July 29). Napalm waa used for the first time on Tinian. And as was so often the case, the battle ended with a final, desperate Japanese Banzai bayonet charge. [Prefer] The American casualties proved to be surprising low. One author writes, "The seizure of Tinian has been called by Adm. Raymond A. Spruance 'the most brilliantly conceived and executed amphibious operation in World War II.' Marine Lt. Gen Holland M. Smith has described it as 'the perfect amphibious operation of the Pacific War.' These accolades from the two most experienced amphibious commanders in United States military history should have brought considerable attention to the Tinian operation. Yet the opposite appears to be true. Because of the preceived ease of the operation, little attention has been paid to the seizure of Tinian." [Prefer] Apparenbtly the lack of casualties has been interpreted to mean that Tinian was a soft target. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Japanese were prepared to extract a heavy toll in American blood.

The Island

The small island of Tinian is only 8 km southeast of Saipan across an ocean channel. Before the arival of the Spanish there was a native Chamorro population of about 40,000. Due to Europeans diseases, most perished. The survivors forcibly rsettled to Guam (1720). Spanish landowners devloped ranches for cattle and pigs. Tunian became a supplu point for Spanish galleons involved in the silver trade between Mexico and China. The Spanish did not have trde goods the Chinese wanted, but mines in Mexico and Peru (Bolivia) produced silver that the Chinese accepted in payment for their silk, porcelin, and other luxury goods. The native population at the time the Japanese acquired the island was neglgible as was the physical infrastructure. The Japanese settled Tinian with ethnic Japanese, Koreans and Okinawans who initially developed sugar plantations, but gradually diversified with coffeee and cotton. The Japanese unlike the Spanish and Germans pursued basic infrastructure, including the construction of port facilities, waterworks, power stations, paved roads and Japanese-language schools. Entertainment facilities and Shinto shrines also appeared. There were initial problems with settlement, but the Nan'yo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha (South Seas Development Company--Nanko or NKKK). Tinian at the time of the War, was essentially a Japanese island. The civilan population at the time of the invasion was 15,700 civilans, mistly ethnic Japanese, but including 2,700 ethnic Koreans and 22 Chamorros.

The Invasion

The American invasion of Tinian is generally seen as the most brillantly executed amphibious invasion of World War II, yet has received relatively limited attention. And this despite the fact that the airfields obtained played a central role in ending the Pacific War. While lightly populated, the Japanese heavily garrisoned Tinian. The Americans bombed Tinian for a month. Once the Marines had largely secured Saipan, they struck at the smaller Japanese garrison on Tinian (July 24). The operation conducted showed just how much the Marines had learned. Two Marine divisions assaulted Tinian under the command of Lt. Gen. Harry F. Schmidt. The Marines were assigned the infantry missions. Supporting Army units provided artillery and engineer support. The Marines feinted an invasion at San Jose Village beach located in the center of Tinian. The landing craft approached Tinian from the north, drawing the attention of the Japanese. The landing craft at the rear of the invasion force then peeled off and executed a surprise real landing at a beach located to the northwest. The Army 708th Amphibian Tank Battalion stood by offshore, ready to support the Maines if needed.

Fight for the Island

As the Marines pushed inland, the Army 1341st Engineer Battalion took over the beachead sending landing personnel and supplies forward and transporting casualties to waiting hospital ships. The Marines at first encountered light Japanese resistance. By the end of the day, they had a beachhead 2 miles wide and 1 mile deep. The Japanese used the same tactics employed on Saipan. They launched massive night time attacks. The Americans could not employ their firepower or call in air support at night. The Japanese as was always the case, fought tenaciously. Even so, the Japanese were unable to dislodge the Marines, but lost more than 1,200 men in the process. The terrain on Tinian was not as rough as on Saipan giving the Japanese less cover. The rolling terrain allowed the Marines to employ armor and they advanced rapidly, seizing the the first airfield and Mount Lasso (July 26). A typoon ended the rapid advance (July 29). Napalm was used for the first time on Tinian. And as was so often the case, the battle ended with a final, desperate Japanese Banzai bayonet charge. [Prefer]

Casualties

The American casualties proved to be surprising low, only 326 killed--astonishing given the size and preparation of the well armed Japanese garrison. It was not because the Japanese did not fight. As on Saipan and oher Pacific islands, the Japanese soldiers continued to fight to the death. Some 5,500 were killed, only 252 were captured. Many of those captured were so badly wounded they could not resist or kill themselves. Some 2,300 Japanese soldiers were missing, left in their destroyed fortifications or bodies blown to pieces. Some 4,000 Japanese civilians were killed as a result of the pre-invasion bombing or fighting. Many committed suiside rather than allowing themselves to be taken by the Americans. The Japanese military incouraged civilian suiside propagating the propaganda line that they would be tortured by the Americans. Many of those who hesitated were actually murdered by the Japanese defenders [Rottman and Howard, p. 87-89.] Some 13,000 Japanese civilians who survived the invasion and Japanese Army murder operations were interned by the Americans and thus able to survive the War. The Marines returned brutality for brutality to the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese civilians were entirely a diffrent matter. The tendeness with which the grizzeled Marines treated the civilians, especially the childrenband eldely is touching--an enduring legacy of the United Stayes Marine Corps. They Japanese civilins received food and water and medical care. They were ultimately repatriated to Japan. Unlike Japanese internnmnt camps where internees were starved and brutalized, there were actually more people repatriated than interned. And they were healthy and actually gained weight.

Assessment

One author writes, "The seizure of Tinian has been called by Adm. Raymond A. Spruance 'the most brilliantly conceived and executed amphibious operation in World war II.' Marine Lt. Gen Holland M. Smith has described it as 'the perfect amphibious operation of the Pacific War'. These accolades from the two most experienced amphibious commanders in United States military history should have brought considerable attention to the Tinian operation. Yet the opposite appears to be true. Because of the preceived ease of operation, little attention has been paid to the seizure of tinian." [Prefer] Apparenbtly the lack of casualties has been interpreted to mean that Tinian was a soft target. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Japanese were prepared to extractv a heavy toll in American blood.

Importance

The Marianas campaign was vital to the Pacific War because with the new B-20 Super Forts, the Japanese Home Islands became exposed to air attacks. And not the pin-prick carrier attacks like the one led by Jimmy Doolittle (March 1942), but a massive stratehic bombing campaign as was being waged aginst Germany. Some 15,000 Navy Seabees turned Tinian into the busiest airfield of the war. They built six 7,900-foot (2,400 m). North Field was built over Airfields No. 1 and 3 (February 1945). West Field was built over Airfield No. 2, and became operational (March 1945). The stratehic bombing campaign had intially been planned to be launched from China which posed massive logistical problems. All the ordinance and supplies after an extenced ocean transport had to be flown over the Himalayas. The Marianas were different. They were a relatively short and very direct line from American Pacific coast ports. Tinian was used for attacks on Japanese targets in the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, and ultimately the Home Islands. The devetating Operation Meetinghouse firebombing of Tokyo was launched from Tinian (March 9-10, 1945). And North Field on Tinian was where the 509th Composite Group specialized Silverplate nuclear weapons delivery B-29 bombers was based. Enola Gay and Bockscar which delivered the two atomic bombs to Japan, took off from Tinian.

Sources

Prefer, Nathan N. The Battle for Tinian: Vital Stepping Stone in America's War Against Japan (2012), 264p.

Rottman, Gordon L. and Howard Gerrard. Saipan & Tinian 1944: Piercing the Japanese Empire (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2004).












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Created: 6:20 AM 12/26/2010
Last updated: 1:01 PM 4/13/2016