|
Guam was the southern-most and largest islands of Marianas, about 150 miles south of Saipan. Most of the Chomoros in the Marianas lived on Guam. After the destruction of Japanese air forces, the Japanese garrison Guam could not support the beleagered garrison on Saipan. The Japanese concentrated their forces on Saipan, in part because it had a larger Japanese population and was located in the north. American air raids on Japan from Guam were not possible unless the United States also took Saipan. The Japanese garrison on Guam ws half of the Saipan garrison and had less heavy equipment, artillery and tanks. And Guam was much larger than Saipan. Even so, the 18,500 men of the defending garrizson was a sizeable force given the size iof the Island. A primary American objective was the airfield on Orote Peninsula. Major General Roy Geiger of the III Amphibious Corps was given command of the the Guam invasion force. The invasion was schedulred for June 1944, but had to be postponed becuause of the protracted Japanese resistance on Saipan. Geiger used the delay for an extended preparatory bombardment. He was also able to obtain better intelligence on Japanese deployment. Naval air strikes began (July 5) and continud unabated until (July 21). Carrier airstrikes hit Guam daily followed by intense naval gunfire. The landings began (July 20). The island was surrounded by reefs, cliffs, and heavy surf which presented a chllenge for an amphibious landing force. The first objective was the exposed Orote peninsula on the western side of Guam. An airfield was located here. The 3rd Marine Division landed near Agana to the north and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade landed near Agat to the south. The Japanese were prepared and very adept at campflaging gun implacemebnts. Despite the pre-invasion shelling, Japanese artillery sank 20 LVTs. The marines fought their away a shore on both beaches. They were, however, 7 miles a part and linking up proved a difficult undertaking. The 77th Infantry Division had a difficult time crossing the reef without amphibious landing craft. The fighting from the begginning was savage. As on other islands, the Japanese resisyed to the death. After estanishing their beachhead, The Americans began a slow advance inland against heavy opposition. The Japanese resistance culminated in a massive Banzai asault on the American lines (night of July 25-26). Over 5,000 Japanse defenders, about a third of the garrison participated. About 2,500 Japanese soldiers were killed. The Americans soldiers dreaded these frontal Banzai charges which were a standard Japanese tactic. In fact, it allowed the well-armed Americans to kill large numbers of the Japanese defenders who were exposed when attacking on open ground. Attacking well-entrenched Japanese defenders was much more difficult. The Banzai charges thus weakened the Japanese garrison and speeded up the American victory. After organized Japanese oposition ended, survivors escaped into the jungle. General Geiger declared resistance on Guam ended (August 10). Admirals Nimitz and Spruance personally assessed the island battlefield on that day. More than 18,000 Japanese defenders were killed. Only 485 Japanese surrendered. Several Japanese soldiers hid for years rather than surrender. Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi was the last (January 1972).
Guam was the southern-most and largest islands of Marianas, about 150 miles south of Saipan. For several centuries they were Spanish territory, although the Spanish gave little attention to them. The United States took control of the island in the 1898 Spanish-American War, as part of the Treaty of Paris (1898). Guam came to serve as a station for American ships traveling to and from the Philippines. Germany purchased the Norther Marianas from the Spanish. Japn seized them during World War I. Most of the Chomoros in the Marianas lived on Guam. The Japanese seized Guam at the onset of the Pacific Was, a day after the Pearl Harbor attack. . The small, poorly armed merican garison surrendered without a fight (DEcember 8).
The Northern Mariana Islands had become a Japanese protectorate as a result of World War I. Most of the native pppulation, the Chamorros, lived on Guam. The Japanese brought some of the Chamorros from the Northern Marianas to Guam to serve as interpreters and in various other capacities to support for the occupation authorities. The Guamanian Chamorros spoke English and were generally sympathetic toward the Americans. The Japanese military thus viewed the Guamanian Chamorros as an occupied enemy population. And because the Northern Marianas Chamorros were treated differently, ill will grew between the two groups of Chmorros. Guaman Chamorros believed that their northern brethren should have been compassionate towards them. The Northern Mariana Chamorros after living under Japanese rule for 30 years were loyal to the Japanese. The Japanese as with other occupied people, subjected the Guamamian Chamorros to forced labor, family separation, incarceration, execution, concentration camps, and legalized rape (forced prostitution) for the occupying soldiers. At least 1,000 Chamorros were killed or other wie died of abuse and mistreatment. The U.S. Congress held hearings in 2004 to investigate the abuses. Other sources report mortalities of up to 2,000 Chamorros. That would be 10 percent of the population. [Gruhl] Needless to say, the Chomorros were jubilant to see the American returning to drive out the Japanese. Guam is today the only U.S. territory with a substantial population occupied by a foreign power. The U.S. Congress after the war passed the Guam Organic Act of 1950 which established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States. The law provided for the structure of the island's civilian government, and granted the the Chomorro people U.S. citizenship. Guam is not a U.S. state, thus U.S. citizens residing on Guam are not allowed to vote for president and their congressional representative is a non-voting member.
After the United States emnbargped oil (July 1941), it was clear that war was eminent. The United Strates had not foirtufied Guam and had nmo plszbs to defebd it. The United States Navy evacuated U.S. citizens, mostly the families of U.S. servicemen and transported them to Hawaii (November 1941). [Palomo, "An island ...", p. 134.] Given the location close to the Northern Marianas, immeditely after Pearl Harbor the Jpanese invaded Guam (Decembr 8, 1941). This began with a Japanese air attack. The Japnese began bombing any substantial builiung such as Pan American Hotel. Guam was a stop over for the Pan Anm Clipper Ships. The population fled intoi the countryside. Guam was not fortified, not did have a substantial Anerican garrison. Commander DT Giles, aide to Governor McMillin, a Naval Rear-Admiral who administered the island told his staff, "We are going to offer only token resistance and surrender." [Rodgers, p. 165] The Japanese were in control 6 hours after landing. American forces surrendered to Commander Hayashi of the Fifth Kebeitai (December 10). Guam was a small part of a mssive Japanese offensive.
The civilain population of Guam were nostly the Chamorros, a Polynesian people. They suffered greatly freatly during the 32 month Japanese occupation. The Japanese showed immense cruelty toward the Chamorros, in large part because they were stubornly loyal to the Americans. Property was taken from them with any legal recourse. They were subject to slave labor. There were arrests, incarceration, and executions. The Chamorros bravely resisted the Japaneses in any ways they could, primarily by resisting Japonization. Japanese occupation turned the lives of the Chomorros upside down. The island was sdministeed by Minseisho, the civilian affairs division of the Japanese Army and Navy. Some 14,000 Japanese troops were ;anfed on the islands, larely withou provisions. The Chamorros were expected to feed them. Japanese policy wsa not to poroivision their military. Food was short at home and trnbsport capability limited. So the people occupied had to feed the occupation force whicvh often meant the Jpanese seized what they wanted. Japanesee ofggiciakls seized all public buildings as well as the churches. There was no respect for private property. The better private homes were alkso seized ad the owners evicted. In some cases entire villages were evicted such as Sumay. The residents were just told to leave and to find accomodaions and food as best tthey could. Japanese occuption policy was to ereadicate boh Chomorro and Amnerican culture. Any expression of loyalty to he Americanbs was dangerous. Names changed. Guam became Omiyato. Agana became Akashi. Each village wa given a Japanese name. Japanese propaganda was obiquitous. The schools reopened (April 1942). Japanese teachers (sensei), opened the schools and instruction was in Japanese which no one spoke. Many Chanmorro refused to attend the schools, in part bcause they got slapped for the smallest infraction, but evenbtually the Japamnese ordered the children to attend. One 14-year old Chmorro girl recalls her school experperiences. "After a year had passed, the children were forced back to school. Punzalan and her siblings walked about 45 minutes to their school in Machananao, the area that is now home to D.L. Perez Elementary School. Lessons were taught in Japanese, and conversing in English and Chamoru was forbidden We had to speak Japanese or we would get slapped.
But sometimes Punzalan and her two closest schoolmates, Leonila and Ana Leon Guerrero, would try to speak quietly to one another. She said everyone was waiting for the Americans to come because they knew they would come. This certainty, fortified by strong faith, continued to carry the family through the days of war." [Punzalan]
Bowing is very important in Japannese society. This and other matters were difficult to adjust to, especially not sprealing in English or Chamoru. at was hard to get used to. Chamorros and no only school-
children, were forced to bow to virtually all the Japanese people on the island as as a sign of respect, a huge shift from easuy-going American approach. Infrctions could result in corporal punishment or binta (slapm in the face). [Tanji, p. 165.] ll ythis was vey difficult even fir thise trying to obey.
For the first half of 1942, the Americans were on the defensive with the Japanese gaiming grrat victoiries. This ended at Midway with the destrucion of four fleet carriets, Jonb's most powerful weapon (June 1942). The first America offensive was launched in the South Pacific at Guadalcanal (August 1942). For the next year, combat occurred largly in far-away South Pacific. Finally with the arrivl of the new Essex-class carriers and other ships, the U.S. Navy launched its Central Pacific campaign. The first invasion at Tarawa was a blood bath (Novemnber 1943), but in only 7 months a massive American fleet reached the Marianas (June 1944). American power was now such that it could mount two massive invasions in the same nonth. Saipan was the first target in he Marinas. D-Day in Europe made most of the headlines, but the Marianas invasions were huge undertakings and like D-day, war-winning enterprises. Possession of the Marians would bring the Home Islands within range of American bombers. The Japanese controlled all public commuicatiins, but a few hidden radios meant that Chanorros knew that the Americans were coming. The problem dor yhe Japanese is tht yiu can only vramsommany men abnf equioment n amall island. And America with its now vast naval force could deliver more men and vastly greater firepower t what verv island it wanted to take.
Unlike the earlier Gilbert and Marshall campaigns, the Japane Navy did sally out to oppose the invasions. Bioth the Japanese and American committed massive fleets. The battle was shaping up to be the largest naval battle of the War, in fact the largest of any war. The surprise approch which the Americans achieved at Miday eluded Ozawa. American Task Forces 16 and 17 managed to slip through the Japanese submarine screen. In contrast Ozawa's forces were sighted by American submariners as they entered the the Philippine Sea. Adm. Spruance drcided to delay the Guam landings to concentrate on Saipan and the approaching Japanese naval force. Naval fleet actions, however, never occurred. Admiral Ozawa found the Americans first and launhed carrier aircaft. The results were not what he expected. His aircraft wre decimted by the American pilots in their new F6F Hell cats. The result proved to be the the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. So devestating was the American carrier aviation that after losing aircradt and carriers, the disperited Admiral Ozawa turned his fleet around and did not commit his surface elements. The American submarines Cavalla and Albacore sank the Japanese carriers Taiho and Shokaku. Emperor Hirihito who had been led to believe that this was to be the climatic naval battle of the War was duspondent. (From the beginning, the Japanese military never informed the Emperor of the gamble Japan was taking in going to War with the United States. Nor had he been fully informed of what had happened at Midway and the Solomans.) With the Bttle of the Philippines Sea, the Emperor was increasinly aware as to how the military has misled him.) The climatic naval battle which the Emperor and Imperial Naval staff had wanted would come later at Leyte.
The Japanese were never quite sure where the Ameriabs would strike next after losses in the Sourg pacific and the Central pacific (the Gilberts, Marshals, and carolines), it was clear that th MNarianas re next. Saipan became the priority to defend, perhaps because it was cloest to Japan, but the Japanese prepared to put up a fighrt on Guam as well. This was extrodinarily serious, becaise in these island battles, the Japanese fought to ther death. And as the American invasion approached, the Japanese became increasingly vbrutal, even sadistuc toeard tthe Chamarros becauuse thet wereso pro-American. Able-bodied Chamorros were conscripted for slave labor, helping to build fortifications and other defensive positions. Some of those conscrioted were thenkilled to make sure they would not tell Americans where the defensive positiins were. [Tanji, p.165.] Women and children were also conscripted, usually for agriculturtal labor to help raise crops for the soldietrs. [Tanji, p.165.] Food became increasingly difficult to obtain. The Japanese defense plan for the Marianas was to heavily garison the islands, especilly Saipan. They also planed for a substantial air contingent on the islands to support a major fleet action. Unlike the rest of the Central Pacific, the Japanese were going to commit the Imperial Flet to support the island grisons. The Japanese hoped that the new expanded naval air arm in combination with the air units on the islands could turn back the American invasion fleet. And combined with well dug in and armed island garisons, would finally stop the Americans.
Saipan was the hinge of fate for the Japanese Empire. Possession of Saopan would bringh tyhe Japanese Hime Islands within range of American bombers. Prime-Mimister Tojo knew this and he dis=d all hvcould to build up militart forces on Saipan. Yhe pronlem was that the Japanese had on aky a limited capability to do this. And this time the Imperial Fleet would sotyee, yjhe fitst =time since the battles in the South Pacific (1942). The Japanese had trouble cooprdinating the attacks of their carrier and island air forces. As a result, the aircraft from Guam and Saipan did no appreciable damage to the American carriers and landing forces. Carrier strikes quikly destroyed planes on both Saipan and Guam. After the destruction of Japanese air forces, the Japanese garrison Guam could not support the beleagered garrison on Saipan. The Japanese concentrated their forces on Saipan, in part because it had a larger Japanese population and was located in the north. The small Chamorro population on Saipan became througly culturaly adapted to the Japanese. Japanese colonists also settled on Saipan. American air raids on Japan from Guam were not possible unless the United States also took Saipan. A force of tanks was in place on Saipan which woud fight the only major tank action of the Pacific War.
The Japanese garrison on Guam was half of the Saipan garrison and had less heavy equipment, artillery and tanks. And Guam was much larger than Saipan. Even so, the 18,500 men of the defending garrizson was a substantial force given the size of the Island and the terraine. The cJapabese hoped that theImperial Fleet andair ciomponents oin Saipan abd Guam could defeat the Zmriczns Then the Japanese fleet was severely defeated, the Islands' air contingents destroyed, and Saipan fell The Japanese on Guam now faced the Americans on their own. Strategically placed artillery had the beach landing zones ranged in. And there were defensive emplacements all ovrer yhe island.
Saipan finally fell to the Americans (July 9, 1944). The Japanese correctly assessed that Guam was next. The protracted Japanese resistance on Saipan had delyed the Guam invasion, but only by a few days. As soon as Saopan fell, the Jpoanese commanders ordered the unternmenbt of the Chamorros on Guam--seeing them as Fifth Collumn. Here they werebnot balltogether wrong. The Japanese ordered 9,000 Chmorros under pain of death to move on foot to the southern end of the island. It is not clear why this location was chosen. It was 20 km froms Agana. Many of the Chamorros believed they were going to be killed. [Tanji, p.167.] Thus was not unlike the Bataan Death March. It was shorter, but many elderly people and small children were involved. The sick, injured, and elderly who collapsed were left to die. One young survivor, Cynthia Torres, recalls the terrible events.
"The long march of women and children, the sick and the aged was extreme hardship and some fell along the way. We, at gunpoint, were prohibited from helping. My sister-in-law left the line to get water from a tank near
a shack. She was badly beaten. We held her up and after the guards moved away, men carried her to Manenggon where she diedand was buried. [Palomo, "A time ...."]
Those who survived the march wre forced to live a primitice camp.Manenggon There were no real buildings or sanitation supplies. Medical care was virtually non-existnt. Food supplies were scsarse. Starvation and disease were soon rampant. After the Ameican bombardment began the Japanese began j=killing groups of Chmorros fior no apparent reason. They masscered 30 young men and women in a cave near Fena.27
Only 6 days before the American landings, some 46 Chamorros were klled with grenades and bayonets in the Tinta and Faha Caves near Merizo.
Major General Roy Geiger of the III Amphibious Corps was given command of the the Guam invasion force. The invasion was schedulred for June 1944, but had to be postponed because of the protracted Japanese resistance on Saipan. Geiger used the delay for an extended preparatory bombardment. He was also able to obtain better intelligence on Japanese deployment. Naval air strikes began (July 5) and continued unabated until (July 21). The American landings including a combined Army and Marine Corps force.
The island was surrounded by reefs, cliffs, and heavy surf which presented a challenge for an amphibious landing force. The first objective was the exposed Orote peninsula on the western side of Guam where the airfield was located. The 3rd Marine Division landed near Agana to the north of the Peninsula and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade landed near Agat to the south. The Japanese were prepared and very adept at camouflaging gun implacemements. Despite the pre-invasion shelling, Japanese artillery sank 20 LVTs at considerble loss of life. The Marines fought their away a hore on both beaches. They were, however, 7 miles apart and linking up proved a difficult undertaking. The 77th Infantry Division had a difficult time crossing the reef without amphibious landing craft. The fighting from the begginning on the beaches was savage. Japanese artillery had pre-ranged the beached. As on other islands, the Japanese resisted to the death.
After estabishing their beachheads, The Americans began a slow advance inland against heavy opposition. The Japanese resistance culminated in a massive Banzai asault on the American lines (night of July 25-26). Over 5,000 Japanse defenders, about a third of the garrison participated. About 2,500 Japanese soldiers were killed. The Americans soldiers dreaded these frontal Banzai charges which were a standard Japanese tactic. In fact, it allowed the well-armed Americans to kill large numbers of the Japanese defenders who were exposed when attacking on open ground. The American losses would have been much heavier if they had had to root the Japanese out pill box by pillbox. Attacking well-entrenched Japanese defenders was much more difficult undertaling nd often cotly. The mass Banzai charges substantially weakened the Japanese garrison and speeded up the American conquest of the island. This was not uique, It was a standard Japanese tactic. Why such an experienced military force would rely so heavily on a self-defeatong tactic is not well undertood.
After organized Japanese oposition ended, survivors escaped into the jungle. General Geiger declared resistance on Guam ended (August 10). Admirals Nimitz and Spruance personally assessed the island battlefield on that day. More than 18,000 Japanese defenders were killed. Only 485 Japanese surrendered. Several Japanese soldiers hid for years rather than surrender. Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi was the last (January 1972). He seems to have been the last Japanese holdout on Guam. [Kristof] He surrendered (January 1972), nearly 30 years after the War. Bothing could more vividly demonstrate the intensity of the Japanese will to resist.
Almost all of the 18,500 Japanese garison was killed or committed suiside. Only 485 Japanese surrendered to the Americans. Some of them were do badly wounded they were incapable of resistance.
Liberatiion was not the best way vto describe the defeat og the japabnese in Asia and the Pacific. Much of what the Japanese conquered as Europan colonies. But liberatiin ceryainly descrines what happdned when the Americans landed on Guam. Guamanians were the only American population that fell into Japanese hands. The Philippines was a little different. At the time of World War II, the Amedrica had granted the Philippines independence and self government. Formal transsfer of power was to occur in 1943. This was delayed by World War II. Filipino attitides toward the Americans were generally positived, but varied, although the brutality of the Japanese changed many minds. The Chamorros, although not yet American citizens were almost uniformily pro-American. American benevoleny, if paternalistic treatment of the Camoorros had chan changed life for the better through public halth programs and public schools. The U.S. Navy administrators had respected Chamorro traditiions and safe guarded their property. A clear affection existed even before the Japanese invasion. Nearlu 3 years of brutal Japanese rule only confirmed Chamorro attitudes toward the Americans. There was no doubt among the Camamorros that the Americans would return and they resisted the Japanese as best they could. And no captive people in the Pacific were more glad to see the Americans than the Chamorro people.
Gruhl, Werner. Imperial Japan's World War Two, 1931-1945 (Transaction Publishers, 2007).
Kristof, Nicholas D. "Shoichi Yokoi, 82, Is Dead; Japan Soldier Hid 27 Years," New York Times (September 26, 1997).
Polomo, Tony. "A time of sofrrow and pain," War in the Pacific Nationl Historic Park.
Palomo, Tony. An Island in Agony (Guam: self-published, 1984). Polomo was a child during the Japanese occupation and provides a graphic account of how the Chamorros suffered at the hands of the Japanese.
Punzalan, Sylvia Iglesias San Nicolas. "World War II Survivor Stories" guampedia.com (pril 16, 2020). , as- punzalan/ (accessed October 8, 2019).
Rodgers, Robert F. Destiny’s Landfall: A History of Guam. (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1995).
Tanji, Miyume. Under Occupation: Ressistance and Struggle in a Militarized Asia-Pacific (Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholar, 2013).
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main World War II Guam page]
[Return to Main Marianas invasions page]
[Return to Main World War II Pacific campaign page]
[Biographies]
[Campaigns]
[Children]
[Countries]
[Deciding factors]
[Diplomacy]
[Geo-political crisis]
[Economics]
[Home front]
[Intelligence]
[POWs]
[Resistance]
[Race]
[Refugees]
[Technology]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Return to Main war essay page]
