THE MARIANAS OPERATION PHASE 1 SAIPAN PT 2

scheme of maneuver for the second division Combat Team 8 at how our on dog they land on beaches green one and green too with to landing teams abreast secure the point between beaches Green two and three and also the landing point on beach green three four tanks direct the landy of companies a and B reinforced second tank battalion see sugar mill area also the following he'll target areas and that portion of the 01 line within its dawn of action Combat Team 6 at how our on dog day land on beaches red 2 & 3 with two landing teams of breast seas 01 mine lie within a sign zone of action and cover left or North flank Combat Team two after completion of its diversionary demonstration at planet egg harbor and upon arrival in the transport area land on order on beaches red 2 & 3 with two landing teams of breasts landing team two will come in of the right upon landing landing team to second Marines will be attached to combat team 6 mannington to six Marines will be attached to combat team to division reserve be prepared to land on order division artillery land on division order 2nd armored amphibious battalion covers the landing and movement of assault waves to the 01 line assist in protecting the division place scheme of maneuver fourth division Combat Team 23 at how our on dog day land on beaches blue one and two and with its main effort initially on the left see the 01 line within its dawn of action then on division order and with its main effort on the right advanced rapidly to the old two line cesar's leto airfield and the remainder of 0 to within its zone of action combat team 25 to land on beaches yellow 1 and 2 c's 01 line within its tone of action then on division order offence rapidly and sees the 02 line within its zone of action assist Combat Team 23 in the capture of as leto airfield and protect the division right flight combat team 24 land under vision order on peaches blue or yellow and prepared to support the attack shortly after oh-eight-hundred control vessels hoisted their wave 1 flags VLC Ches headed toward the beach and the first wave started for the line of departure the second division found only weak resistance when it hit the beaches and bio 900 had advanced about 500 yards then enemy resistance supported by artillery and mortar fire became exceedingly stepped on the other hand the 4th division encountered heavy resistance immediately upon landing despite the heavy bombardment landing mines were still a threat the dangerous areas were marked off and the mines removed by 09 20 the diversionary for soft Anna peg returned to its ships and reem but no fires had been received from shore and no enemy movements were observed by late afternoon the second division had established a line which looked like this at the same time the fourth division had created a line as follows toward evening conditions improved somewhat elements on the right of the second division had captured a radio station by 1508 on d-day the fourth tank battalion of the 4th division and the second tank battalion of the 2nd division were beginning to land almost at the same time three battalions of the 14th Marines and the 2nd battalion of the 10th Marines had commenced landing the 24th Corps artillery remained afloat day's end saw the troops firmly established to shore and about fifty percent of the 01 line secured to the southeast about 2,000 yards Leia's leto Airport most important single factor in the winning of Saipan to provide more suitable ground for defense against the expected enemy counter-attack during the night of DJ elements of both the 2nd Marine Division and 4th Marine Division were withdrawn to this line the Japs attacking savagely twice during the night and once at dawn of D plus one day made every effort to drive us back into the sea regimental combat team 25 repulsed an enemy counter-attack which began at 0 4 30 on us one from the direction of garip an ad jet force attacked the left flank of the second division this nip attempt was smashed with the aid of naval and air support another counter attack was launched against the left flank of combat team 23 it too was unsuccessful well the counter attacks were being blunted and stopped regimental combat team 8 was successfully securing green Beach 3 it also captured the puritan canola permitting use of the channel for landing of all types of small craft smashing forward in a coordinated attack the fourth division executed the pivot movement which gains a thousand yards our tanks spearheaded the attack by dark one regiment of the 27th Infantry Division was being landed in the area of the 4th Marine Division the plan for the next day called initially for the advance of lines so that space would be created in which to land the remainder of the 27th and core troops with nightfall the enemy remains true to form he counter-attacks the major counter-attack of this night was thrown against the second division at 03 31 hour later the [ __ ] attack had been smashed our bazookas half track and medium tank fire knocked out 31 enemy tanks in this action at 0 7 30 d plus to the 4th division jumped off in a coordinated attack supported by fire initially from the second division his venture also received air and naval support as well as continuous artillery support movement was slow because of stiff enemy resistance at 09 20 the second division launched an attack in its zone of action extended its beachhead and center lines and by noon was situated 400 yards east of Lake Sousou p after 1200 the second division assisted by tanks advanced more rapidly throughout the day while the 2nd and 4th divisions hacked out a larger beachhead and extended their front lines the balance of the 27th division was in process of landing 24th Corps artillery continued the process of landing until dark but succeeded in beating only two-thirds of one battalion at ten hundred on d plus three the 2nd and 4th divisions as well as the 27 which had moved up launched a coordinated attack Torres leto airport with the exception of a pocket of defense between the two marine divisions the second and fourth secure the 03 line at the same time the 27 slipped in to capture the acetal airport naval construction engineers commenced work on this trip at once the first four days of fighting had gained for us the complete southwestern portion of Saipan vital as leto airport and more than 2,000 enemy casualties our forward line was as follows almost simultaneously with the United States landings on Saipan the enemy determined to contest the issue with all the naval and air power at his disposal accordingly the movement of his major fleet units from southern Philippine waters was reported by American submarines on 15 jun done 1920 June units of the Japanese fleet were in contact with the United States 5th fleet in a two day running air battle west of the Marianas which marked the first major encounter of the Japanese and American fleets since the fighting in waters off Guadalcanal in this engagement the enemy lost five ships sunk to probably son and 11 damaged in addition to 428 carrier-based aircraft destroyed before breaking off contact on the evening of 20 june the cheap effect of the Naval Air action concluded with the engagement of 1920 June was to reduce to the minimum the enemy's capabilities of intervening effectively in the Saipan operation by sea and air 2nd and 4th divisions as well as the 27th Infantry Division launched attacks with the coming of daylight on t + 4 this combined attack drove the enemy to 300 yards beyond the 03 life at 1701 battery of 155 millimeter guns was preparing to register and commenced firing on Tinian at the same time a serious supply situation was alleviated when several transports at the northern task force returned all lines were improved particularly the boundary between the 2nd and 4th divisions where an enemy puppet was wiped out during the night of d + 4 enemy activity was reported in the vicinity of purple beaches a DD illuminated and engaged this area by fire at oh-nine-hundred the next day all divisions were ordered to attack for the purpose of driving to the eastern coast of Saipan and destroying the enemy troops within the southern portion of the island rocket loaded planes joined the attack enemy positions were softened up by intensive strafing and rocket shelling the 2nd and 4th divisions were assigned to secure the 04 line the 27 attacked southward toward napa 10 point by 16 16 d plus 5 the 04 line was secured by the 2nd and 4th divisions and instructions were issued to occupy the most suitable ground for launching a continuance of the attack when ordered the 27th division continued to advance slowly against the enemy who had taken up positions in caves and pillboxes situated an extremely rugged terrain at the conclusion of this period the beachhead had been expended to align would secure the entire southern portion of the island except for napa 10-point the enemy forces remaining of a nap to tan area were first trapped and cut off by the 27 the way was then clear for a coordinated northward movement the next three day settled down to a vicious yard by yard fighting to clean out enemies pockets of resistance especially on nephew 10-point and straightening out of the lines around 20 145 on 20 jun d plus 5 is the vicinity of beach screen to one of our gasoline dumps exploded reasons unknown fire spread to ammunition dumps which resulted in the loss of an undetermined amount of small arms and ammunition 3,000 yards of Matthew tan still remained in enemy hands progress was slow due to the terrain which was infested with occupied caves this called for mopping up action by flame throwers shaped charges and grenades a good number of enemy weapons had been captured many of which we were beginning to use against the enemy in particular was this true with anti-aircraft artillery weapons 15 tons of motor ammunition captured on 21 jun was fired back at the enemy through our 81 millimeter mortars from 0 1 15 to about zero 500 on d + 7 Saipan was subjected to an air raid by Japanese plane 13 500-pound bombs were dropped in the area of the face battalion 14th Marines casualties were one killed and four wounded at oh-six-hundred preceded by an intense artillery preparation of 10 minutes fire by 18 battalions of field artillery the 2nd and 4th marine divisions jumped off and quickly captured the 05 line after the first hour enemy resistance and terrain slowed down the advance at ten hundred that morning a destroyer supporting the second Battalion 105th infantry fired into the command post killing eight and wounding 32 155 millimeter gun battalions were used to disrupt operational use of the air strips on Tinian as well as northern Saipan during this period our tanks played an important part in supporting our troops the vital hill mount tipo polly was captured by the 2nd and 4th divisions while important approaches to the commanding round of the island mount to pacho was also an hour control from these positions it was tentatively planned to ease the 27th division through the left flank of the 4th division and continue the attack to the north about sixty percent of the second division tanks were still in operating conditions the fourth division was able to employ about fifty percent of its tanks the 27th tanks were in good condition the first squadron of army p-47s to be used for combat air patrols arrived at as leto airfield undie + 8 commander northern troops and landing force ordered a coordinated attack with three divisions of breasts to jump off at ten hundred the second on the left the fourth on the right and the 27 in the middle the 2nd and 4th divisions jumped off on time and advanced about 250 yards in the first hour the twenty-seventh failed to jump off on time units of the 27th mistook supporting units of the fourth division which were stationary for the front lines a delay was caused as a result the 2nd and 4th divisions were forced to anchor their flanks to the center and proceed slowly in order to prevent serious gaps from arising thus the attack was not co-ordinated confusion resulted and little advance was made during the day preparations were made for an attack the next day in which the same objectives were reassigned at the same time landing team two of the hundred fifth jumped off at 1,300 with three companies abreast to take the remainder of nasty 10-point and clean up what was left of enemy resistance on the southeastern portion of Saipan 23 24 jun d plus eight nine harassing enemy artillery fire made it necessary for american spotting planes to be put into the air from 2100 to 2300 and from zero 302 dawn and any positions with us picked out via fire flashes an artillery duel ensued the remaining garrison of p forty sevens and night fighter planes capable of carrying 500 pound bombs arrived at us leto airfield from about 0 4 45 20 5 15 enemy artillery shell the area of the 10th Marines the fire Direction Center was hit telling the executive officer wounding the r2 and r3 and disrupting artillery communications several enemy tank attacks were beaten back bazookas anti-tank grenades 37 and half tracks were employed in the destruction of about 30 enemy tanks thermite grenades and demolition charges were dropped into disabled tanks during the day the fourth division on the right advanced 2,000 yards and occupied its immediate objective against light opposition the 27th in the center gained less ground thereby causing a gap to arise on the left flank of the fourth division beginning late afternoon on 24 jun and continuing for more than a week enemy air attacks were directed against our sweet o airfield while the 4th Marine Division continued its swift advance along the eastern coast of Saipan and the 27th made small advances alone for center the 2nd Marine Division entered the fringes of garrison town where it found many mines and enemy sniper fire the 8th Marines advanced over rough terrain and captured mount to pacho commanding round of Saipan rockets were used effectively by the 4th division to thicken the artillery fires this resulted in the 4th division cleaning up the bluff point area capture of that point narrowed the front considerably and pinched out the 4th division as leto airfield displaying blocked by enemy attacks from the air was consistently used by our fighter craft during the morning of d + 1130 three of our fighters loaded with 500 and 1000 pound bombs took off from esli towed to strike at Tinian the end of the day saw improved positions along the line and about half the area of Sipan in our hands our forces then held the best positions since the initial landing with a firm anchor in the southern half of the island the grueling task ahead was to continued northward where the enemy still was entrenched 25 26 jun 1944 d + 10 11 at 2105 condition red was flashed that as we tow airfield enemy bombs dropped on the northeast corner of the field no planes were damaged but personnel casualties were received and a small fire started in one building several other aids occurred during the night at the same time enemy ground troops armed with 50 caliber machine guns in 20 millimeter pieces rated as leto airfield all available engineers and Seabees on the spot defended the field about 07 35 the situation was reported well in hand sweeping up from the edge yet unconquered natty 10-point the enemy attacked Hill 500 in as much as the 25th Marines of the northern troops and landing force reserve had made a wise selection in the occupation of an assembly area on Hill 500 the enemy was repulsed with 400 just period the railroad between the piers at beach blue one and as leto airfield was placed in operation at low 630 unbe + 13 the second division as the 27th Infantry jumped off to the attack the fourth division held its position awaiting the advance of the 27th on its left it supported the advance of the 27th by fire to the only difficult conditions that prevent was added a persistent rain that lasted for several days well the hundred 5th infantry at last took possession of Matthew 10 point