2 August

Marine Lieutenant General Holland “Howlin’ Mad” Smith considered the Battle of Tinian “the perfect amphibious operation in the Pacific war,” as it differed from most in that the proximity of Saipan allowed it to carry out as a shore-to-shore operation rather than a ship-to-shore one, and fire support was available from land-based artillery. The operation was much less difficult than Saipan-with the nearest base just 5 miles away, not over a thousand; the garrison was smaller; the ratio of attackers to defenders was greater; the terrain was less formidable; intelligence was more accurate; and the preliminary naval and aerial bombardment more protracted. The battle offered a rare example of a force that expected to be attacked still being taken by surprise. Lieutenant General Smith later wrote, “Our singular success at Tinian lay in the boldness of the landing.”
The Marines were provided with accurate intelligence, assembled from multiple sources, and knew that the Japanese would not be waiting for them on the White Beaches. Aerial photography of Saipan was restricted through fear that the Japanese would be alerted, and the element of surprise would be lost, whereas aerial photography of Tinian was unrestricted, but surprise was not sacrificed. Joint US military commanders gambled on good weather, but when the weather eventually broke, their logistical system still held.
“Duck” transports were still able to operate when landing craft could not, and US Navy Vice Admiral Harry Hill recommended that “Ducks” replace Personnel Landing Craft Vehicles on their attack cargo ships. Additional supply capability was available by air, although it was not needed. For their part, the Japanese incurred high casualties in fruitless counterattacks that were defeated by US firepower. They managed to move undetected at night and were able to withdraw from contact with little loss whenever they wished to do so. Heavier Marine casualties might have been inflicted by a passive defense, taking advantage of their skill with camouflage, use of terrain, and emplacement of weapons. By 10 August 1944, Japanese casualties included 404 captured who became prisoners of war, along with 5,745 killed in action that were buried by the Americans.
I’m always open to suggestions, and I will likely cover a few Marine family members of some of you subscribers in the near future. I really enjoy interacting with you folks and seeing the growth of this channel. Please do not hesitate to send an email to [e-mail] if you’d like for me to honor you or your Marine unit, or a Marine friend or family member.
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.