World War II
Virtual Museum |  |
D-Day: The Invasion Of Saipan
On D-Day June 15, 1944 the Island of Saipan was attacked by the United
States 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions, who landed along the western lagoon
of Saipan. Two days later, the U.S. Army 27th Infantry Division landed
in support of the invasion and fought along the eastern half of Saipan.
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Drawing of D-Day (June 15, 1944) invasion beaches on Saipan.
Source: "Saipan: The Beginning Of The End", Major Carl
W. Hoffman, USMC, Historical Division, Headquarters U.S. Marine
Corps, The Battery Press, 1950.
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The first wave of Marines crouched along the Saipan beach where
700 Amtracs landed 8,000 men in the first 20 minutes.
Life's Picture History Of World War II, Time Incorporated,
New York, c.1950, Page 330
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Beachhead combat at Saipan.
Official U.S. Coast Guard Photograph, Graflex.
Print donated by Joseph Garofalo, 121st Seabees, 4th Marine
Division 1944. Same photo in Life's Picture History of World War
II, P.330 is captioned "Two Marines are shot by Japanese snipers
as they hit the Saipan beach. This remarkable photograph, made by
a Coast Guard cameraman, shows these members of an assault battalion
at instant of their falling."
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Marines dig in on the beachhead at Saipan.
From: Breaching The Marianas: The Battle For Saipan. Marines
In World War II Commemorative Series. By Captain John C. Chapin,
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (Ret.). Published by History and Museums
Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. as part
of the U.S. Department of Defense observance of the 50th anniversary
of victory in that war.
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Newspaper graphic from The Birmingham News (Birmingham,
Alabama), Thursday June 15, 1944 regarding the U.S. attack on Saipan
and Tinian.
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Marine squad history, including
David Leslie Dougherty. This squad had trained together, fought
on Roi-Namur (Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands) and retrained on
Maui before their assault here. They were members of 1-C-25, 4th
Marine Division. June 15, 1944 they loaded off their LST and onto
an amphibious tractor and headed into SW Saipan on the first wave
approaching "Yellow 2" beach. The amtrac hung up on the bordering
coral reef when a mortar landed directly by, and in an instant changed
this squad's 2 year fellowship forever.
Source: unknown
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A Japanese bunker 100 feet inland from the beach, at American Memorial
Park, Saipan.
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A Japanese bunker secluded at water's edge. American Memorial Park,
Saipan. Viewed from entrance, and from side gunnery port.
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The compass from a ship sunk in the Saipan lagoon in the bombardment
leading up to D-Day.
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