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212 TURNING THE TIDE 1943–1944

ACTION ON SAIPAN

JUNE 15–JULY 9, 1944

After landing on the west coast of Saipan on June 15,

US forces quickly took over the rest of the island,

pinning the Japanese in the far south by June 27. A

Japanese counterattack on July 7 failed to dislodge the

US forces, and the Japanese surrendered on July 9.

One group of Japanese soldiers, however, continued

to fight on until December 1, 1945. The US lost 3,426

men, and the Japanese around 29,000; 22,000 Saipan

civilians were killed along with around 7,000 Japanese

civilians resident on the island.

1

8:30 am Jun 19 The

Japanese launch the first

of four major air raids.

9:10 am Jun 19 The

Japanese flagship carrier

Taihō is torpedoed by a

US submarine.

Jun 19 The Japanese

carrier Shōkaku is

attacked and later sinks.

Jun 21 Task Force 58

abandons its chase of

the Japanese and

returns to Saipan.

Jun 20 The Japanese

carrier Hiyō and two oil

tankers are sunk.

4:25 pm Jun 20

US carriers launch

an air strike on the

Japanese fleet.

Jun 20 Task Force 58

pursues the retreating

Japanese fleet.

Battle of Saipan

THE BATTLE FOR TINIAN

JULY 24–AUGUST 1, 1944

The US naval bombardment of Tinian started on

July 16, and US forces landed on the island on July 24

in the north-west, a feint attack in the south having

diverted the Japanese. The island was taken by

August 1, although Japanese resistance continued

until September 1945. Japanese losses were high,

with 5,542 soldiers killed and up to 4,000 Japanese

civilian deaths, including many by suicide.

5

Battle of Tinian

BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA COMMENCES

JUNE 19, 1944

On the opening day of the sea battle, four major

Japanese air raids against US Task Force 58 off

the Marianas were intercepted, with the loss of 200

Japanese aircraft. Two Japanese carriers were sunk by

submarines, and by the end of the day more than 300

Japanese aircraft were lost in what one US pilot called

“an old-time turkey shoot.” US losses amounted to 30

aircraft and slight damage to one battleship.

3

Japanese air attacks

US air attacks

Aerial battles

Japanese ships sunk

CRUCIAL PACIFIC BATTLES

In the summer of 1944, the Americans

fought a series of major battles in the

central Pacific, gaining the Mariana Islands,

regaining their own colony of Guam, and

heavily defeating the Japanese carrier fleet

in the Philippine Sea.

KEY

Japanese airfields

US invasion of Marianas,

Jun 15–Aug 10

2

3

4

1

TIMELINE

JUN 1, 1944 JUL 1 AUG 1 AUG 15

5

JUN 15 JUL 15

2 PREPARING FOR BATTLE

JUNE 15–19, 1944

As soon as the US marines landed on Saipan

on June 15, the Japanese Mobile Fleet under the

command of Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa sailed

east to give battle. The Japanese fleet was

outnumbered: it consisted of 27 main ships,

including five aircraft carriers, and 28 destroyers,

against the US’s seven aircraft carriers, 43 main

ships, and 69 destroyers. The Japanese ships

carried a total of 473 aircraft against the US’s 956.

Japanese fleet

US fleet

Japanese territory

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US_212-213_Battle_for_the_marianas.indd 212 24/05/19 1:17 PM