(1/5) Pacific Lost Evidence Guam Episode 4 World War II

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Guam was the southern-most major island of the Marianas, 150 miles south of Saipan. Major General Roy Geiger of the III Amphibious Corps commanded the Guam operation, originally scheduled for June 1944, but delayed by the unexpected difficulty capturing Saipan. The delay gave time for more preparation bombardment and better intelligence on Guam. Naval air strikes began on 5 July. From then to 21 July planes from the Fast Carrier Task Force bombed and strafed Guam daily followed by intense shelling of coastal installations and bivouac areas immediately before the landings.
At 0830 on 21 July 1944, 3d Marine Division hit the Asan beach while 1st Provisional Marine Brigade came ashore at Agat, seven miles apart, north and south of the main Japanese positions, harbor and airstrip on Orote Peninsula on the west side of Guam. Progress against the well-entrenched, hard-fighting Japanese defenders of the beachhead was delayed by many factors including difficult terrain, high humidity, frequent rain showers, and difficulties landing reinforcements and equipment. As on Saipan, the Japanese fired on the invading Marines from well prepared positions located in caves and tunnels as well as pillboxes situated on the beaches, cliffs, and hillsides overlooking the invasion beaches. Japanese counterattacks with infantry and tanks were repulsed by Marines on the main defensive line, with tank, carrier-plane, and naval fire support. The beachheads expanded gradually through 25 July.
At 0700 on 26 July, Army artillery, backed by naval guns, planes and batteries on nearby islands, began a bombardment as cover for a new infantry assault, designed to break the defenses of Orote. Combined U.S. attacks with armor and infantry made slow progress up the peninsula, but finally completed the operation on 29 July. In four days, between 2,000 and 3,000 Japanese defenders on the Orote Peninsula had been killed as the Americans captured the territory, with its harbor and airfield.
The Japanese still held key high ground in the mountains dominating the island, and little progress had been made. The Marine and Army units from the original north and south landings linked up on 28 July and took several of the hills that threatened the beaches, creating a consolidated line for the first time. The assault phase ended with a 25-square-mile beachhead controlled by the 3d Marine Division and the 77th Division.
The pursuit phase was defined in General Geiger's order of 30 July. The 3rd Marine Division would drive up the western portion of the island while the 77th Infantry Division took eastern Guam. The 1st Provisional Marine Brigade was assigned to patrol southern Guam. This phase had major problems of transportation and movement.
Because of the lack of a road across the island, the infantry had to carry everything. Men of the heavy-weapons companies labored under loads of machine guns, mortars, and ammunition.
Notwithstanding the difficulties, both the Marines and the Army units made rapid progress over the next week, fighting northward on both sides of the island. On 10 August, General Geiger announced that organized resistance on Guam had ended. The last Japanese command post was destroyed on 11 August, although stragglers were rounded up for months and a few survivors were not found until years after the end of the war.
During the invasion of Guam, US forces suffered almost eight thousand casualties, including more than one thousand killed. More than 17,500 Japanese defenders died. Thousands of native Chamorros were discovered and liberated from Japanese concentration camps.(Olive-Drab Online)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• Guam
• Us
• Forces
• 3rd
• Marine
• Division
• Amphibious
• Corps
• Army
• Marianas
• Saipan
• Japanese
• Brigade
• Naval
• Air
• Strikes
• Fast
• Carrier
• Task
• Force

[anisa828]

so thats what the war looked like!!!thank you america u really helped us:)(im saying that cause i live on guam)

[ravenwolf1952]

i lost my uncle arthur squires on this island,1st marines,god bless the us marines and those who fought here

[cobrachoppergirl]

What fool ass 18 or 19 year old would be heading into combat in a landing craft against fortified defenses? They would have to be stupid as hell. And the country, judges, poiliticians, and country that sent such young kids into such a situation ought to be shot.

[cobrachoppergirl]

From what I read on the wiki on Guam, the Spanish invaded and stole Guam from the Chamorro, and then gave it to the United States in a treaty, when it really wasn't theirs to give in the first place.

[Arelak]

@olentangy74 I no longer live there FYI however the major downfall of the islands has always been their insane greed. The Spanish called them the "islands of thieves" because they would row out and try to rob the galleons if they got too close. There was a really nice picture done by a Spaniard who had his ship boarded by the chamarros and they were even trying to pull the nails out of the wood. A copy of the picture was in the Saipan museum before they closed it down southofGarapan

[olentangy74]

@Arelak Even back in the 70's major Japanese developers were coming into Saipan and Guam. I am so sorry to hear that your island,s history is being bulldozed for the sake of profit.I am glad that I got to see it before all this happened. It would seem that the Japanese got the island after all.

[Arelak]

@olentangy74 Not much to see now, they did a whole lot of bulldozing not long ago, there used to be remnants of a jap airfield and they tore it all out to build ANOTHER golf course. They are throwing the history away and bulldozing everything now.

[olentangy74]

@Arelak I was stationed on Guam at the then N.A.S.Agana in the mid-seventies for 16 months. I wnt to Siapan twice during that time, to dive and visit the other historical sites. My uncle was on Siapan with the Seabees during WW2, plus I am a major WW2 history buff, so iwas fascinated. Siapan is a beautiful place, and I would love to visit again someday. Hafa day !

[Arelak]

@olentangy74 Saipan, been to Guam, Rota and Tinian though.

[olentangy74]

@Arelak What island did you live on? Siapan or Tinian?

[NaeBryan671]

@Rsapienza1965

(continued) army. This is a spy, just the kind of criminals punished.

[NaeBryan671]

@Rsapienza1965:

Here is a translation for what Schijnsel wrote:

America, the propaganda had been dominated by the local people in human rights violations in the Japanese army in Saipan. But that was not true. After the war, presenting the question of its content in American Education by the American people Saipan, taught to accept the anti-Japanese education to the children were adults who know the good government of the time by the Japanese military. Zhina is a scene that killed the Japanese