The Battle for Tinian: Vital Stepping Stone in America's War Against Japan

239 Pages·2012·3.39 MB·English

by  Nathan Prefer

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THE BATTLE FOR TINIAN
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THE BATTLE FOR
TINIAN
Vital Stepping Stone in
America’s War Against Japan
N N. P
ATHAN REFER
Philadelphia & Oxford
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Published in the United States of America and Great Britain in 2012 by
CASemAte PUBLISHeRS
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
and
10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, OX1 2eW
Copyright 2012 © Nathan N. Prefer
ISBN 978-1-61200-094-7
Digital edition: ISBN 978-1-61200-107-4
Cataloging-in-publication data is available from the Library of Congress
and the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in
writing.
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Printed and bound in the United States of America.
For a complete list of Casemate titles please contact:
CASemAte PUBLISHeRS (US)
telephone [phone], Fax [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]
CASemAte PUBLISHeRS (UK)
telephone [phone], Fax [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]
Photo, title page:Amphibious tractors carrying Marines of the 4th Division approach the crowded
White Beaches of Tinian. Many men had to climb out of the landing craft onto cliffs in order to get
ashore. National Archives and Records Administration
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 9
1. tINIAN: tHe ISLAND 11
2. tHe DeFeNDeRS: tHe JAPANeSe
GARRISON ON tINIAN 17
3. WHY tINIAN? 29
4. tHe PLAN: “PLAYING BY eAR” 41
5. JIG DAY: JULY 24tH 59
6. JAPANeSe COUNteRAttACK 87
7. 25 JULY 1944: eXPANDING
tHe BeACHHeAD 101
8. 26 JULY 1944: WHeRe ARe
tHe JAPANeSe? 109
9. tHe mARINeS ADVANCe SOUtH 119
10. tINIAN tOWN AND BeYOND 129
11. tHe BItteR eND 139
12. tINIAN tO NAGASAKI 159
13. CONCLUSION: tHe ImPORtANCe
OF tINIAN 169
Appendix A: Leading Personalities 175
Appendix B: Order of Battle—U.S. Forces 189
Appendix C: Order of Battle—Japanese Forces 197
Appendix D: Distribution of Casualties 201
Appendix e: U.S. marine Division, 1944 202
Appendix F: medal of Honor Citations 207
Appendix G: Ship Histories 211
Notes 215
Bibliographic essay 225
Index 229
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MAPS
1. mariana Islands, 1944 10
2. Japanese Defensive Sectors, tinian, July 1944 25
3. Landing Plan, July 1944 55
4. Jig Day, 24–25 July 1944 81
5. tinian, July–August 1944 116
6. Scene of Night Action, 31 July–1 August 1944 140
All maps courtesy of Mary Craddock Hoffman
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In landing operations, retreat is impossible.
to surrender is as ignoble as it is foolish.
Above all else remember that we as the
attackers have the initiative. We know
exactly what we are going to do, while the
enemy is ignorant of our intentions and
can only parry our blows. We must retain
this tremendous advantage by always
attacking, rapidly, ruthlessly, viciously
and without rest.
GeN. GeORGe S. PAttON, JR.
General Order to Seventh US Army
before the Sicily landings, 27 June 1943
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As with any study such as this there are many who contribute to the
final outcome. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the following
persons and organizations which made this book possible.
Special appreciation to Brig. Gen. edwin m. Simmons USmC (Ret.)
and Bemis m. Frank, also retired, for their assistance and cooperation dur-
ing my visits to the marine Corps History and museums Division, marine
Corps Historical Center at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard. Special ap -
pre ciation is also due to those veterans who willingly provided their own
experiences. Here are included earl F. Dunlop (3/25), Andrew J. Link (4th
engineers), Henry m. mcCown (593d Naval Construction Battalion), and
Paul A. Viel (1/23).
Special appreciation is also due to mr. David Farnsworth, Publisher
of Casemate who, a decade later, remembered this author and his previous
work. to editor Steven Smith, Libby Braden and tara Lichterman, another
debt of gratitude for their assistance, encouragement and help in getting
this work to print.
Finally, there are those who suffered through it all. First and foremost
my wife Barbara Anne, who fulfilled the roles of secretary, research assis-
tant and cheerleader. then our daughters Hollie and Amy, and daughter-
in-law Rose, who learned far more than they ever desired about the Second
World War. And the sons, Douglas, Kevin, michael and Christopher and
sons-in-law Garret and Joseph who fortunately have never had to experi-
ence the tragedy of war. Finally, may the grandchildren, Alexis, Amanda,
Andrew, Brittany, Grace, Hannah, Lucas, Nicholas and Samantha never
know war. Without them this book would never have been completed.
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