‘Seize, occupy and defend Tinian’

First of a seven-part series

(It was an event launched from Tinian that brought the war in the Pacific to a close and restored peace to a war weary world. The B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay departed the island in the early morning hours of August 6, 1945 to deliver an atomic bomb, which destroyed Hiroshima. Three days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki convincing the Japanese military that hostilities should be concluded. Components of the bomb had been delivered to Tinian days earlier by the U.S. cruiser Indianapolis. An event involving this warship resulted in the greatest tragedy in the annals of United States naval history. After delivery of its ominous cargo, the vessel was sunk by the Japanese submarine I-58 and was the last major warship lost in World War II.
One can only speculate as to the outcome of history had the vessel been sunk before delivering its secret cargo to Tinian. This series of articles chronicles the events at Tinian that led to the end of the war and last days of the Indianapolis.)

After the American assault on the Marshall Islands at the eastern edge of the Japanese Mandated Islands, and some 1,800 nautical miles east of the Mariana archipelago, no other islands within the western Pacific were attacked by United States ground forces until American fast carrier Task Force 58 reached the islands of Saipan and Tinian. Both were strongholds of the Empire some 1,200 miles south of Japan proper. After several days of naval and air bombardment, American amphibious forces attacked Saipan on June 15, 1944 and, after 25 days of bitter fighting, turned their attention toward Tinian, five miles from Saipan’s southern coast.

On July 23, 1944, the day before the invasion of Tinian, the island was raked by naval gunfire from three battleships, two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers and 16 destroyers, but few ships were employed to direct their fire at the location of the invasion beaches as deception was given greater consideration than destruction. The Japanese were given no indication as to where the amphibious assault would occur. They expected the landings to take place at Tinian Town. The blistering naval gunfire was discontinued only long enough to allow air strikes with napalm. Important road intersections were bombed, shelled and strafed from the air. Tinian Town was reduced to rubble. The first napalm bomb ever used was dropped on the town. This new firebomb was particularly effective in burning sugar cane fields to reveal Japanese positions.

The Japanese garrison on Tinian numbered 8,350 men, which included the 50th Infantry Regiment and the 56th Keibitai (Naval Guard Force). These troops were under the command of Col. Takashi Ogata, who also had four Army infantry battalions and nine tanks.

Col. Ogata was aware that an invasion was imminent and worked furiously to improve the island’s defenses. His troops had a high degree of esprit de corps. Ogata prepared to destroy his enemy at the water’s edge. Failing to do so, his plan was to order his men to fall back to prepared positions inland and defend them to the last man.

Eight U.S. transports carrying two regimental combat teams of the 2nd Marine Division made a diversionary feint at Tinian Town before proceeding to White Beach in the north to land in the rear of the first wave of assault troops. The U.S. Marines’ diversionary force went so far as to lower landing craft from their mother ships and send Marines scampering down cargo nets as if, from all appearances to the Japanese on shore, they were bound for Tinian Town beaches.

The Japanese reacted immediately and fired at the decoy invasion force, which lay offshore beyond the 2,000-meter limit of Japanese artillery fire. The Marines and their boats were picked up and placed back aboard their vessels and then proceeded to join the real invasion force to the north at White Beach. The Japanese 56th Naval Guard Force remained at their positions to guard Sunharon Bay (Tinian Harbor). The American deception leading the Japanese to believe the invasion would occur in the vicinity of Tinian Town was successful.

The objective of the invasion was to obtain sites on which air bases could be constructed from which U.S. long-range bombers could attack Japan. Rear Admiral Harry Hill, U.S.N. orders read: “Seize, occupy and defend Tinian.”

General Cate’s 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions conducted the amphibious landing on July 24, 1944. It was one of the most successful such operations of the entire war.

Invasion Beach “White” had no man-made obstacles. Because it was only 60 meters long (180 feet), an unlikely point for an invasion. The Japanese defenders had no expectation that a hostile amphibious landing would be made in the area. U.S. forces achieved complete tactical surprise—a rare accomplishment with the Japanese in the Pacific War.

The beach was very narrow for two divisions, their equipment and supplies. It was a very dangerous undertaking. After landing, the Marines pushed across the island to its eastern cliff line to seal off the entire northern third of the island. They then turned south and proceeded over the next several days to the southern tip.

Colonel Ogata made his last stand in the south on July 31st and was killed by machine gun fire while leading a counter attack. He was last seen hanging over Marine barbed wire. Soon after, Japanese resistance came to an end. However, isolated remnants of the Japanese continued to fight on until January 1945. Eight days later after the advancing U. S. forces had pushed south, the island was declared secured. American losses totaled 328 killed and 1,571 wounded. The Japanese lost their entire garrison of 8,000 men.

To be continued

(Published in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.
William H. Stewart is a military historical cartographer and has mapped many of the World War II Pacific battlefields. He is the author of the books Saipan In Flames (translated into Japanese) and Ghost Fleet of the Truk Lagoon now in its 6th printing. Reference sources: Due to space limitations many reference sources have been omitted. This information will be furnished those interested when requested from the author at e-mail: spno@zoomnet.net.)