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The “Marianas

Turkey Shoot” &

Battle of Saipan

June – Aug. 1944

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In June 1944, the Marianas Islands were the target.

** Specific goal was to take control of the islands of

Saipan, Tinian, and Guam in order to:

1. cut Japanese supply lines

2. get airfields which were close enough to Japan to use

the new B-29 Bomber to start bombing Japan. (B-29

had range of 3250 miles)

** Guam was the primary target since it had excellent

airfields & a great deepwater harbor. (Would also be

an American morale booster to retake it!)

Admiral Nimitz decided to **attack Saipan first since it

was 100 miles closer to Japan (for bombing).

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Battle of the

Philippine Sea

{“Great Marianas

Turkey Shoot”}

June 18-20, 1944

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Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa - - the

Japanese Naval Commander at the

Battle of the Philippine Sea.

Commanded the Japanese 1st

Mobile Fleet.

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Admiral Ozawa’s Japanese 1st Mobile Fleet left

Tawitawi to reach the Marianas Islands and the

Philippine Sea.

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The Battle of the Philippine Sea

//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Battle_Philippine_sea_map-en.svg//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Battle_Philippine_sea_map-en.svg

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Admiral Raymond Spruance - - Commander of U.S.

5th Fleet

Admiral Marc Mitscher - - Commander of the U.S.

Fast Carrier Group, Task Force 58

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fleet-5.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fleet-5.jpg

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Grumman F6F Hellcat

Type = Single-seat shipborne fighter - also fighter-bomber and night fighter

Armament

6 x 0.5 inch Browning machine-guns with 400 rounds per gun

***Under wing attachments for six rockets

Center section pylons for up to 2,000 lb of bombs

Performance

Maximum speed ***376 mph

Service ceiling 37,500 feet

Range 1,090 miles

Strengths = higher speed and rate-of-climb, rugged and well-armored but

also very maneuverable for such a large plane, heavily armed

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Admiral Marc Mitscher’s Task Force 58 had 450 F6F-3 Grumman Hellcats.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/F6F_wings_folded.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/F6F_wings_folded.jpg

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Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Type = Single-seat shipborne fighter and fighter-bomber

Armament

2 x 20 mm Type 99 cannon in outer wings

2 x 7.7 mm or 13.2 mm machine-guns above forward fuselage or in wings

wing racks for 2 x 66 lb (or in some aircraft 132 lb) bombs

Maximum speed

(A6M3) 336 mph (A6M5) 354 mph (A6M8c) 360 mph

Weaknesses = lack of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, combined with the

general lightness of its construction, made it exceptionally vulnerable to

combat damage.

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F4F Wildcat {Escort Carrier Fighter}

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American Essex Class Fast Carriers

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Draft - 29 ft

Displacement - 27,100 tons standard, 33,000 tons full load

Guns - 12 5-inch guns, 72 40mm AA guns, 52 20-mm guns

in quadruple mounts

Aircraft- 100 (officially over 80)

Speed- 33 kts

Complement- 2,900

Essex Class Fast

Carrier – USS

Bunker Hill

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F6F-3 Hellcat Landing Aboard the USS Lexington, Task Force

58’s Flagship (Mitscher)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/USS_Lexington_%28CV-16%29_Philippine_Sea.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/USS_Lexington_%28CV-16%29_Philippine_Sea.jpg

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Admiral Marc Mitscher’s flagship, the USS Lexington, in its permanent berth

off a pier at Corpus Christi, Texas

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/USS_Lexington_1.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/USS_Lexington_1.jpg

20USS Yorktown / Essex Class Carrier

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Battle_Philippine_sea_map.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Battle_Philippine_sea_map.jpg

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The Battle for Saipan {June 15 – July 9, 1944

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyseeker/6424157/http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyseeker/6424157/

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/knexon/195179067/http://www.flickr.com/photos/knexon/195179067/

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The Battle for

Saipan

Marpi

Pt.

Tanapag

Harbor - -

Massive Banzai

Charge

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Lt. General Yoshitsugu Saito

Saipan’s Army Commander

25,469 troops

Admiral Chuichi Nagumo

Saipan’s Navy Commander

6100 sailors

31Tanapag Village, Saipan

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Tanapag

Harbor Naval

Base

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U.S. Submarines next to a tender - - waiting for

resupply (Tanapag Harbor, Saipan)

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Japanese Bunker 100’ From the Beach at Saipan

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Banzai Cliff – Coast of Saipan

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Banzai Cliff, Saipan

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Suicide Cliff, Saipan

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The Two Major Air Fields on Tinian

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B-29 Bombers Lined Up Beside the Runways at Tinian

http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//5/58/Northfield-tinian-1945-2.jpghttp://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//5/58/Northfield-tinian-1945-2.jpg

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http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//7/76/B-29s_of_the_462d_Bomb_Group_West_Field_Tinian_Mariana_Islands_1945.jpghttp://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//7/76/B-29s_of_the_462d_Bomb_Group_West_Field_Tinian_Mariana_Islands_1945.jpg

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Mog Mog Island

Recreation (Ulithi)

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The Battle for Guam {July 21-August 5, 1944}

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Apra Harbor Naval Station in Guam

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Andersen Air Force Base - Guam

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B-1 Bomber Taking Off from Andersen AFB in Guam (2003)