INVASION OF SAIPAN BEGINS

Invasion of Saipan begins

In the Central Pacific, United States forces opened a new phase of the war against Japan with the amphibious assault on Saipan in the Mariana Islands. On June 15th, 1944, Marines of the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions, supported later by soldiers of the 27th Infantry Division, hit the beaches under fire from well-prepared Japanese defenses dug into coral, caves, and ridges. The operation was part of a wider strategy to seize islands from which long-range bombers could reach the Japanese home islands and to cut key shipping routes. Fighting on Saipan quickly became intense and prolonged, with Japanese counterattacks, including night assaults, testing the stamina and coordination of American units. Naval support from battleships, cruisers, and carriers provided heavy gunfire and air strikes but could not eliminate every strongpoint. The decision to take Saipan committed the United States to a costly but decisive push across the Central Pacific. Its eventual capture would have major political and strategic consequences by bringing Japanese cities within range of new bombers and undermining confidence in the Tokyo government.