Northern Mariana Islands National Park Service American Memorial Park Saipan U.S. Department of the Interior “I have always considered Saipan the decisive battle of the Pacific [for it] breached Japan’s inner defense line and opened the way to the home islands.” —Lt. General Holland Smith AP PHOTO The Human Cost The fighting for Saipan came at a heavy price. The villages of Garapan and Chalan Kanoa were leveled, Sacrifice, Honor, and the human toll was staggering. American forces suffered over 3,250 killed in action and more than Battle of Saipan June 15–July 9, 1944 13,000 wounded. Fighting almost to the last indi- vidual, the Japanese defenders experienced and Remembrance (4) July 9. Rather than surrender, devastating casualties, with nearly the entire hundreds of Japanese civilians commit American Memorial Park honors the sacrifices of the strategic island of Saipan. The park is now a suicide, many by leaping off the cliffs 30,000-man garrison lost. on the island’s northern end. American military personnel and island residents “living memorial” and place of remembrance that During the weeks of battle, desperate civilians were Marpi Point involved in the World War II Marianas Campaign. offers visitors diverse cultural, natural, and (3) July 7. Several thousand 4 caught between the opposing forces. As American Mt. Japanese soldiers directly assault Marpi troops advanced across the island, they found In mid-1944, thousands lost their lives fighting over recreation opportunities. American lines in the largest all-out attack of the war. Chamorro and Korean laborers—including women Makunsha and children—hiding in caves. On July 9, Marines Tanapag encountered a final horror at Marpi Point. Japanese Philippine 3 propaganda had led civilians to believe they would A Critical Assault Sea be tortured by occupying forces. Rather than risk GARAPAN (2) American military capture by the Americans, hundreds of Japanese e personnel give g civilians jumped to their deaths from high cliffs. d i descriptive names to R The Invasion Mt. y t e r areas that experience Others committed suicide with grenades or were l Tapotchao l a a e V 2 H fierce fighting and Seizure of the Mariana Islands occurred in the third h e killed by Japanese soldiers. t l a p high casualties. e r year of the war. Saipan, a major Japanese military D u 2nd Marines P base, was considered critical for use as an airfield for US Army reinforcements new American bombers that could easily strike Japan. land on Saipan. Chalan Kanoa Over 3,250 Americans died in the US ARMY / NATIONAL ARCHIVES 1 With 24,000 civilians in urban centers protected by 4th Marines Pacific battle for Saipan, while an estimated 30,000 Japanese troops, Saipan proved tactically Ocean Army’s 27th 30,000 Japanese perished. difficult to conquer. American Navy vessels shelled Infantry Division the island for days before 71,000 American troops Aslito 0 3 Kilometers stormed ashore on June 15, 1944. Japan’s leaders Airfield 0 3 Miles were surprised as they wrongly anticipated an attack (1) June 15. Americans land on Saipan. further south in the Pacific. Undaunted, the Japanese Air battle as seen from Japanese defenders use the island’s USS Birmingham. rugged topography to launch an mustered brutal counterattacks that eventually killed US NAVY / NATIONAL ARCHIVES effective counterattack. or wounded nearly 25 percent of the invading American troops. Battle of the Philippine Sea A American troops had been ashore just a few days when the Japanese Navy decided to destroy the US I Navy in a final decisive battle. Waves of Japanese N A aircraft attacked the American fleet from June 19 S P NOR TH P ACIFIC O C E A N J A Tokyo to 20. As well-trained, experienced American pilots O O Y K Y shot down nearly 500 Japanese planes, US subma- K C H I N A O T O T O rines sank enemy aircraft carriers. The Japanese T O ARCHIVES US MARINE CORPS / NATIONAL A S O Y E T s IL K 30°N d M S fleet would never recover. Their troops on other 00 E O n 5 L T a I l O islands could no longer be resupplied, reinforced, I s Volcano M American soldiers often put their own lives in jeopardy to 0 T u Islands 0 S y 0 E save non-combatants like this woman and her children. u k 1 L or evacuated. The lopsided battle was soon R y I M Many islanders hid in a system of caves, which were also 0 referred to as the “Marianas Turkey Shoot.” 0 5 occupied by Japanese defenders. Trapped and fearful, they Battle of the 1 endured sickness and starvation. Philippine Sea, Battle of Saipan, June 19–20, 1944 s June 15–July 9, 1944 d Turning Point n P Hawaii a P h i l ipp ine Sea l s h I Saipan fell to the Americans on July 9, 1944, Allied military advance, a i n 1942–1945 after the deaths of nearly the entire Japanese l a Saipan r i South a i Tinian J Japanese M garrison. The loss of Saipan led directly to the a p p Guam a C h i n a carriers sunk, The US Marine Corps broke a n p resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Hideki e June 19–20, Allied B-29 bomber bases M s a e r S e a i s 144-year tradition and enlisted - 1944 h Tojo and his entire cabinet. For the first time o a n c l c l u the first African American p I in the war, defeat could not be hidden from e s i e l d a s marines in 1942. Known as n the Japanese people. Within six months, t Caroline Isla n d s e d r r “Montford Point s i t Mariana-based American B-29 bombers o r y Marines” after their attacked and destroyed almost all a s o segregated camp site f large Japanese cities. These attacks, A u g EQUATOR at Camp Lejeune in culminating in the use of atomic u s t 1 North Carolina, they 9 ry bombs, ultimately ended the war. 4 rito 2 ter ied first entered into up 42 occ 19 S se- ust o ane Aug combat on Saipan. l o ap of m J as o n I s l Cook 3rd Class Timerlate a n d Kirven (left) and Steward’s “Our war was lost INDIAN s Assistant 2nd Class Samuel OCEAN J. Love, Sr., display Purple with the loss of Saipan.” Hearts awarded for wounds 90°E 120°E 150°E 180° —Japanese Vice Admiral Miwa Shigeyoshi received on Saipan. NATIONAL ARCHIVES 戦没者に思いを寄せて 牺 牲 、荣 誉 与 纪 念 희생, 명예 그리고 기념 Самопожертвование, честь и память アメリカ記念公園は、第二次世界大戦中のマリアナ諸島の 美国纪念公园向第二次世界大战期间在马里亚纳群岛 ‘아메리칸 메모리얼 파크’는 2차 세계대전 중 마리아나 Американский мемориальный парк создан в память о гражданах США и жителях Марианских островов, 戦いで犠牲となった米国およびマリアナ諸島の人々に追悼 전투에서 희생당한 미국인과 마리아나인을 기리기 위해 战役中牺牲的美国人和马里亚纳群岛居民致以崇高敬 погибших во время Марианской кампании во Второй の意を捧げる目的で建設されました。1944年6月15日、当 意。1944 年 6 月 15 日，美国军队向日本人控制的塞班 조성된 공원입니다. 1944년 6월 15일, 미군은 일제 치하에 мировой войне. Армия США штурмом взяла остров 時日本の支配下にあったサイパン島にアメリカ軍が侵攻を 있던 사이판 섬을 습격했습니다. 육상에서 벌어진 치열한 Сайпан, находившийся под контролем японских войск, 岛发起猛攻。陆上发生了激烈战斗，美国海军则在菲律 開始しました。アメリカ軍は、フィリピン海からの海軍援護 전투와 필리핀 해에서 이루어진 미 해군의 지원 사격에 15 июня 1944 года. Напряженная битва на суше и наступление флота США в Филиппинском море を受けて激しい地上戦を展開し、7月9日にサイパン島を占 宾海上提供支援，最终，美国军队于 7 月 9 日占领全 힘입어, 결국 7월 9일에 사이판은 미군의 수중에 завершились победой Соединенных Штатов 9 июля. 領。この戦いで、約3万人の日本軍兵士と3,250人を超える 岛。将近 30,000 名日本军人和 3,250 多位美军战士阵 들어갔습니다. 거의 30,000명의 일본군과 3,250여 명의 B сражении погибло около 30 000 японских и более アメリカ軍兵士のほか、一般市民までもが犠牲となりまし 亡，而平民也遭受了巨大损失。美国军队迅速地在塞班 미군 병사가 전사했고, 민간인 역시 끔찍한 피해를 3250 американских военнослужащих. Большие потери были и среди мирного населения. Вскоре после этого た。アメリカ軍は、サイパンの占領後まもなく、サイパン島、 입었습니다. 미군은 신속히 사이판, 티니안 및 괌에 비행장을 岛、提尼安岛和关岛上建立机场，以便向日本本土发动 на Сайпане, Тиниане и Гуаме были построены テニアン島、およびグアム島に飛行場を整備し、日本本土に 건설하여 일본 본토에 대한 공습을 시작했습니다. 이들 袭击。B-29 轰炸机从这些机场起飞，向日本的主要城 американские аэродромы для поддержки наступления 対する空襲の基地として利用しました。これらの航空基地 섬에서 출격한 B-29 폭격기에는 핵무기로 무장한 폭격기 2 на основную территорию Японии. Бомбардировщики 市发起攻击，最终投放两颗原子弹结束了这场旷日持 から、原爆を落とした2機を含む爆撃機B-29を日本上空に 대도 포함되어 있었으며, 일본 주요 도시를 공격하여 마침내 B-29, отправленные с этих островов, включая два 送り込み、主要都市を空襲。結果、大戦がようやく終結を вооруженных атомными бомбами, атаковали основные 久的战争。 전쟁에 종지부를 찍었습니다. 迎 えることに なっていま す。 города Японии, что положило конец войне. NATIONAL ARCHIVES / WWII MUSEUM NATIONAL Japanese Mandarin Korean Russian A Living Legacy “American Memorial Park will serve as the surrogate memory and living legacy for future generations to comprehend and appreciate the sacrifices, ordeals, and lessons of this segment of World War II history.” —Jonathan B. Jarvis National Park Service PHOTO © JACK HARDY Changing Cultures, Philippine Sea An Environment to American Memorial Appreciate and Preserve Changing Perspectives Park The devastation of Saipan in World War II resulted in The Chamorros grave consequences for the island’s coral reefs, The seafaring Chamorro people originally settled the Saipan beaches, wildlife, and vegetation. Non-native plants Mariana Islands over 3,500 years ago, sailing large and animals introduced during colonial times now outrigger canoes known as “proas” from Southeast Asia. threaten to overwhelm Saipan’s natural habitat. North Around 1,000 years ago, they began constructing two- Fortunately, ongoing scientific research and environ- piece megalithic pillar structures out of limestone. These Pacific mental restoration efforts are proving successful in Ocean “latte stone” creations still exist on several Mariana 0 200 Feet preserving Saipan’s resources.