Saipan-1944

Japan against USA

By mid-1944, Allied forces in the Pacific had driven Japanese forces back to the main line of defense for the home islands. If the Marianas fell, the newly introduced B-29 Superfortresses that could base there would be within range to strike directly at Tokyo, making Saipan--the largest Island in the northern Marianas--a position that Japan could not afford to lose.

U.S. Marines began landing on June 15th, gained a thin foothold after a day and a night of bloody fightiing, and were reinforced the next day by Army units from the 27th Infantry Division. An attempt within a few days by Japanese naval forces to counterattack resulted in the Battle of the Phillipines Sea, which ended a disastrous loss for Japan by the 20th. Without hope of reinforcement or resupply, Saipan's defenders held out for almost three more weeks, most of the last remaining forces perishing in a suicidal charge on July 7th.

Japan	USA
Ground Forces
Isuzu Type 94 Truck Type 1 "Ho-Ki" Type 95 "Ha-Go"	Ford GPA GMC 2.5t M4A1 Halftrack T19 HMC 105mm Willys MB-2
Aircraft
Aichi D3A1 "Val" Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 Reisen "Zero" N1K1-J Shiden "George" Nakajima A6M2-N "Rufe" Nakajima B5N2 "Kate"	Douglas A-26 "Invader" Piper L4 "Grasshopper" Piper L4 "Seacup"
Naval Vessels
Type 38 PT Boat	Elco PT Boat Enterprise Fletcher Class LCT Mk V LVT(a)-4 LVT-4 "Water Buffalo" Liberty Ship
Stationary Weapons
37mm Armata Przeciwpancerna Wz 36 8 inch coastal gun Type 88 Dual Purpose Gun Type 96 25mm AA	n/a