...days passed relatively quietly and costlessly. As the attack continued northward we turned again to the east, fanning out on the cultivated level ground leading to the cliffs at the tip of Kagman Point. Few of the enemy had remained on such indefensible ground, and, preceded by numerous tanks and a heavy carpet of artillery and rocket fire, our movement was swift.
- Captain Frederic Stott, 1/24, "Saipan Under Fire"
Despite difficulties in maneuvering tanks and vehicles on the peninsula (jump-off, originally scheduled for 0745 had to be rescheduled for 0830), the 24th Marines pushed forward and enjoyed a day of success. Occasional sniper fire caused the Marines to pause and eliminate another Japanese soldier, but reports indicate that resistance was little more than a nuisance. By 1030, they had secured their portion of the O-6 line, Kagman Hill on the far east coast. The balance of the day was spent on patrols and peering into the numerous caves along the coast.
By the noon of "D plus 10" the occupation of the point was complete, and from the heights at the end of the peninsula we gazed back with contentment at the land we had conquered. It stretched out for many miles, some level, and some alternately dipping and rising abruptly. Somehow them map hadn't told us that Saipan was such a large land mass. Then our gaze traveled northward toward yet-unconquered miles of rolling hilly island, and lastly I looked out to sea and estimated that we were approximately half the way around the globe from Boston. (I am certain George Apley would have done the same.)
Many wishfully thought this to be the end for us. "Scuttlebutt" had circulated that, in the view of the heavy casualties we had sustained plus the amount of ground covered, we were due to be withdrawn and held in reserve for the balance of the operation. Of course this same "scuttlebutt" could not agree as to the unites which would take over the regimental or divisional sector or from where they would come, but we were to be withdrawn. (On "D plus 2" "authoritative scuttlebutt" definitely declared Russia and Japan to be at war, and it was days before the rumor's confirmation was withdrawn.) We wanted to believe such thoughts, and there is always plenty of opportunity.
Regardless of the future we gratefully settled down to bivouac on this level ground where digging was easy and the earth soft, and we received "10 in 1" rations for chow. These rations have greater variation than the standard "K" and "C" combat rations, and impromptu additions to the menu soon appeared in the form of captured chickens, ducks, and even two or three pigs which failed to evade tackling Marines. We could hear the gunfire and see the tracers at night, but we were two miles distant from the fighting and felt as secure as if returned to our base camp.
Despite a two-mile hike, our first opportunity to return to the sea was welcomed, and many made the trek to sun and lie in the shallow water and to clean up, at least partially. Whiskers disappeared as we received quartermaster supplies that included razor blades, shaving cream, and toothbrushes. However, many of us retained moustaches until the end - their luxuriant appearance benefitting greatly from clogging particles of fine dirt.
- Captain Frederic Stott, 1/24, "Saipan Under Fire."
There was considerable evidence that the Kagman Peninsula had been intended to be a much more thorny objective, though.
We were close to the northern shoreline of the peninsula. And right there the Japs had dug a big emplacement. They hadn't had time to finish it, but we could see that it was situated so as to fire right down the beach-line. Any troops landing on that beach would have received a terrible enfilading fire from this gun position. Not far from the emplacement were the guns that had been destined to go into it: huge, 5-inch, dual-purpose naval guns. They were deadly things, and I was glad the enemy had never gotten them into action. Now they lay there on their wooden skids, thickly coated with grease, wrapped in burlap--impotent.
- unidentified junior officer, 24th Marines, quoted in John Chapin's "Breaching the Marianas."
The 23rd Marines had a rougher go of it from their inland position, but managed to reach the coastline and clear it of defenders by midafternoon. The Marines found the cliffs surrounding the beach to be heavily fortified, but apparently the Japanese had not anticipated an attack from the rear. Intimidating positions like the one below were taken out with relative ease by 2/23.
Corporal Robert Graf of E/2/23 recounted his experiences at length to John Chapin.
The firepower was intense, and we were working our way up to where the shots originated. Quite often there would be multi cave openings, each protecting another. Laying down heavy cover fire, our specialist would advance to near the mouth of the cave. A satchel charge would then be heaved into the mouth of the cave, followed by a loud blast as the dynamite exploded. Other times it might be grenades thrown inside the cave, both fragment type which exploded sending bits of metal all throughout the cave, and other times [white] phosphorous grenades that burned the enemy. Also the flame thrower was used, sending a sheet of flame into the cave, burning anyone that was in its path. Screams could be heard and on occasions the enemy would emerge from the caves, near the entrance, we would call upon the tanks, and these monsters would get in real close and pump shells into the opening....
Some of the caves had artillery mounted on tracks that could be wheeled to the entrance, fired and pulled back, unobserved. There were caves with reinforced metal doors that protected them from our artillery. Perhaps a direct hit from a 16-inch naval gun could have blasted it open, but nothing else.
One sad incident I recall was when a captured civilian Japanese woman came up to me. She was crying and when she got close to me she started hitting me on the arm and pointing to my pack. I did not know what she wanted until an interpreter came over and explained that she wanted some food and water for her dead child. She pointed to a wicker basket that contained her dead infant. I gave her what she requested, and she placed the food and water in the basket so that the child could have nourishment on the way to meet the baby's ancestors. Physical conditions of many were pitiful. Every illness that we had been briefed on was observed: leprosy, dengue fever, yaws and many cases of elephantiasis. Most of them were skeleton thin, as they had no nourishment for many days. Many were suffering from shock caused by the shelling and bombing, and fright because they did not have the vaguest idea as to what we would do to them. Civilians caught in a war that was not of their making. . . .
- Robert Graf, quoted in John Chapin's "Breaching the Marianas"
This advance completed the seizure of the Peninsula and effectively pinched the 24th Marines out of the line. They happily returned to division reserve. To the west, fighting raged along the slopes of Mt. Tapotchau and in the streets of Garapan. It was of no immediate concern to the 24th, who could enjoy a well earned night of relative peace.
Their enemy had begun to despair.
Having lost the influence of the Emperor due to the weakness of our representatives, we are not able to work at at our best here. Please apologize deeply to the Emperor that we cannot do better than we are doing.
However, the right hand men of the Emperor are rejoicing because they are not in places of death during the fight. The Governor General of the South Seas--a non-combatant, will retreat to the north end of Saipan island and the army will defend its positions to the very end, though that be death, to guard the Treasure. However, because of the units sunk at sea, the various forces have no fighting strength, though they do have large numbers; it is regrettable that there has been considerable disturbance in time of battle from the points of view of control and of code books and other secret documents.
There is no hope for victory in places where we do not have control of the air and we are still hoping here for aerial reinforcements.
Biggest obstacle to our forces, according to one unit commander, is lack of care in the selection of battalion commanders and above.
Praying for the good health of the Emperor, we all cry, 'Banzai'!
- message received by Tokyo from General Saito, commander of Japanese forces on Saipan
Corporal Blaine Riley. Morris Fork, KY. Age 22. Wounded June 21, 1944.
Wounded:
Technical Sergeant Michael J. Graziadei
PFC Howard M. Kerr
Total: 3
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