Saipan: the battle that doomed Japan in World War II

[Buckshot Bear]

Saipan: the battle that doomed Japan in World War II

 

Currently reading this very well written tome and very moving (actually keeping me awake at night).

Incredible that for some of these young Marines it was their THIRD beach landing on a their third different island in the Pacific.

 

Unbelievable grit.

 

 

[Chantry]

Without taking anything away from the courage and sacrifice of those who fought there, I don't think Saipan was the battle that doomed Japan.

 

Arguably they were doomed as soon as they bombed Pearl Harbor, although Midway, where we destroyed 4 of the 6 best carriers and aircrews the Japanese Navy had or Guadalcanal, which was the first major offensive in the Pacific, are better choices for the battle that doomed Japan. 

[Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381]

Midway was the turning point. Saipan was where Lieutenant General Holland Smith made an ass of himself in relieving Major General Ralph Smith.

[Buckshot Bear]

From reading the book Saipan was fought for so hard by both US and Japanese forces because both sides new how important the island was.

The US planning was one of the biggest ever undertaken. The Japanese knew that the homeland was under direct threat if the island fell, Hirohito ordered the defenders to fight and die to the last and the great majority of them did which caused countless deaths and injuries' to marines even from mortally wounded or dead feigning Japanese hence the word went round "If it don't stink shoot or bayonet it".

The US needed Saipan for the new B-29 Superfortress that would start the massive bombing campaign of the Japanese homeland, this is where I think the "Which doomed Japan" line comes from.

[watab kid]

i agree , the marines took both Saipan and Tinian at a large cost to both sides , the airfields allowed us to reach the japanese homeland with massive bombloads , it did doom them when you include the manhattan project in the equation , 

[Doc Moses]

Semper fi

[Sixgun Sheridan]

I will agree that Saipan was when the Japanese reached the point of no return in being able to possibly win the war. Even as late as Tarawa they still had a pretty impressive fleet and a lot of trained soldiers, pilots and aircraft left. After Saipan their fleet was in shambles as they were left with nothing but surface ships afterwards, having lost most of what was left of their planes and killed pilots in the Turkey Shoot. Their ground forces on Saipan also made their last offensive strikes at the American line, and were cut to ribbons.

 

After Saipan it mostly became a fight against dug-in defenders and unskilled Kamikaze pilots, which prolonged the war but meant that from that point on Japan was clearly fighting a losing battle.

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

My dad was at Saipan aboard the battleship USS Idaho, BB-42.   The Idaho provided preparatory bombardment.  Dad was a Quartermaster Seaman First.  He was on the bridge at the wheel.