The Seizure of Tinian

by
Major Carl W. Hoffman, USMC

Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
1951


H-PLUS 4 MINUTES; the first wave LVT's are leaving Beach White 1, second wave is approaching. Across this 60-yard beach, the entire 24th Regiment landed on Jig-Day.


Tinian Operation
Progress of the Attack

Contents

Chapter Page
1. Plans and Preparations 1
    Strategic Situation 1
    Historical Background 2
    Tinian 3
    Japanese Organization and Defense 7
    High-Level Planning 16
    Tactical Planning 19
    Personnel and Logistics 26
    The Preparatory Bombardment 30
         Naval Gunfire 30
         Air Support 34
         Artillery 35
    Embarkation and Movement to the Objective 37
2. Jig-Day--24 July 1944 41
    Pre-H-Hour Preparations 41
    WHITE 1 48
    WHITE 2 49
    Reserve Battalions Land 52
    Tanks and Half-Tracks 53
    Artillery 54
    23d Marines Land 55
    1st Battalion, 8th Marines, Lands 57
    Shore Party and Beach Development 57
    Darkness Jig-Day 59
    Enemy Operations 61
    The Counterattacks 62
         The Attack on the Left 63
         The Attack on the Center 64
         The Attack on the Right 65
3. Surge to the South 69
    Jig-Plus 1--25 July 1944 69
         Expansion of the Beachhead 71
         Artillery Activities 75
         Related Naval Activities 77
    Jig-Plus 2--26 July 1944 77
         To the East Coast 80
         Engineers and Shore Party 83
    Jig-Plus 3 and 4--27 and 28 July 1944 85
         The Longest Advance 88
         Re-groupment of the Artillery 90
         Bad Weather and Its Effects 92
    Jig-Plus 5 and 6--29 and 30 July 1944 94
         To and Through Tinian Town 94
         The 2d Division's Push to O-7 98
4. Up the Cliff 102
    Jig-Plus 7--31 July 1944 102
         The Struggle for a Toe Hold 107
         The Night on the Cliff 109
    Jig-Plus 8--1 August 1944 113
         To the Cliffs of Marpo Point 115
         Tinian Mop-Up 117
5. Conclusions 122
    U.S. Tactics 122
    U.S. Intelligence 123
    Japanese Tactics and Techniques 124
    Fire Support 126
         Naval Gunfire 126
         Air Support 127
         Artillery 130
    Tanks 131
    Logistics 133
    Signal Communications 139
    Treatment of Civilians 140
    The Assessment 142
Appendices
I. Bibliography 144
II. Chronology 147
III. NTLF Casualties 150
IV. Command and Staff List of Major Units 151
V. Japanese Order of Battle--Tinian 156
VI. Task Organization 157
VII. Propaganda Texts 159
VIII. Origin of the WHITE Beach Plan 161
IX. Index 163


FROM THIS AIRFIELD ON TINIAN B-29's carried atomic bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Improved Beach White 1 lies in center foreground.


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Jerry Holden for the HyperWar Foundation