The Battle for Tinian by Nathan Prefer

Author:Nathan Prefer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bisac Code 1: HIS027100
ISBN: eBook ISBN: 9781612001074
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2012-04-03T16:00:00+00:00

Another view of Ushi Point Airfield, showing the destruction and wreckage on the field. Later, known as North Field, B-29s carrying the atomic bombs would depart from this same airfield. National Archives and Records Administration

The replacements landed, as did all other supplies and equipment, over the same White beaches that had served the assault troops. These beaches were still being maintained by the shore party. The 1341st Engineer (Combat) Battalion, U.S. Army and the 2nd Battalion, 20th Marines each operated one of the beaches. Both operated under the command of the 4th Marine Division’s shore party commander, Lieutenant Colonel Nelson K. Brown. Because of the use of these two battalions there was no need, or room, for the 2nd Marine Division’s shore party, the 2nd Battalion, 18th Marines, to operate. So this unit was assigned to maintaining, and distributing from, the division supply dumps, a task it performed throughout the operation.

The two pontoon causeways that had been towed over from Saipan had mixed results. The one intended for White 2 had been damaged by enemy artillery fire. Because of the damage, little traffic was landed over this causeway. The White Beach 1 pontoon was quite successful, however, and pre-loaded trucks and trailers came over it on a regular basis. The speed of unloading made possible by these causeways was noteworthy; in one case an LST unloaded thirty loaded trucks in less than sixty minutes. Some empty trucks were embarked for return to Saipan, but for the most part the empty vehicles remained on Tinian pending capture of the Tinian Town port.

As night fell most of the front lines remained quiet. However, in the zone of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, things began to heat up swiftly. The battalion was hit by repeated enemy probes, and though none became severe enough to be classified as a counterattack, the probing was constant and widespread. As Lieutenant Colonel Richard C. Nutting’s men faced to their front, they were suddenly hit from the rear as well. This attack fell upon Captain Warren Morris’ F Company. A large group of enemy soldiers began to infiltrate through his lines in an effort to escape from the Marine perimeter, a reversal of the usual scheme of things. For some time Company F was fighting in two directions. Eventually the fighting died away and with dawn the Marines counted some 187 enemy dead in front of and behind their lines. Two Marines had been killed and another two wounded in the evening fight.

That evening the Marine Command made some changes in their operations. The advance was rapidly moving beyond the range of the medium and heavy artillery battalions located on Saipan. As a result, all but the heaviest guns, which could reach any point on Tinian, were to begin relocating to Tinian. The landing of the 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines, was the first of these moves. General Harper was about to move his headquarters to Tinian along with his XXIV Corps Artillery battalions. General Schmidt also made some changes in his operations.

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